By Keith Idec, photos by Tom Hogan

Joe Smith’s message after he and Bernard Hopkins weighed in at 174 pounds apiece Friday was simple.

“I’m just gonna show that I am common,” said Smith (22-1, 18 KOs), who works as a laborer on Long Island when he’s not training for fights. “But I’m gonna put on a great show, and this common man’s gonna beat his ass.”

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Philadelphia’s Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs, 2 NC), a former undisputed middleweight and light heavyweight champion, promised the same thing a day before their 12-round light-heavyweight main event at The Forum in Inglewood, California (HBO). Hopkins, 51, also has promised that this farewell fight will be the last of a 28-year pro career that began in October 1988 and eventually will secure his place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

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“I’m gonna be able to give a guy, Joe Smith, his final ass whuppin’,” Hopkins said, playing on the promotional moniker for their fight, “The Final One.”

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Before Hopkins and Smith weighed in, undefeated featherweight contender Joseph Diaz Jr. (22-0, 13 KOs), of Downey, California, weighed in at the limit of 126 pounds for his 10-round featherweight fight against Mexico’s Horacio Garcia (30-1-1, 22 KOs). Garcia weighed in at 125.8 pounds.

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Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk (10-0, 9 KOs) weighed 199.6 pounds for the third fight HBO will televise Saturday night, a 12-round defense of Usyk’s WBO world cruiserweight title. Usyk’s opponent, South Africa’s Thabiso Mchunu (17-2, 11 KOs), weighed 198.6 pounds.

HBO’s “World Championship Boxing” tripleheader is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.