Hopkins To Defend Title Against Kazakhstani Foe

By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins takes on Kazakhstani pugilist Beibut Shumenov on April 19th. The bout will take place at the DC Armory in Washington D.C., just a couple hours from Hopkins’ home town of Philadelphia. Hopkins, age 49, is already the oldest boxing champion in history. And if he wins this fight over Shumenov, who currently holds the World Boxing Association (WBA) light-heavyweight belt, Hopkins would become the oldest boxer to hold two titles at the same weight concurrently.

“I’m coming back to break another record by unifying the title and I’m looking to get my first knockout since I fought Oscar De La Hoya in 2004,” Hopkins told the press. “I know Shumenov is tough, but I’m tougher and I’m not going to let him make a name for himself by being the one to stop me.”

Hopkins previously defended his middleweight title in Washington D.C. in 1998 with a 7th round technical knockout win over Robbert Allen. “It’s no secret that my one of my biggest goals has been to unify the titles and getting to do that in a city where I have a lot of history is the best-case scenario,” said Hopkins. He last fought in October last year outpointing Karo Murat in his first defense since beating previously unbeaten Tavouris Cloud for the title in March 2013.

Shumenov, age 30, sports a record of 14 wins and 1 loss. He recently knocked out Tamas Kovacs in three rounds. He started his career only seven years ago. “I am very excited that the fight is going to happen against one of the greatest fighters ever,” Shumenov told the press. “I am going to do everything possible and impossible to get the victory.”

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