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Hopkins feels weight of history ahead of Pascal battle

Bernard Hopkins goes face to face with Jean Pascal © Getty Images

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Bernard Hopkins insists he still has a burning desire to prove a point as he bids to become the oldest fighter in boxing history to win a prominent world title.

Light-heavyweight Hopkins, who is one month from his 46th birthday, will attempt to wrestle the WBC crown from Jean Pascal's grasp when the two meet in Quebec at the weekend.

Although many thought Hopkins' career at the top level was over when he suffered successive losses to Jermain Taylor in 2005, he has bounced back in style and enters the Pascal fight off the back of three straight wins.

The most recent triumph came against another veteran, Roy Jones Jnr, in a rematch of their celebrated battle in 1993. Hopkins looked in a different class on that night, winning a unanimous points decision, and he is hoping to once again show the world that he still possesses considerable pedigree.

"This goes beyond being a champion," said Hopkins. "This is a grand opportunity. It is a situation I don't take for granted. Saturday night you will see something unique. A 45-year-old man in a young man's body is an amazing thing. I am here to prove that I can still compete and that I am something special.

"What do I have to lose? He [Pascal] has 16,000 fans coming to see him. That many people make a lot of noise and I am going to use that to my advantage.

"The crowd is my inspiration. I think I am going to gain some Canadian fans when they see what I do against Pascal. I am 100 percent ready and it is going to be an amazing fight."

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