The longest reigning world middleweight champion of all time, Bernard Hopkins recently caught up with The Ring Magazine. ‘The Executioner’ gave his opinion on the upcoming December 16th WBO world middleweight title fight between David Lemieux and Billy Joe Saunders.
Hopkins is an executive at Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy promotional firm. Thus, he has a vested interest in seeing Lemieux win his second world middleweight championship.
Sizing up the task in front of the Canadian Lemieux, on December 16th. Hopkins started by explaining “He’s the better puncher, better experience and I think it’s his time,” Hopkins told RingTV.com.
Bernard Hopkins Hands Out Turkeys To Families In Need https://t.co/JMixzc8a41
— CBS Philadelphia (@CBSPhiladelphia) November 21, 2017
Hopkins also shared that Lemieux is targeting a lucrative bout with Mexican superstar, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. “He wants that major fight with Canelo, he fought GGG already and no one wants to see that again.”
Delivering his predictions for the fight, Hopkins feels Lemieux’s proven punching power will prove crucial; “He will knock him out in eight or nine, but it’s going to be brutal — back and forth,” Hopkins said.
Lemieux has proven very limited in a boxing sense in comparison to Billy Joe Saunders who has outpointed champions such as Andy Lee and Chris Eubank Jr. So, its logical Hopkins believes the most conceivable way Lemieux can win the title is via a knockout.
Bernard Hopkins says David Lemieux will knock out Billy Joe Saunders inside nine rounds https://t.co/YrGirTZBOu#LemieuxSaunders
— Bible of Boxing (@ringmagazine) November 24, 2017
Furthermore, Hopkins shared that he feels his charge boasts the more complete skill set. “Lemieux has the better chin. He’s been there, he knows this, he knows he has to pay the price to get back.”
“It’s his time to be able to shine and when it’s over, you’ll know when it’s over;” Hopkins ended on a final note, ominously.
Hopkins hasn’t fought since being stopped by Joe Smith Jr in California; that bout was in December 2016.
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