Fight outlook

By JOHN C. COTEY
Published June 7, 2006

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Bernard Hopkins, who was the world middleweight champion from 1995-2005, is making a big leap in weight to challenge for Antonio Tarver's Ring magazine light heavyweight title. The 41-year-old says it will be his last fight, and a victory would cement his legacy while a loss would be his third straight after dropping consecutive decisions to Jermain Taylor. No one has ever made such a leap, but Hopkins is convinced he is the slicker, tougher and better fighter. Tarver, who lives in Tampa, is looking to bolster his legacy by knocking off another future Hall of Famer. Having dispatched Roy Jones Jr. twice and Glen Johnson, the 37-year-old Tarver hopes to strengthen his hold on the division. On the undercard, Israel Vazquez (39-3, 28 KOs) will defend his WBC super-bantamweight title against Ivan Hernandez (23-1-1, 13 KOs).