Bernard Hopkins

If 46-year-old lefthander Jamie Moyer can win 16 games for the World Series champion Phillies, maybe it shouldn't seem so amazing that Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins, who turns 44 on Jan. 15, is still widely regarded as one of the top five pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. Hopkins, who has survived 20 years in the most brutal of sports without being seriously injured or cut, has never been knocked out. But a lot of so-called "experts" thought 26-year-old, undefeated middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik would become the first man to do so when he and B-Hop squared off on Oct. 18 in Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall.

The WBC has returned the light-heavyweight championship to Bernard Hopkins after declaring his bout with Chad Dawson a technical draw. Hopkins was stopped for the first time in his career Saturday night in bizarre fashion when Dawson lifted him and tossed him to the canvas late in the second round, leaving the 46-year-old champion with a dislocated joint in his left shoulder. Dawson claimed the WBC light heavyweight title from Hopkins on a second-round TKO in Los Angeles. The WBC reviewed video of the fight and unanimously declared Thursday that the action reflects a clear intentional lifting of the body followed with a push by Dawson to Hopkins that made him fall on his left side with part of his body out of the ropes.

QUEBEC CITY - There he goes again . . . And again. The public image of Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins, at times, can be that of someone who is arrogant and abrasive. That would be the Hopkins who twice threw a Puerto Rican flag to the floor in the lead-up to his megafight with Felix Trinidad, who shoved Winky Wright's face at a weigh-in, who dismissed Joe Calzaghe as a legitimate threat to him because, B-Hop sneered, "I would never allow myself to get beat by a white boy. " Then there is the more private perception of Bernard Hopkins, the one known only by the rare few who have earned his trust and respect.

MONTREAL - In what is tantamount to someone coming forward with information about where Jimmy Hoffa's body is located, seemingly ageless boxing champion Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins made a startling admission to the Daily News recently: He cheats. With cheesecake. The man who brags - truthfully, he insists - that he hasn't consumed a doughnut or a slice of pizza in 20 years sheepishly confirmed that his iron will and legendary discipline bend just enough for him to occasionally indulge his only guilty pleasure.

Bernard Hopkins, in training for his Oct. 15 WBC light-heavyweight world title defense against Chad Dawson in Los Angeles, has a bit of a salt-and-pepper beard, heavy on the salt. "There's a lot of gray in my beard," Hopkins said Tuesday at the Joe Hand Boxing Gym on North Third Street. "And, you know, as the gray continues to keep coming, I want the gray. I want all my gray to come in. I really want to change my name to like the Silver Fox or something. " It fits the fight theme.

BERNARD HOPKINS' promoters have formally filed an appeal of Hopkins' controversial loss to Chad Dawson with the California State Athletic Commission. George Dodd, the executive director of the commission, confirmed the filing by Golden Boy Promotions and said the appeal will be heard at a Dec. 13 meeting in Los Angeles. Hopkins (52-6-2) lost via controversial TKO in the second round Saturday at Staples Center. Dawson dumped Hopkins to the canvas with what looked more like a shove and Hopkins suffered a dislocated left shoulder.

Since each competed at a high level well into their 40s in a sport in which most careers are stamped with a much earlier expiration date, North Philadelphia native Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins has often been compared to the "Old Mongoose," the late Archie Moore. But those links never seemed more valid than yesterday, with the announcement that Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KOs) would challenge the much-younger WBC light-heavyweight champion, Jean Pascal (26-1, 16 KOs), on Dec. 18 in Quebec City, Quebec.

ATLANTIC CITY - Maybe Bernard Hopkins didn't get old all at once. Maybe his boxing mortality crept up on him, on little cat's feet, the gradual erosion of his marvelous skills taking place over years, sliver by sliver, tiny piece by tiny piece. But, at 47, all those missing pebbles tend to add up. And Saturday night, against a talented and committed opponent 18 years his junior, the aging master finally found out what it was like to peer into the future and see . . . well, maybe the retirement that should have awaited him years ago. Dawson wrested the WBC and The Ring magazine light-heavyweight championships from Hopkins here Saturday night in Boardwalk Hall, by scores of 117-111 (judges Steve Weisfeld and Kevin Flaherty)

I WAS never a Donovan McNabb fan because I'm an "Eagle-hater. " When he was traded, I could appreciate him as a true pro, on and off the field. I couldn't understand why Bernard Hopkins needed to attack McNabb, but it didn't take long for it to dawn on me that Hopkins' ignorance played a part. If McNabb didn't acknowledge you during your visit to the Eagles' facility, get over it: everyone isn't a fan of yours, either. Since Hopkins desires to attack McNabb as being too white for a black man, let it be known that any educated man would prefer dealing with an educated African-American as opposed to an ignorant one. Eugene K. Epperson, Philadelphia The Osama aftershow OK, so the jackass was "unarmed.

RE THE Daily News article where Bernard Hopkins said Donovan McNabb isn't black enough because he grew up in the suburbs: What makes Hopkins an authority on who is black? As the mother of an African-American son, I want him to know that toughness comes from within - not from acting like a jerk with a lot of mouth. If Hopkins wants to promote his has-been career, then do it without insulting men like McNabb and others who happen to be educated and know how to act their age in public.

ATLANTIC CITY - Maybe Bernard Hopkins didn't get old all at once. Maybe his boxing mortality crept up on him, on little cat's feet, the gradual erosion of his marvelous skills taking place over years, sliver by sliver, tiny piece by tiny piece. But, at 47, all those missing pebbles tend to add up. And Saturday night, against a talented and committed opponent 18 years his junior, the aging master finally found out what it was like to peer into the future and see . . . well, maybe the retirement that should have awaited him years ago. Dawson wrested the WBC and The Ring magazine light-heavyweight championships from Hopkins here Saturday night in Boardwalk Hall, by scores of 117-111 (judges Steve Weisfeld and Kevin Flaherty)

Chad Dawson wants what he believes is rightfully his. He had the technical knockout victory over Bernard Hopkins. He had the WBC light-heavyweight title in his hands. But both were stripped from the 29-year-old Dawson before he had enough time to savor his TKO against the ageless Hopkins in their October bout in Los Angeles. Dawson had turned the fight into an amateur wrestling match when he lifted Hopkins and tossed the 47-year-old Philadelphia fighter to the canvas late in the second round.

Analyzing Saturday night's HBO-televised bout between champion Bernard Hopkins and challenger Chad Dawson for the WBC and The Ring magazine light-heavyweight titles. AGENDA When: Saturday, 9 p.m. Where: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City At stake: Hopkins' WBC and The Ring magazine light-heavyweight titles. TV: HBO -- BERNARD HOPKINS Hometown: Philadelphia Age: 47 Record: 52-5-2, 32 KOs (2 NC) Height: 6-1 Weight: 175 pounds (prior to Friday's weigh-in)

HOUSTON - Now that he is a world champion, Danny "Swift" Garcia wants to prove to any remaining skeptics that he's no one-hit wonder . . . and to act like he isn't one, either. Less than a half-hour after the Juniata Park resident easily outpointed Mexican icon Erik "El Terrible" Morales to claim the WBC super-lightweight title, Garcia, 24, was discovering that a newly crowned champ has to get used to being the hunted, not the hunter. At a post-midnight news conference Sunday morning in the Reliant Center, an obviously pleased Garcia mentioned how strange - and nice - it felt to be champ when a member of the audience dared to suggest that his reign could be short and not-so-sweet.

NEW YORK - Bernard Hopkins unlocked his iPhone so he could reveal the backdrop. It's his mug shot from his incarnation more than 2 decades ago. During a news conference nearly 2 hours earlier to promote Hopkins' April 28 light-heavyweight rematch with Chad Dawson in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, Dawson attempted to disgrace Hopkins by pestering the Philadelphia native about the controversial ending to their last fight. Dawson also dubbed Hopkins a "punk. " When it was Hopkins' turn to speak on the podium, he declined.

BERNARD HOPKINS will return to the ring for his rematch with Chad Dawson on April 28 in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. "Attn: fanz & of course HATERZ April 28 AC im getting my revenge/victory on @OfficialBadChad 4 that BS," Hopkins tweeted yesterday. A Hopkins spokeswoman later confirmed the bout. Their first meeting, on Oct. 15 in Los Angeles' Staples Center, was originally declared a second-round technical-knockout victory for Dawson by referee Pat Russell. It was later changed to a no-contest by the California State Athletic Commission, which determined that Hopkins' shoulder injury, which prevented him from continuing, was the result of a foul after he was lifted and thrown down by Dawson (30-1, 17 KOs)

IT APPARENTLY is easier to defeat Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins in the ring than in a courtroom. Hopkins, the WBC light-heavyweight champion from North Philadelphia who turned 47 on Sunday, ran his record to 4-0 in lawsuits filed against him while represented by attorney Arnold Joseph when a jury ruled in his favor Thursday in a breach-of-contract action brought by the estate of Hopkins' former trainer, Bouie Fisher ...

NATHAN CLEVERLY, the undefeated WBO light heavyweight champion, has been talking about Bernard Hopkins since last summer. At one point in August, Hopkins referred to him as "Cleary" and said he didn't know him and never saw him fight. That has changed, and now Hopkins, the WBC champion, could be entertaining a fight in Wales with Cleverly this summer. Cleverly (23-0, 11 KOs), 24, is scheduled to defend his title in Cardiff, Wales, on Feb. 25, possibly against Tommy Karpency.

Bernard Hopkins has his belt back. Actually, he never relinquished it. After losing to Chad Dawson last Saturday night in Los Angeles, the Philadelphia fighter refused to hand over his World Boxing Council light-heavyweight belt because he believed he had been fouled when Dawson lifted him and threw him to the canvas in the second round. He just wouldn't hand it over when the judges asked him for the belt, Hopkins said in a telephone interview Friday. He described their reaction to his refusal as: "headlights.