Boxing

Hopkins: No weight issue in finale

By JOHN C. COTEY
Published March 23, 2006

TAMPA - Bernard Hopkins started his day Wednesday with a run along Bayshore Boulevard, where he was joined midway through by HBO executive and Clearwater native Ken Schick.

Both described it as a good run, slightly competitive and thoroughly enjoyable.

But for a guy who has to gain 15 pounds and jump two weight classes for his June 10 fight against Tampa's Antonio Tarver, those runs will become more infrequent.

"I'll melt away," Hopkins said at a news conference at the Hyatt Regency to promote what he says will be the final fight of his illustrious career.

There were no fireworks at Wednesday's attempt to drum up interest in the HBO pay-per-view light heavyweight bout between Tarver, a 37-year-old late bloomer, and Hopkins, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer.

It was clear, however, that both will have a lot on the line when they meet at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

For Tarver (24-3), it will be a chance to build on the reputation he is trying to forge as a "legend killer," claimed after his second defeat of Roy Jones at the St. Pete Times Forum last year.

For Hopkins, it is his last hurrah, an attempt to accomplish what his hero, Sugar Ray Robinson, could not - make the leap from middleweight (160 pounds) to light heavyweight (175).

Robinson, regarded by many as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter, beat Rocky Graziano to retain the middleweight title in 1952 and two months later, on June 25, tried to wrest the light heavyweight title from Joey Maxim at Yankee Stadium. In stifling heat that reached 104 degrees, Robinson retired on his stool after 13 rounds of their 15-rounder, though he led 10-3, 9-3-1 and 7-3-3 on the judges' cards.

While Robinson weighed 157 to Maxim's 173, Hopkins plans to meet the limit of 175.

He has hired fitness guru Mackie Shilstone, who helped prepare the undersized Michael Spinks and Jones for their heavyweight fights.

"It's going to be a challenge, not only to put the weight on but to do it comfortably, safely, legally," said Hopkins, 46-4-1 with 32 knockouts. "And not to just be comfortable with it, but effective with it. I can eat my way up to 190 if I choose to. I can call my friend (heavyweight) James Toney up and say, "Hey, man (what diet you on)?' But am I effective at that weight?"

That may be the biggest question for Hopkins, who lost his last two fights by close decision to middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. Hopkins debuted at 175 (and lost), but has fought at middleweight since. Often, he came in under 160, beating Oscar De La Hoya in 2004, weighing in at 156.

Hopkins, though, says not to worry about his weight, motioning across the dais to where Tarver, who had to put on 40 pounds for his bad-guy role in the upcoming Rocky movie, had been sitting.

"I'm more worried about the guy at 210 or 205 whose got to come down and fight a guy that don't get hit," Hopkins said. "That's the guy that should be worried. I'd rather put on 10 then take off 25 or 30, especially when he's fighting a person with credibility, a person you know ain't coming in there for a paycheck. I would be more worried about that."

[Last modified March 23, 2006, 02:15:42]