Not retiring yet, Hopkins plans farewell bout

It is going to be an event, a celebration of everything he has accomplished. Bernard Hopkins said he has planned his farewell to boxing. And thinking about it makes the 49-year-old teary-eyed.

Hopkins said his career is worth too much to simply retire in a quick postfight interview. His retirement is not an announcement, it is a statement, Hopkins said. He wants to retire with a farewell bout, one billed as his final fight: win, lose, or draw.

"It isn't going to be a cheap, cheesy one. 'I'm done, I'm going, had a great time, bye ya'll,' " said Hopkins, who will turn 50 in January. "This is going to be a thing where I want you to get dressed up. I want you to come. I want you to have a little hors d'oeuvre. I want you to get ready for the fight."

Hopkins said he wants his farewell bout to be in Atlantic City, New York, or Philadelphia. It will be next year; the 26-year ring veteran said he will not fight past 50 years old. Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 knockouts) is targeting his next bout for March or April. And it will be his last, Hopkins said, if the opponent is right.

"The word is if," he said. "I'm not doing it unless it's what I want. If it's the one I want and we do it - and it can be done - I won't stay."

The light heavyweight arrived at Joe Hand's Gym in Northern Liberties on Monday for a light afternoon workout. It was less than 40 hours after the end of his last fight - Saturday's unanimous-decision loss to Sergey Kovalev. Hopkins said his performance in that fight would make his next fight even bigger.

Hopkins said his final foe will not be "a Joe Shmoe." It will be a recognizable name who is "wiping everyone out." Taking the fight, Hopkins said, will give the recognizable name the chance to add a signature win over a legendary opponent. The former champion said some will think he's crazy for ending his career this way. Others will think he can expose the recognizable name.

Hopkins said there is not a long list of opponents who are fitting for his final fight. And none of them, he said, has fought a superstar.

His preferred opponent is middleweight Gennady Golovkin, an unbeaten wrecking ball from Kazakhstan who has knocked out 28 of his 31 opponents. The 32-year-old is scheduled to fight in February, meaning that a match against Hopkins likely would have to wait until at least May. Golovkin said last year that he was willing to meet Hopkins at 175 pounds - 15 pounds heavier than his usual weight class.

"This is the Brett Favre of boxing leaving," Hopkins said. "This is Roger Staubach in his time leaving the game. This is Michael Jordan leaving the game, playing in the Finals one more time."