Time is a relentless enemy for any athlete: from the most carefree amateur to the most gifted champion, everyone must eventually come to terms with the decline of their physical abilities and the resulting drop in performance and results. Yet, there are men who, thanks to genetic predisposition, professionalism, discipline, and sheer willpower, somehow manage to stop the hourglass and achieve incredible feats when everyone has already written them off. For a long time, the ultimate symbol of longevity at the top of the sport was George Foreman, who reclaimed a world title at the record age of 45. On May 21, 2011, however, that unbelievable milestone was surpassed by the great Bernard Hopkins, who, at 46 years old, put on a stunning performance on the road against WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal, taking the belt from him. On the anniversary of that unforgettable achievement, we revisit the fight that took place at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
From Controversial Draw to Judgment Day
The two protagonists of our story—whose birth dates are separated by more than 17 years—had already met in the ring five months earlier, delivering an electrifying and hotly debated fight at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City. Hopkins had been knocked down twice in the first three rounds by his younger opponent, but he climbed out of the abyss and dominated the second half of the bout so convincingly that many observers had him winning.
Two of the three judges, however, were not swayed and scored the bout a draw, denying the “Executioner” from Philadelphia the joy of making history. Going into his second chance to break the record, Hopkins knew he couldn’t afford any missteps—and that he had to win convincingly to prevent the home advantage from spoiling the party once again.
Precisely because of the heated controversy that followed the first encounter, the judges for the rematch were carefully selected from “neutral” countries: Italy’s Guido Cavalleri, the Philippines’ Rey Danseco, and Thailand’s Anek Hongtongkam.
Skill, Heart and Brains: A Historic Night Was No Coincidence
Jean Pascal’s strategy became evident within the opening moments of the bout. The Haitian-born, Canadian-naturalized fighter immediately gave up center ring to the challenger, allowing him to take the initiative—something Hopkins, a master of counterpunching, usually preferred to avoid. The champion simply moved cautiously along the ropes, waiting for the perfect moment to spring into action, usually near the end of each round.
If this cautious, clever tactic paid off in the first two rounds, it unraveled in the third when a brilliant right hand from “The Executioner” rocked Pascal and put him in serious trouble: the “old man” was now in the fight!
It didn’t take long for the hometown favorite to return the favor. In the final moments of the fourth round, it was Hopkins who staggered after two clean shots to the head caught him while pressing forward, forcing him to wait a bit longer before shifting into a higher gear.
The turning point came in the sixth round—a pivotal moment in a fight that Pascal had been leading, albeit without much brilliance. Hopkins finally released the handbrake and, after unsettling his opponent with a punch right to the eye, turned aggressive and threatening, dominating the round with sheer authority.
But it was after the bell that the veteran warrior truly showed his genius: first he taunted the champion verbally, drawing an emotional response, and then, as Pascal delayed getting off his stool at the start of round seven, Hopkins dropped down and did push-ups to show everyone how fresh he still was!
The bait worked perfectly: the Canadian fighter showed signs of frustration in the following rounds, completely abandoning his game plan and relying on a chaotic, ineffective attack, while a focused Hopkins calmly racked up point after point.
Making Hopkins’s path to the long-awaited record even more difficult was British referee Ian John-Lewis, who failed to rule two knockdowns in his favor in rounds ten and eleven. While the first—Pascal touching the canvas with a glove after being off-balance from a right hand while ducking—might be debatable, the second one was a clear miss: Pascal went down hard from the delayed effect of a clean straight shot to the chin.
Despite these minor injustices, Hopkins had done more than enough to merely survive the final three minutes against the champion’s desperate last assaults without risking a draw. And indeed, this time the judges unanimously crowned the rightful winner, officially recognizing him as the oldest world boxing champion in history.
Incredibly, that record would be broken again two years later—by none other than Hopkins himself, who at the age of 48 reclaimed a world title, this time the IBF belt, by defeating Tavoris Cloud!
We don’t know how long it will be before another champion manages to defy biology and challenge the Executioner’s record. What we do know is that in many ways, Bernard Hopkins remains an inspiration to anyone who dares to chase a dream when the world says it’s too late.