BERNARD HOPKINS vs. ROY JONES JR.

When: Saturday, April 3

Where: Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas

TV: Pay-per-view, 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET

Weight: Light heavyweight (175-pound limit)

Title(s) at stake: None.

HOPKINS

The essentials

Age: 45

Height / Reach: 6-1 (185cm) / 75 (191cm)

Stance: Orthodox

Hometown: Philadelphia

Nickname: The Executioner

Turned pro: 1988

Record: 50-5-1 (32 knockouts)

Trainer: Naazim Richardson

Fight-by-fight: http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=1414&cat=boxer

The Ring rating: No. 3 light heavyweight; No. 4 pound for pound.

Titles: IBF middleweight (1995-2005; 20 defenses; lost it to Jermain Taylor); WBC middleweight (2001-05); WBA middleweight (2001-2005); WBO middleweight (2004-05).

Biggest victories: Segundo Mercado, April 29, 1995, KO 7 (wins first title); Glen Johnson, July 20, 1997, KO 11; Felix Trinidad, Sept. 29, 2001, KO 12; Oscar De La Hoya, Sept. 18, 2004; Antonio Tarver, June 10, 2006, UD 12; Winky Wright, July 21, 2007, UD 12; Kelly Pavlik, Oct. 18, 2008, UD 12.

Biggest losses: Roy Jones Jr., May 22, UD 12; Jermain Taylor, July 6, 2005, SD, 12; Taylor, Dec. 3, 2005, UD 12; Joe Calzaghe, April 19, 2008, SD 12.

JONES

The essentials

Age: 41

Height / reach: 5-11 (180cm) / 74 (188cm)

Stance: Orthodox

Hometown: Pensacola, Fla.

Nickname: Junior

Turned pro: 1989

Record:54-6 (40 knockouts)

Trainer: Alton Merkeson

Fight-by-fight: http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=1758&cat=boxer

The Ring rating: None.

Titles: IBF middleweight (1993-94; first title); IBF super middleweight (1994-96); WBC light heavyweight (1997; 1997-2003); WBA light heavyweight (1998-2004); IBF light heavyweight (1999-2003); WBA heavyweight (2003-04); WBC light heavyweight (2003-04).

Biggest victories: Bernard Hopkins, May 22, 1993, UD 12 (first title); James Toney, Nov. 18,1994, UD 12; Mike McCallum, Nov. 22, 1996, UD 12; Montell Griffin, Aug. 7, 1997, KO 1 (rematch after DQ loss); Virgil Hill, April, 25, 1998, KO 4; John Ruiz, March 1, 2003, UD 12 (first former middleweight titleholder to win heavyweight title in 106 years); Antonio Tarver, Nov. 8, 2003, MD 12; Felix Trinidad, Jan. 19, 2008, UD 12; Jeff Lacy, Aug. 15, 2009, TKO 10.

Biggest losses: Montell Griffin, March 21, 1997, DQ 9 (first loss); Antonio Tarver, May 15, 2004, TKO 2 (first KO loss); Glen Johnson, Sept. 25, 2004, KO 9; Tarver, Oct. 1, 2005, UD 12; Joe Calzaghe, Nov. 8, 2008, UD 12; Danny Green, Dec. 2, 2009, TKO 1 (most-recent fight).

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Skills: Both fighters are master boxers; experts in the finer points of the Sweet Science, such as punch accuracy, timing, defense, positioning, and the control of distance and tempo during a fight. However, Hopkins has continually developed his technique since their first meeting, while Jones, due to his incredible athletic ability, was able excel for years without perfecting his boxing form.
Edge: Hopkins

Power: One of the key elements to Jones’ dominance during his prime was his ability to end a fight at any time with a single punch. Jones, who has scored 40 stoppages in his 54 pro victories, possessed legitimate one-punch KO power at middleweight and super middleweight, and he carried enough pop at light heavyweight — and even at heavyweight — to earn respect from his naturally bigger opponents. Hopkins, who has 32 knockouts among his 50 career victories, was known as a hard puncher (particularly with his right hand) on his way up the pro ranks. However, by the time Hopkins won his first world title, his focus switched from delivering punches with power to delivering them correctly.
Edge: Jones

Speed and athletic ability: This category isn’t hard to decide. Even jaded boxing historians who believe quality fighters are a thing of the past will concede that Jones is arguably the most gifted athlete to have ever graced the sport. In his prime, Jones possessed off-the-charts speed and reflexes. Even at age 41, Jones is faster than most world-class light heavyweights. Hopkins has above-average speed and very good reflexes but his athletic ability was never special enough for him to rely on that prowess as Jones was able to for a time.
Edge: Jones

Defense: Jones was almost untouchable for close to 15 years. Fans could count the number of clean punches he took from 1989 through 2002 on one hand. That’s how awesome his reflexes were. However, Jones’ uncanny coordination and movement seemed compromised immediately after he gained 25 pounds of muscle to challenge heavyweight beltholder John Ruiz in early 2003 and then immediately dropped back down to light heavyweight for his punishing first fight with Antonio Tarver. Jones has gone 5-5 in his 10 bouts since the first Tarver fight. Three of those losses are by KO, so obviously he’s getting hit cleanly these days. Hopkins, on the other hand, may have the face of a veteran fighter but he’s never been stopped or cut in a pro fight and his defensive ability is a big part of that statistic.
Edge: Hopkins

Experience: Both men are living legends and they have the extensive pro resumes to back up that status. They’ve both faced top opposition. Hopkins has fought more rounds (he has 18 12-round bouts under his belt compared 14 for Jones), but Jones has faced more world titleholders (21 to 15).
Edge: Even

Chin: The whiskers of Hopkins have proved to be among the best of the past 20-25 years. How many prize fighters with more than 50 bouts and 20 years in the sport can claim to have never been stopped? It’s unheard of in the modern era. Jones was thought to have a good chin before he was blasted by Tarver in their first fight. Now he appears to have a “sweet spot” high on his head that causes his legs to wobble when “pressed.”
Edge: Hopkins

Conditioning: Both veterans are always in immaculate shape for their fights. Neither has ever been under-conditioned. Jones has too much pride not to be 100 percent for every fight. The career-mantra for Hopkins has been the word “discipline.”
Edge: Even

Wear and tear: Both fighters have the kind of wear and tear that comes with 20-plus-year careers, but Hopkins has never taken a sustained beating in the ring. Jones’ first bouts with Tarver and Johnson were punishing affairs that appear to have taken a toll on the former champ’s legs and his ability to take a shot.
Edge: Hopkins

Corner: Alton Merkerson has been with Jones from close to the beginning of the fighter’s pro career and he’s done an exceptional job with the ultra-talent. He also trained Derrick Gainer to a featherweight belt 10 years ago. However, “Coach Merk” hasn’t been as busy or successful as Naazim Richardson, an understudy of Hopkins’ old-school-bred original trainer Bouie Fisher, has been in recent years. Richardson, an expert strategist, plotted the game plan for Hopkins’ masterpiece performance against Kelly Pavlik in October of 2008 and appeared to get the best out of Shane Mosley for the Southern Californian’s demolition of Antonio Margarito.
Edge: Hopkins

Outcome: Despite 17 years of hate and resentment, Hopkins and Jones will give each other their due respect in the early rounds of this rematch. Both men are calculating boxers by nature so both will look to feint or jab the other out of position and capitalize on any mistakes the other makes. The superior hand speed of Jones will carry these rounds as he finds spots in each round to drop flashy (but not necessarily effective) flurries that get a rise out of the crowd. However, as the bout moves into the middle rounds, Hopkins will begin to step up his pressure and work his way inside Jones’ reach. The older man will mug Jones with grappling tactics in the center of the ring and rake his body and arms with hard punches when the speed merchant is gradually bullied to the ropes. Jones will alternately cover up and gamely fire back in spurts while pinned against the ropes, but he’ll get the worst of the exchanges as his busted-up face will attest. Lasting the distance in somewhat competitive fashion will be a moral victory for Jones.

Prediction: Hopkins wins a unanimous decision.

Michael Rosenthal contributed to this report.