Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

When Bernard Hopkins challenged light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal in December, B-Hop knew that a victory would mean not only winning yet another world title but that he also would become, at 45, the oldest world champion in boxing history.

Hopkins has fought as well into his 40s as any fighter and relishes his achievements, often joking about his age. He has answered questions about it for years. His age has become a big part of his boxing identity.

He already has accomplished historic feats — a division-record 20 middleweight title defenses, for example — but I know becoming the oldest champion in history means a lot to him. It would be the icing on the cake for his all-time great career.

Had Hopkins gotten the decision victory against Pascal that he deserved in December — instead of a draw — he would have edged past the great George Foreman by a few months as boxing’s oldest champion.

Foreman was also 45 when he regained the heavyweight championship by pulling a huge upset in a 10th-round knockout of Michael Moorer in 1994. I can still vividly recall watching that fight and hearing the now-legendary call of the knockout by HBO’s peerless Jim Lampley: “It happened! It happened!”

A few hours after Hopkins got the draw against Pascal, we spoke on the telephone. Hopkins was disappointed, but hopeful that he would get a rematch. We joked that although he had not become the oldest champion on that night, if he got a rematch and won the sequel, he could put the age record even further out of reach for any future fighter who might go after it.

Now Hopkins, who turned 46 in January, has his rematch. Lampley will again be ringside, with the chance to call more potential history on Saturday night (HBO, 10 ET) at the Bell Centre in Montreal, where Pascal will have the hometown crowd on his side.

If Hopkins wins, he will be 192 days older than Foreman was when he knocked out Moorer.

Foreman, retired since 1997 but still selling grills and sounding chipper at 62, was kind enough to take some time out recently to discuss on a teleconference his record and thoughts on the possibility of it being erased.

“I thought such a record would last a lot longer than it has lasted, because 45 is phenomenal and just think, Bernard Hopkins is 46,” Big George said. “He’s probably the only one who could break such a record, because not only does he possess this big punch to get a knockout, but he’s also a good boxer and, at times, a counterpuncher. He can pull it off, no doubt about it.”

I’ll disagree with Foreman about Hopkins’ knockout power because he hasn’t stopped anyone since Oscar De La Hoya in 2004 (and that was 10 fights ago). But I certainly agree with Foreman that Hopkins can beat Pascal.

Foreman is clearly rooting for Hopkins to break his record.

“Once I became champion again, it pushed other athletes in other sports to even drive and do things at a later age,” Foreman said. “If Bernard is able to win this thing and do it decisively, it’s going to help boxing. I don’t think guys should be looking at their career as over just because they’re 35.”

WRITTEN BY Dan Rafeal Blog at ESPN & FULL STORY HERE