This March a packed Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY sat in awe. The 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins became the oldest boxer to win a championship. He proved that he was not only capable of fighting, but that he was still skillful, quick, and the master that he had been in his earlier days. Yet, as we approach the fight that will pit Hopkins against 30-year-old Karo Murat of Germany by way of Iraq this weekend the question arises once again…Will Bernard Hopkins get old on Saturday night?
Karo Murat will be making his American debut, with a record of 25-1-1 and a little less than half of the number of rounds in the bag than Hopkins age seems to be the only number on his side. With a record that includes wins over Gabriel Campillo, Nathan Cleverly, and Otis Griffin, Murat has not proved his boxing skill. Sure he is tough and stubborn, as anyone would expect of an Iraqi raised in Germany, but he has not really ever shown any strong boxing skill. He’s got that come forward brut prowess that technicians like Hopkins can smell from a distance and pick apart. Now I’m not talking about the performances that most will call out in arguments against Hopkins like the Dawson or Pascal fights.
There is not much to be seen or said about Murat. The pair was originally supposed to face off on July 13 of this year in Brooklyn, but Visa issues forced the fight to be postponed giving more time for the always-audible Hopkins to promote the fight. Hopkins has always been known for his hype man antics, from stomping on the Puerto Rican flag while promoting his fight against Trinidad in 2001 to doing push ups in between rounds of his fight against Pascal. This time he has dubbed himself an alien, dancing around the ring during a media workout wearing an alien mask after someone called his late in life performances un human.
Hopkins has over 100 more rounds in the bank than does Murat. If all goes to plan, and he does not get old on Saturday night this should be an easy decision for him. We all know in boxing, if no where else, to expect the unexpected, but this time, I think the result will be exactly as expected, Hopkins by UD.