Saturday, June 4, 2011

Underdog Hopkins motivated by PED allegations and chance at record

The mouth that roars got a little of his own medicine in the lead up to tonight's WBC light heavyweight championship on HBO (10 p.m./7 p.m. PT). Bernard Hopkins can talk trash with the best of the them, but flipped out when he thought the champ Jean Pascal went over the line. Pascal said he suspected Hopkins of using performance enhancing drugs.

"I mean, when you're younger, you say things," Hopkins said. "Your parents will smack you on your hand or give you a punishment or something like that. But we are accountable for what we say and what we do. Come (tonight), I will take care of the physical part of it and then, I'll let my people take care of the other part of it."

Hopkins (51-5-2, 32 KOs) challenges Pascal at the Bell Centre in Montreal. He's trying to become the oldest champion in boxing history snapping the mark set back in 1994 by a then 45-year-old George Foreman. Hopkins just turned 46 in January.

Hopkins said the PED slam was a sign of fear or immaturity.

"I said a lot of things about my opponents to get in their head, but I never said an opponent cheated," Hopkins said. "I never said a person did anything to win a fight, outside of the ring or inside of the ring, but that becomes a part of the game. It's just part of a person being intimidated or just not knowing what to say."

This is a rematch of a December fight in Quebec City. Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions were outraged when the fight was scored a majority draw (113-113, 114-114 and 114-112).

Hopkins may feel like he taking care of unfinished business, but Las Vegas sports books have tabbed Pascal (26-1-1, 19 KOs) as the minus-140 favorite.

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