Undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins will face undefeated middleweight heir apparent Jermain Taylor in a fight being billed as "NeXt in Line" on Saturday, July 16 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The championship card will be presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with DiBella Entertainment and televised and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9pmEST/6:00pmPST.

"Bernard Hopkins has always done things his own way, and this fight is no exception," said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "At a time when most champions would waltz into retirement against easier opponents, Bernard is taking on the toughest available challengers, and making the final fights of his career the most meaningful."

It's a classic boxing match-up where Hopkins, the veteran warrior blessed with experience and skills that has lead to a record-setting 20 straight title defenses, takes on Taylor, the enthusiastic upstart, who many boxing insiders believe is heir apparent to Hopkins' throne.

"Hopkins-Taylor is a significant crossroads fight between an undisputed world champion determined to cement his legacy and a rising star who is ready to challenge for the throne," said Mark Taffet, HBO Senior Vice President of Sports Operations & Pay-Per-View. "Boxing fans will not want to miss this important event."

BRAGGING RIGHTS CORNER'S INNER CIRCLE...

• Hopkins by ugly decision. Taylor has all the goods but is a little too open and if Hopkins can land something of purpose it will be interesting.  However, I'd like to see Taylor apply a lot of pressure so Bernard has to fight at a faster rate, if Taylor can make Bernard fight more than he'd like maybe age will finally catch up with Hopkins. - Aladdin Freeman
   

• As I see it, only realistic road block at middleweight that Bernard will be unable to hurdle, will be the one called Father Time - age 40 or not, until that day arrives it is Hopkins in role of executioner. - Hopkins by decision. -  George Elsasser
   

• If Taylor can force himself to believe that he is Hopkins’ equal when they step into the ring, then he will have a decent shot at coming out victorious. On the other hand, we know that Hopkins will be ready both mentally and physically, while still maintaining his insatiable desire to be the best. In the end,  Hopkins will prove to be too smart and too tough for Taylor to handle, as he gets a convincing unanimous decision victory.  -  Oleg Bershadsky
   

• I don't think I have ever predicted against Bernard Hopkins in my life, but for some reason I have had this feeling the last week or so that Taylor is going to upset him. Maybe after watching what happened to Kostya Tszyu was an influence, but I feel Taylor's youth and aggression will overcome B-Hop. Lately Hopkins has been fighting very cautiously, and even though he is one of the more crafty fighters in the game, I feel Taylor's power and aggression will eventually get to him. Taylor by 12 round TKO. -  Tom Dickey
   

• Well I'm giving Taylor a chance because he's strong, quick and most importantly has a great jab. That being said, I think he's too green for a talented veteran the likes of Bernard Hopkins. While Hopkins might have some difficulty early I think he figures Taylor out by the end and stops him late in the fight. Hopkins TKO 10. - Mike Leanardi
   

• Debe ganar Hopkins; parece que las sorpresas no cogeran esta vez a Hopkins; pero pienso que Taylor fue cubierto de un record donde sus oponentes eran 154 libras subidos a 160 y Joppy y Marquez ya habían pasado sus mejores dias. -  Roberto Quesada


 

•  I am more nervous for Saturday's fight that any fight in recent memory. While everyone has their opinions on Bernard Hopkins as a person, I have always loved him as a fighter and feel that he could be in deep trouble against Jermain Taylor. Taylor seems nice enough on the surface but he truly does have bad intentions and fully expects to execute 'The Executioner.' My mind is swaying back and forth on this one, and even though I know what my head wants me to say I have to go with my heart and take the reigning champion. Bernard Hopkins will get by Jermain Taylor via close and possibly controversial decision.- Chris Robinson
   

• I think Bernard Hopkins will rise to the occasion now that he has motivation of a bigger name opponent. Bernard has given us a few dull, safety first, points victories over mandatory defenses against Robert Allen and others in recent times, but in the bigger fights against Trinidad & De la Hoya he picked up his game and scored impressive knockout victories. If you factor in that Jermain Taylor is a Lou DiBella fighter and the history there, I think Taylor is in for a world of hurt. In addition, Taylor has yet to be really tested, his fights have been carefully selected and he really hasn't had any great learning experiences with difficult bouts; then again this is what people were saying about Ricky Hatton recently... Bernard continues to hold his age well and his overall better skills and excellent chin see him through some trying moments early in the fight. Hopkins by 9th round TKO. - Darren Yates, from Down Under
   

• The fight between Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor, should be a classic one. The young, good fighter, against the old, good fighter. Remember the axiom: 'A big, good fighter, should beat a small, good fighter? Well, this time, I've changed it to "a young, good fighter, should beat an old good fighter." Remember Ricky Hatton-Kostya Tszyu? I pick Taylor by decision. - Oscar Borrás, 20 de Mayo
   

• Jermain Taylor will be champion, but it will not be this weekend. Hopkins takes the young man to school winning by unanimous decision. - Kenny Perrault
   

• On July 16th, the question will be: Will Hopkins look like a more typical forty-year old fighter or a man with an exceptional physical gift that hasn't degraded with age, as it would for many people? I'm not sure, we won't have any idea until the two fighters step into the ring, but I can't wait to see what happens when they do. - Jocelyn Saurini
   

•  Mind games will play a big part in this fight, but, at the end of the night the man with the best skills and the strongest mindset will emerge victorious. Personally, I think it's a pick' em fight;  there are so many intangibles that can sway the fight one way or another. Either way I think that on July 16th Bernard Hopkins will have a fight on his hands and will have to dig down to a place he hasn't been in a while. - Jeff Mayweather
   

• Future star versus the reigning king. Jermain Taylor has the opportunity of a lifetime Saturday night as he challenges Bernard Hopkins. The champ has not showed any signs of slowing down and Taylor has yet to meet a high caliber opponent that has tested him. With that being said, I pick Hopkins to retain the championship via close majority decision. A year from now this could have been a different story. - Ed Ludwig
   

•  I just feel it's too early for Taylor to take on Hopkins. Hopkins is truly one of the greatest fighters who has ever stepped into a boxing ring. He will be too much for the young Taylor.  Hopkins wins a UD.  -  Jose Hernandez
   

• Well, I'm giving Taylor a chance because he's strong, quick and most importantly has a great jab. That being said, I think he's too green for a talented veteran the like of Bernard Hopkins. While Hopkins might have some difficulty early I think he figures Taylor out by the end and stops him late in the fight. Hopkins TKO 10. - Mike Leanardi
   

• The Executioner will prevail by decision.   Taylor will take it to him, but I’ve noticed his piston jab drops a bit after he throws it, setting him up for counterpunches by an expert tactician, Hopkins. B-Hop wants to go out a winner, and he doesn’t have much to lose, much like Taylor. This Young Gun vs. Old Lion battle goes to Hopkins. Philly in the house! - David L. Ross
   

• I'm going with the upset.  Jermain Taylor will win by points or by late KO. His jab and his speed will be the key in this fight. I feel Bernard is slipping and Jermain will be the one that stops the future Hall of Famer's  run. Jermain will show that the new kid is here and will continue the year of upsets. - Robert Hernandez
   

• It’s an undeniable fact that Bernard Hopkins has strung together a remarkable thread of 20 consecutive title defenses. However, his two signature title defenses were victories over two beefed up champions, Felix Trinidad and Oscar de la Hoya.  Number of victories alone is not sufficient for Hopkins to claim greatness and enter boxing immortality. He needs an opponent that will test him and push him to the limit to establish his greatness ala Ali and Frazier. Jermain Taylor is exactly the opponent Hopkins requires - a natural middleweight who is young, strong and fast. Unfortunately, Hopkins will be denied true greatness Saturday night. Taylor will be to Hopkins to what Ali was to Liston – the young kid matched against the seemingly invincible champion. Like Ali, Taylor will shock the world by knocking out Hopkins. -  Bob Kolb
   

• Taylor will knock Hopkins out! Hopkins hasn't faced a true middleweight that has speed, skill, power and size. Taylor also packs power into those punches and if he can land the jab early, Hopkins will start to feel his age. It would be interesting to see if Hopkins resorts to the roughhouse tactics he is known to use, if he does in fact fall behind. - David Kolb
   

• I predict that Taylor wins the first round... then Hopkins takes over and wins the next 11 rounds exploiting all of JT's inexperience against quality fighters. - Frank Gonzalez/Sharkie's Machine
   

• It is almost as hard to go against Bernard Hopkins in this fight as it was to go against Kostya Tszyu against Ricky Hatton, but we all know what happened there. There is no doubt in my mind that Jermain Taylor is destined for greatness, I am just not sure that his time is now.
  I've come to the conclusion that Bernard Hopkins is a freak of nature, as tough mentally as he is physically; he also seems to take his game to another level whenever challenged by a great opponent, (his best fight ever had to be his demolition of Tito Trinidad).
  Bernard has personal issues to settle here, and while they have nothing to do with Jermain himself, I have a feeling Taylor will end up on the losing end of  a close decision. (Jermain, if it's any consolation, I have been 0 for 3 in my last picks). - Elisa Harrison