Bernard Hopkins says he'll imagine he's the underdog when he faces Enrique Ornelas on Wednesday night.

B-Hop fights for the first time in 14 months since brilliantly dismantling Kelly Pavlik last October.

And he'll do it in his home town of Philadelphia as he warms up for a potential March rematch with Roy Jones Jr - some 17 years after their first meeting.

Hopkins will start as an overwhelming favourite against the unheralded Ornelas (29-5), but says he won't be underestimating his opponent.

"I've waited 17 years for that fight but I wanted to fight this year. We weren't in a rush or a panic but we got Roy to sign and that's pretty big.

"So now, I don't care if we're on Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel, I would like to shake off some dust, some rust.

"I'm not crazy. I know I can't jump out of bed and fight anybody out there. That's why I wanted a tough fight against a tough guy like Enrique.

"I wanted someone that can push Bernard Hopkins and if I sleep on it I'll get beat.

"This is going to take me into 2010 with a bigger fish to fry. I will win and I will look impressive.

"I'm fighting one of the toughest guys out there and I have more to lose than him. I must let myself believe that I am him, and that he is me. Not everybody can do it, but I can."

While Hopkins is expected to win comfortably en route to that Las Vegas showdown with Jones, he claims: "This is not a tune-up; this is a get-up. This is a get-up for me to get prepared for a new year.

"If there is anyone in this room that thinks that I'm underestimating my opponent, then they don't know me and they don't know my legacy.

"I've got plenty to lose in this fight. I'm not expecting a big front page, I'm expecting to shake off some dust and to get hit a few times.

"And if I want to plan my next three hit-list fights, I have to look at Enrique like he's Roy Jones. If I don't everything is blown.

"No matter where I am financially or historically, I take myself back to when I had nothing. It's hard to train like you're starving when your refrigerator's full. I can see my movie being made and I can see my book being written. It all starts with one word...discipline. Everyone knows having discipline isn't just tied to being a good athlete. You have to be disciplined to be successful in life.

"As you grow from one stage to another, you can either be more of a problem or more of a solution. Once I understood that, there was no stopping me. I wanted to be a solution and that's why I'm here.

"You can't live forever let alone fight forever. When I am not around you will miss me."

Hopkins will turn 45 in January, and is looking forward to a big year in 2010 - one that he says could include a challenge to David Haye.

"I'm going to look good, then I'm going to finish off Roy Jones Jr and then I might become heavyweight champion in 2010.

"Anything is possible, when a guy beats a guy they call 'The Giant' then things happen," he said.

"Just think outside the box. Think who he's been fighting and who he's going to fight and second of all, what weight did he come from and how did he do it.

"So at the end of the day, when you put these things together, you say to yourself, 'is this something that I would buy?' - 'is this something that I will watch?' and whoever wins or loses you will say 'yes I will buy and watch it, because it's interesting'.

"I've seen things happen in boxing and that's all you need to make a good chemistry.

"Never rule anything out with me. People have ruled me out a lot of times in my life, and that's been my biggest motivation.

"December 2 starts a marathon for me, a marathon of super-greatness and the boxing world are going to be scratching their heads. I'm going to have their attention next year."