US Veteran Hopkins Becomes Oldest Boxing World Champion at 46

Montreal – US veteran Bernard Hopkins beat Canadian Jean Pascal by unanimous decision in a World Boxing Council light heavyweight bout in Montreal Saturday to become the oldest major world champion in boxing history at age 46.

Hopkins came on strong in the middle rounds and hung on in the 12th against the hard-hitting Pascal, 28, to get the decision in front of a crowd of 17,750 at the Bell Centre.

Hopkins won a unanimous decision against Pascal in an entertaining rematch of their December 18 draw in Quebec City, Canada.

"I have always fought with heart and courage to get a guy out of there," Hopkins said. "You save the best for last. I want to go out a winner and not beat up, punch drunk and not broke."

Hopkins is 126 days beyond his 46th birthday. He is 24 days older than US heavyweight legend George Foreman was when he defended the International Boxing Federation crown against Germany's Axel Schulz in 1995 with a split-decision victory.

Foreman became the oldest fighter to take a world title when he knocked out fellow American Michael Moorer 2:03 into the 10th round to claim the IBF and World Boxing Association heavyweight crowns on November 5, 1994.