With all the talk about the Bernard Hopkins-Winky Wright bout appealing only to hardcore fans of the pugilistic variety, wouldn't it be something if a fight broke out?

Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, a 42-year-old grizzled warrior named Bernard Hopkins looks to defend his Ring magazine light heavyweight title against defensive wizard Ronald "Winky" Wright. Depending on who you ask, the fight is either a highly anticipated one or a boring tactical mismatch, in which both fighters spend too much time analyzing their opponent and not enough time duking it out. But given the fact that so much is on the line for both Hopkins and Wright, the chess game could turn into War Games if one fighter finds himself falling behind in the fight.

That's not to say that Zale-Graciano or Gatti-Ward could erupt at any time during the fight. Hopkins and Wright are both too skilled and crafty and never bought into the blood-and-guts mentality that defined those fighters. No, in order to beat Winky and "The Executioner," you need to take advanced calculus. Or else they will take you to school. But an entertaining fight -- like Jermain Taylor-Wright or Hopkins-Oscar De La Hoya -- is not out of the question.

Hopkins, 47-4-1 (32), is coming off his sensational performance against Antonio Tarver -- and out of retirement -- to challenge the smaller Wright at a catch-weight of 170 lbs. Wright said Hopkins would be fighting "a fat dude" if he were to fight at a higher weight. The weight is an advantage to Hopkins, but curiously the Las Vegas odds pit Wright as the favourite. Hopkins attributes his desire to fight on at his advanced age to his new 175 lb body, and believes that the higher weight allows him to be busier and throw more punches. Hopkins did indeed look fresher and faster against Tarver than he did in his two fights against Taylor, but how much of that had to do with Tarver's lethargic, uninspired performance?

Wright, 51-3-1 (25), is coming off his impressive victory over the once dangerous Ike "Bazooka" Quartey, in a fight which saw Wright open up offensively and floor his ex roommate. Wright, for all his defensive prowess, likes to come forward and throw punches in bunches. A southpaw, Wright uses his jab like a battering ram and his left hand like a shield, in a sort of turtle defence. Their might not be a more confident boxer in the game than Wright, although B-Hop trumps his opponent in the psychological warfare department. That's what makes this fight so intriguing; the arsenal of both Hopkins and Wright is lethal and has the potential to embarrass, but who will be the recipient of such a boxing lesson?

Wright and Hopkins have much in common. Both are defensive geniuses. Both arguably have two legitimate losses--if you believe Vargas beat Wright and Hopkins won both fights against Taylor. Both fighters have solid chins. And both fighters had career-defining fights against Felix Trinidad. When Hopkins fought "Tito" in 2001, he won all but one or two rounds in a fight where Trinidad was still undefeated and dangerous. Wright's dismantling of the 160-pound Puerto Rican was so thorough--Wright won every round and embarrassed his opponent--that it forced Trinidad into a second retirement. But Wright did not stop Trinidad like Hopkins did.

Hopkins has the advantage when it comes to size and punching power. He was able to score a knockdown of Tarver and stopped De La Hoya--a fighter who had never been stopped before-- with a single bodyshot. Wright is not known for his punching power, but over his career he has been busier, and should retain a slight advantage in hand speed. Both fighters have excellent ring generalship; Hopkins was able to avoid going into the ropes in his fights with Taylor, and Wright pummeled Taylor when he had him cornered. Hopkins says he will break through Wrights guard, but to do so means he will certainly take some flush punches from Wright. If Wright can outfight Hopkins on the inside--no easy task--and win the stamina game, he has a good chance of winning a decision. But B-Hop, ever the tactician, may have already figured that Wright poses no threat to him, even before they signed to fight each other. He may be simply too big for Wright.

Which leaves Wright, who is looking for respect, with nothing to lose but pride, and Hopkins, who has earned his respect, everything to lose, period. Which is why, for all the talk of the bout being a tactical chess match, a fight might break out during Hopkins-Wright.

Prediction: Hopkins by decision