Hopkins breaks record for oldest fighter

Hopkins (52-5-2) broke the age record set by George Foreman in a heavyweight title victory over Michael Moorer in 1994. Hopkins won at 46 years, 4 months, 6 days. Foreman was 45 years, 10 months.

"I won't retire until I'm 50," Hopkins said. "I didn't feel like I was 46 tonight. I showed him a little bit of [Thomas] Hearns, a little bit of [Sugar Ray] Robinson and a little bit of [Jersey Joe] Walcott. But mostly I showed him me."

Foreman, watching the HBO telecast from his home in Texas, was pulling for another golden oldie. "I was on the edge of my seat every round," Foreman said. He won the WBC, IBO and The Ring magazine titles from the 28-year-old Pascal (26-2-1), the Montreal fighter who was making his fifth defense before 17,560 at Bell Centre.

"He's a great champion. He has great defense and a lot of tricks. I was a young champion," Pascal said of Hopkins. "These two fights will help take me to the next level. I learned a lot from Bernard and his style."

The Philadelphia native played up his uncanny fitness in the prefight banter and looked the fresher man throughout the bout, taunting Pascal by doing push-ups as he waited for him to start the seventh round and doing them again after the fight.

Hopkins landed more punches and was able to slip many of Pascal's power shots, answering with clever jabs and scoring more than once on right-hand leads.

In the co-feature, Chad Dawson showed masterful defense and crisp punching in scoring a 12-round unanimous decision over Montreal's Adrian Diaconu in a light heavyweight elimination bout.

Hopkins will next fight Dawson (30-1). -- AP