When you look at Ring magazine's middleweight ratings, you see Bernard Hopkins, the "Executioner", at the top of the food chain. But your eyes have to scan down over the names Felix Sturm, Howard Eastman, Oscar De La Hoya, and Felix Trinidad before you reach the number five ranked Jermain Taylor.

Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor has fought none of those names. So why will he be standing across the ring from the champion Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas? Because he's an Olympic bronze medallist and all-American potential superstar, that's why. The potential African-American version of Oscar De La Hoya may turn out to be a very lucrative cash cow for the elite business members in the boxing world. And membership has its privileges.

Taylor, 23-0 (17), appears to have it all. He's got the sparkling record, the Olympic medal, the looks, and the pretty wife, a professional athlete in her own right. The 27-year-old native of Little Rock, Arkansas is a potential Lebron James or Kobe Bryant (before the rape allegations). The marketing oppurtunities for the clean-cut Taylor are endless. Put simply, he is the beauty to Bernard Hopkins' beast. But what of his ring exploits? Does he have what it takes to unseat Hopkins from the middleweight throne?

First, it should be noted that although Taylor's knockout ratio is impressive, he has fought many blown-up junior middleweights. He did beat William Joppy, but by then Joppy was damaged goods and probably should have retired after the beating Hopkins gave him in December of 2003. Taylor's last bout was his most impressive victory, a stoppage of sparring partner Daniel Edouard, but even this seemed like a mismatch. In truth, Taylor's chin has never been tested, and he has never been involved in a gruelling fight in which he had to dig deep to pull out a victory. This is the challenge that Hopkins will surely bring.

Hopkins, 46-2-1 (32), is arguably the best active boxer in the world, the long-reigning champ at 160 and a lock for the Hall of Fame. The ex-convict and blue-collar pugilist who fought out of the hardscrabble gyms of Philadelphia took the opposite path Taylor took in finding success. He's seen it all and he's done it all. Taylor's style will not shock B-Hop. In his last victory over tough Englishman Eastman, many observers praised the subtlety with which Hopkins countered Eastman, measured his distance and negated his speed. Others saw a tentative Bernard who looked shakey and seemed to have lost a step. If this is true, then Hopkins-Taylor will be a crowd-pleasing fight, unlike many of Hopkins' chess-match performances. However, if Hopkins does get old overnight, he still is, after all, Bernard Hopkins.

Taylor, the young lion as Hopkins has called him, does not look mentally prepared for such a big step up in competition. He has been on a collision course with Hopkins for some time now, but one gets the sense that Taylor would have been content to pass by Hopkins without ever having to fight him. This might be a rude awakening for "Bad Intentions", but a loss to such an elite fighter at this young stage of his career will not be devestating. Hopkins, on the other hand, although his legacy is secure with his win over De La Hoya, would like nothing better than to end his illustrious career by acting the part of schoolmaster to Taylor, the pupil.

Hopkins will rough Taylor up on the inside and create all sorts of angles. As a friend of mine and a good amateur boxer said, Taylor will be wishing he took advanced calculus. Taylor doesn't look as comfortable on the inside as he does boxing long range and using his stellar jab, so he will have to use his 3-inch reach advantage to HIS advantage. Hopkins should be able to test Taylor's beard, too - whether he can take a good shot will go far in determining his chance of an upset. If Taylor's camp is hiding anything at all about their fighter, Hopkins will expose it. In the end, Hopkins will overwhelm Taylor, take him into deep waters, and drown him.

By no means is this an easy fight for Hopkins. But the mental focus, conditioning, experience in big fights and ring experience in general of the teacher means the young student of the game is in for a long lesson.

Prediction: Hopkins KO 10