Bernard Hopkins knows a thing or two about clashing with younger fighters. The boxing legend had a late renaissance in rerouting and upending the careers of several younger fighters as part of his Hall of Fame body of work.
That being said, while Hopkins respects 42-year-old Manny Pacquiao taking on unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr., 31, in Las Vegas on Aug. 21, he can't go with the legend over "The Truth" on this one.
"I respect Pacquiao for taking the challenge he's taking," Hopkins began telling FightHype.com recently. "He's going to be a problem for any fighter because of his ability and his experience and his longevity of health. That's key ... but Errol Spence will be victorious.
"I believe that Errol Spence is fighting on a different level of mentality — a second chance in life," Hopkins continued. "I'm pretty sure that he understands that every chance that he gets to reflect every day — boxing or non-boxing — and he will have that terrible accident that he can look at any time to know he came from that and then go into the ring and fight somebody that says they're going to do something to you?
Hopkins doesn't believe the latter could ever compare to what Spence has already overcome.
"And on top of that, his skills."
For all those reasons, especially that second lease on life, Hopkins gives the definitive nod to Spence to keep his titles wrapped around his waist.
Of course, B-Hop is referring to Spence's devastating single-vehicle accident in October 2019, just 12 days after he defeated Shawn Porter in a hard-fought split-decision victory. That crash had Spence's Ferrari flip multiple times, ejecting him from his seat. Miraculously, the unified world champ was able to walk away from the wreckage without suffering any broken bones.
It's that "second chance" that Hopkins believes will serve as all the motivation Spence needs to have his hand raised against Pacquiao at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.