Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. are both guaranteed to be voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame the first year they become eligible. Depending on when they finally hang up their gloves, they might even enter the Hall during the same year.
Based on their performances in separate bouts on Saturday, Hopkins will give a memorable speech at his induction ceremony. Chances are, he will say some things likely to offend people (Don?t expect NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb to be in the audience). Hopkins will, as always, state exactly what?s on his mind, consequences be damned.
Jones, on the other hand, might be too debilitated by then to even attend his induction, never mind deliver a speech.
Hopkins made history in his Saturday bout, scoring a unanimous decision over WBC light-heavyweight champion Jean Pascal to become ? at age 46 ? the oldest fighter ever to win a major title. The fight was a rematch of their December encounter, which resulted in an unpopular draw. Hopkins was floored twice in the early rounds of the first bout, which was the margin by which the 18-year-younger Pascal salvaged the draw. This time, B-Hop stayed on his feet, and outworked and outsmarted the title-holder.
Jones?s cruiserweight match with once-beaten cruiserweight contender Denis Lebedev was a non-title affair. It ended with Jones flat on his face and out cold in the closing seconds of the tenth and final round. In his prime, Jones won titles in four weight classes ranging from middleweight to heavyweight (Ironically, he skipped cruiserweight during that run). Sadly, Jones has lost four of his six previous contests, including the last three in a row. In two of those three losses, he was knocked out ? not just stopped, but iced.
Both men say they?ll fight on, even though neither really needs to. Their prospects stand in sharp contrast. Hopkins can beat anyone in the 175-pound division, including fellow belt-holders Nathan Cleverly and Tavoris Cloud. Jones, on the other hand, is vulnerable to an opponent who can land a solid shot on his fragile jaw.
Hopkins and Jones fought each other twice ? as twenty-somethings in 1993, and as forty-somethings last year. In their first bout, Jones won a clear, though unspectacular, decision. Hopkins evened the score in the long-delayed rematch, but Jones was simply not competitive, and the ?action? was painful to watch.
When Hopkins goes into the IBHOF, his entry will be based on his accomplishments over his entire career, which spans more than 20 years. Jones?s undeniable credential is his decade of pound-for-pound dominance that stretched from 1993 to 2003. What?s happened afterward cannot dim the luster of those glory days.
Both Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. more than deserve to be enshrined in Canastota. The difference between them is that during the twilight of his career, Hopkins has managed to hold off Father Time. Jones has not.
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace, as well as the Imaro series of fantasy/adventure novels. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers.
