Hopkins meets Eastman in bid for 20th title defence
Pakistan Times Sports Desk

LOS ANGELES (US): Undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins plans to make sure Howard Eastman’s long journey from London to Saturday’s world title clash here at Staples Center is a fruitless trip.

Hopkins, 40, puts his World Boxing Council belt on the line against Eastman Saturday seeking his 20th consecutive title defence.

The champion, who hasn’t lost since he dropped a decision to Roy Jones jnr in 1993, took Englishman Eastman’s prediction of a fifth-round knockout in his stride.

“He means what he says and I mean what I say when I say what I’ll do to Howard Eastman,” Hopkins said. “Let me tell you, everybody can’t be right. Come Sunday, somebody’s going to be asking the question, ‘What happened?’

“And guess what? I don’t want to be that person.

“I’m going to do my best by every means legal and clean to let Howard Eastman know it’s a long trip to England.”

But the 34-year-old challenger, who brings a record of 40-1 with 34 wins inside the distance to the bout, remained undaunted.

“No disrespect to Hopkins, but the number five is there in my head,” said the Guyana-born boxer who fights out of Battersea, south London. “I am going to beat him in five rounds. He has never fought anyone like me before. I can punch harder than anyone he has met. I can take anything he can give out.”

But while Eastman is the European and Commonwealth champion, it’s his resume rather than Hopkins’ that some consider short on well-known opponents.

After winning his first 32 pro fights, Eastman surrendered a majority decision to American William Joppy in November 2001 for the vacant World Boxing Association middleweight title. Eastman lost despite knocking Joppy down and the defeat still rankles.●