Tuesday 11 November 2014 21:37, UK
Bernard Hopkins has vowed to fight “one more time” despite suffering a crushing defeat to Russian Sergey Kovalev at the weekend.
The 49-year-old, who turned pro in 1988, failed to win a round on any of the judges’ scorecards in the light-heavyweight title unification bout.
Hopkins said: “Who will I fight? I don’t know. But it will be somebody I will be an underdog against because I want to be the underdog.
"If this is the last time I'm going into the ring, I will not cheat myself. It will not be a freak show. I will never short-change myself and my dignity.
"It will be somebody that's a champion. It will be from a division beneath me but where they're comfortable and I'm comfortable. It will be someone that's dominating today.
Nicknamed The Executioner, Hopkins defended the middleweight title 20 times from 1995 to 2005 and has never been knocked out, achieving a 55-7-2 record with 32 knockouts over his 26-year pro career.
Hopkins added: "Physically, if you see me today, you'd think I didn't have a fight (on Saturday). But inside, trust me - my arms, the back of my head and the top of my head - oh yeah, I was in a fight. I've been in the hot tub for the last 48 hours.
"I had the most underrated chin in boxing but I think that changed on Saturday. I've never been in this business to prove I can take a punch - that's why I've been around so long.
"People said I was crazy to fight him. Whether it's in boxing, sport or even in life, you just have to man up. And you know what I've been hearing? People who started off rooting for the young guy ended up rooting for the old guy."
