The Executioner’s Swan Song
By Derek Bonnett Many people wanted to believe. Bernard Hopkins had turned back the clock so many times in his illustrious career, that even at the age of fifty-one and nearly two years of ring inactivity, fans wanted to think that Joe Smith Jr. would be easily dissected and defeated to complete the final chapter of one of boxing’s greatest storylines ever. Hopkins turned back the clock for fans by ditching his silly "Alien" moniker and resuming his role as boxing’s "Executioner",