I love to write about boxing and I almost never get a chance these days. The sport is in decline more than ever and MMA is eclipsing it. But tomorrow night there is a real fight, a real fight between two good fighters and that is rare and that is terrific.

In case you don’t know, former middleweight champion Bernard (The Executioner) Hopkins is fighting Kelly (The Ghost) Pavlik. Hopkins is 43 — very old for a boxer — and Pavlik is 26 and everyone is picking Pavlik because: he’s younger, he probably has more stamina, he hits very hard with either hand and he takes a good shot. He’s an exceptional prospect.

I’m picking Hopkins even though he’s old. He is a clever fighter who negates another guy’s strengths. And Pavlik isn’t that clever. He is a tough guy who comes in straight ahead. Nothing to solve there. I don’t think Pavlik will knock out Hopkins. He might wear him down. But Hopkins will hit him and I wouldn’t be surprised if Hopkins knocks him out.

Of course, there is a subtext to this fight. Hopkins is African-American and Pavlik is white. American fight fans like a white hope, although the term White Hope usually applies to heavyweights. So, in that sense, Pavlik is good for boxing.

But Hopkins, in my book, is a top-ten all-time middleweight. I think he would have defeated Marvin Hagler, a great fighter. And this fight is at the strange weight of 170 pounds — it’s above middle but below light heavy. I think the weight will favor Hopkins. I say Hopkins produces one more great fight tomorrow night.

— Lowell