You know Bernard is gonna fight Kovalev just like Mayweather, but will get praise

Hopkins spent most of his boxing career at 160 lbs. He then jumped up to light heavy weight, and beat the **** of the top guy in the division. Then he is willing to fight anyone in a division above him, and people much much younger.
It's not that Maidana was easy, but he was also, like all of Mayweather's fights, a pretty big underdog.
Mayweather doesn't fight anyone who is actually a challenge to his zero. He doesn't want to prove he is the man, he wants to keep that zero and pretend it has meaning.
He doesn't seek out, and has never sought, real challenges.
When you retire to not face people, who you should still be able to beat, when you wait until people are either past their prime or not into it, don't claim to be the all time great, because you are not.
It doesn't mean that Mayweather doesn't put in a bunch of effort into his craft, but he is plainly scared on any real challenge and will do or say anything to get out of it if possible.