PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Bernard Hopkins is returning to the ring in Philadelphia to try and make his hometown a player again on the national boxing scene.
``I needed to come up with something that can bring life back in the historic history of Philadelphia,'' Hopkins said on Wednesday. ``We've been on a decline as far as our history. Now how can we bring that back.''
Hopkins wants Philadelphia, where gritty contenders rose from the streets and became champions, to again be a city where rising prospects can fight on solid cards on national television.
One way to bring attention to his cause is to fight again not far from where he was raised in north Philadelphia.
Hopkins will fight Enrique Ornelas in a light heavyweight bout on Dec. 2 at Temple's Liacouras Center. Win that fight, and the 44-year-old Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KOs) is set for a rematch with Roy Jones Jr. early next year.
``I didn't want to sit around and go into a new year without having a real live fight under my belt,'' Hopkins said. ``It was really important mentally to get in there and do it.''
Hopkins hasn't fought since dominating Kelly Pavlik in October 2008, but has no plans to retire. He intends to warm up with Ornelas, (29-5 19 KOs), who has lost three of his last seven fights, before moving ahead with plans to box Jones.
On the same day Hopkins fights Ornelas, Jones will fight cruiserweight Danny Green in Australia.
If both veterans win their bouts, Hopkins and Jones will meet early in 2010 in a rematch of Jones' unanimous decision victory over Hopkins 16 years ago.
Jones has had three bouts since Hopkins, a former middleweight and light heavyweight world champion, fought Pavlik.
``I didn't want him to have five fights, two fights, three fights,'' Hopkins said. ``At the same token, his fights were basically confidence builders, not necessarily work he got out of the fights.''
Hopkins is working, promoting, hustling, do everything he can to draw attention to the Dec. 2 bout. He'll be fighting in Philadelphia for the first time since 2003, and for the first time in the home basketball arena of the Temple Owls.
Hopkins was raised in the area, trained there and still owns a condominium in Philadelphia where he stays primarily when he's training. Hopkins talked in appreciation of fighters like Joe Frazier and venues such as the Blue Horizon or the Spectrum where boxing was once king and fights were regularly televised on ESPN or other national outlets. Hopkins, who has a 10-0 career record in Philadelphia, is skipping the pay networks and pay-per-view for the Ornelas fight. It will be televised on Versus.
Hopkins already has stamped himself as one of boxing's all-time greats. This new venture of turning Philadelphia back into a regular stop on the squared circle circuit is close to his heart.
``I want to make history in another area where I bring it back,'' he said. ``This is an opportunity for me to bring it back to Philadelphia.''
Like most boxers, Hopkins has vowed to retire before only to keep bouncing back off the ropes. He made it sound like this would be the last time he headlined a card in Philadelphia.
``Enjoy me while I'm here,'' Hopkins said. ``Nothing lasts forever.''
