Future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins was born 48 years ago today, and in celebration he will continue his record-setting career on Saturday, March 9 by facing undefeated IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in a bout which will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing.
“Today is my 48th birthday and I feel half my age, so Cloud had better be ready” said Hopkins, who will be participating in his 29th world championship fight and if he is victorious will break his own record as the oldest fighter in history to win a world title. “People can say what they want. I have broken records, quieted doubters and solidified my legacy. Now, I am going to do all of that again, but this time at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn in front of a large crowd of people that understand and appreciate the sport.”
“This will be the last supper for Bernard Hopkins,” said Cloud, the 30-year old pugilist who will be making the fifth defense of his IBF Light Heavyweight Title which he has held since in 2009. “I will retain my IBF Light Heavyweight World Title.”
“Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Bernard Hopkins continues to amaze me and I’m looking forward to seeing what he’s going to do next at Barclays Center in March,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Tavoris Cloud is a tough test and a proud champion and with his aggressive style and power, he’s going to push Bernard like never before.”
“This is a history-making fight,” said Don King, President of Don King Productions. “I made history with a guy from Brooklyn by the name of Mike Tyson. Now I have a mini-Mike Tyson in undefeated IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Tavoris Cloud who will fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on March 9. It will be an exciting evening.”
“Bernard Hopkins is one of the most legendary boxers in the sport and we are delighted to have him fight at Barclays Center against a powerful champion such as Tavoris Cloud,” Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark said. “We’re excited to bring this great bout to Brooklyn to headline our third boxing event at Barclays Center. There’s no doubt that major championship boxing has returned to the borough in a big way.”
“Bernard Hopkins is a historic figure in the sport of boxing and we’re delighted to present his quest for another world title against Tavoris Cloud live on HBO World Championship Boxing,” said Kery Davis, Senior Vice President of Programming of HBO Sports. “Bernard not only connects with boxing fans, but sports fans around the world and you can count on him delivering. This will be a terrific showdown and we’re excited to be televising our first event from the sparkling new Barclays Center.”
One of the most compelling figures in boxing history, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (52-6-2, 32 KO’s) is also one of the greatest fighters ever. The longest reigning middleweight champion ever with 20 successful title defenses over the course of his 10-year reign including his history-making victory over Felix “Tito” Trinidad to win the Don King-promoted Middleweight World Championship Series on a memorable post-9/11 night in New York City on September 29, 2001.
The pride of Philadelphia has also proven there is life after 40 as light heavyweight world champion with his wins over Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright, Kelly Pavlik and Roy Jones Jr. In May of 2011, he made history again by defeating Jean Pascal for the WBC Light Heavyweight World Title, becoming the oldest fighter (48 years, 54 days) to win a world championship. On March 9, he will attempt to rule the 175-pound weight class once again by beating Cloud and breaking his current world record.
Unbeaten as a professional, Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud (24-0, 19 KO’s) has proven to be heavy handed as evidenced by his 79 percent knockout ratio. He captured the IBF light heavyweight title in 2009 with a points win over Clinton Woods. Since then, he has successfully defended his title four times, beating Glen Johnson, Fulgencio Zuniga, Yusaf Mack and Gabriel Campillo in his most recent defense on Feb. 18, 2012. On March 9, the 30-year-old former amateur star from Tallahassee, Florida will enter Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for the mega-fight he has waited his whole career for and he has every intention of leaving New York with his title belt around his waist.
Hopkins vs. Cloud, a 12-round fight for Cloud’s IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship will take place Saturday, March 9 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Don King Productions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $80, $50 and $25, go on sale on Saturday, January 19 at 10:00 a.m. ET and will be available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com, the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center, all Ticketmaster locations, or by calling 800-745-3000.
