Bernard Hopkins has more than earned the right to go out on his own terms, and he's going to do exactly that.A legend of the sport of boxing and one of the craftiest to ever step between the ropes, the 51-year-old Hopkins has decided he has one more fight in him, for better or for ill.He will take on Joe Smith Jr. on Saturday at the Forum in Inglewood, California, for what he says will be the last bout of his storied career.This is no canned exhibition match, nothing like those farewell testimonial games afforded retiring legends in soccer. This is the real deal, a scheduled 12-round bout for Smith's WBC International light heavyweight title. Yes, that's right, after all is said and done, Hopkins could go out with a glimmering strap slung across his shoulder.Or, he could go out battered and broken, losing to a powerful man just over half his age and doing unnecessary harm to his aging mind and body. There are eminently justifiable concerns about this bout even taking place, but none ofthose worries about waning energy levels and fading reflexes will stop the show on Saturday.Hopkins is a marvel of the sports world no matter the outcome of Saturday's fight. Here's how you can catch what is expected to be the final bow of one of the sport's greats.Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Smith Jr. Fight InfoWhen: Saturday, Dec. 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PTWhere: The Forum in Inglewood, CaliforniaTV: HBOLive Stream: BoxNation (UK Only)For Hopkins, whose incredible career spans four decades, this will be his first fight since losing a 12-round unanimous decision to Sergey Kovalev in November 2014. A then-49-year-old Hopkins surviving to the final bell with the bruising Kovalev (81 percentknockout rate) was the latest otherworldly feat for the man they call "The Alien."Pardon me, "The Executioner." Hopkins has no time for the extraterrestrial nickname ahead of this bout, instead conjuring up the image of a lethal foe, one who defeated the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Winky Wright, Felix Trinidad and Antonio Tarver (among many, many others)."While 'The Alien' may be retired, 'The Executioner' has one fight left, and Joe Smith Jr., is going to find out the hard way how well prepared I am for my final fight," Hopkins said, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "A lot of people will focus on my age, the history of my run in the sport, the titles, etc., but I'm focused on one thingknocking Joe Smith out."That last sentence is pure boxing bluster, as Hopkins hasn't scored a stoppage since knocking out De La Hoya in 2004. If Hopkins is going to win this bout, it will have to be through defensive mastery and technical wizardry, utilizing a sharp boxing mind that has catalogued every trick and strategy known to pugilism.He will be looking for the kind of fight that saw him defeat Tavoris Cloud in 2009 to win the IBF world light heavyweight belt. Bleacher Report's Kevin McRae detailed in October 2014 how the hard-hitting Cloud was no match for Hopkins' intelligence and cunning:He had a reputation as a thunderous puncher, and there were more than a few observers who wondered how Hopkins would deal with that power if he got caught clean.But that didnt happen.Hopkins confounded Cloud in the majority of rounds, using all the tricks in the bookboth legal and illegalto frustrate, beat up, demoralize and cut his foe.The cutsone in Round 6 and another in Round 12were both the result of accidental headbutts, but they werent the story of the fight.The story was Hopkins, then fighting at the tender age of 48, forcing another foe to fight his pace, his fight and his way.It was an "imposing of your will" type of fight, and Cloud had no clue what to do with the old master.Avoiding heavy blows is key for Hopkins in this bout. Though he survived Kovalev's barrage of punches, he's two years deeper into middle age, two years older and possibly slower, going without any sanctioned ring work in that time.Hopkins has done himself no favors with this final bout, taking on a serious puncher in Smith.The Long Island native has 18 knockouts in 23 career fights. Six of his last eight opponents have succumbed to his punching prowess inside three rounds. Smith is coming off a first-round TKO of Andrzej Fonfara in June, a bout that saw him capture the WBC International belt. The 27-year-old is entering his athletic prime, born nine months after Hopkins made his pro debut in 1988.He will have to avoid Hopkins' tricks and ability to take the air out of a fight, keeping his range and stinging the older man with hard blows to the body and jaw. If he can pick his spots and manage not to get sucked into a defensive slog, he should be able to win this bout. But of course, Hopkins has been defying expectations for several years now, finding ways to win at ages when people are giving up playing in after-work softball leagues, not professional boxing.His ability to stay both physically and mentally sharp after so many years of punishment actually has him as a favorite in this match. According to OddsShark (as of Thursday, Dec. 15), Hopkins is a 4-11 favorite and Smith is a 43-20 underdog.So, fans just might see the improbable happen on Saturday. Vegas seems to expect it to some degree. Hopkins could dodge and deflect Smith's best punches, while peppering him with his own variety of shots and getting out of trouble. He could go out on top, teaching a lesson to one more young pugilist before calling it quits. Or Smith's ascent through the light heavyweight ranks could continue unperturbed, with Hopkins marking a rather historic but nevertheless successful chapter in his burgeoning career.Either way, it's going to be worth checking out for boxing fans hoping to catch one of the greats before he finally hangs it up.
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