Bernard Hopkins – Not of this world

By makingweight - 04/26/2014 - Comments

hopkins2222By Daniel Hughes: When Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KO’s) was having his hand wraps removed after losing on his pro debut against Clinton Mitchell in 1988, he was back at square one. The time he had spent getting himself prepared for a life in professional boxing, through incarceration, had taught him that any boxing road he was to travel would not be straightforward.

The debut in 1988 lead to him going away and not rushing his next move in boxing. He looked at what he was doing wrong and vowed the same mistakes would not happen again. Bernard Hopkins, a consummate professional as his career would show, took over a year to return to the ring, beating Greg Paige on points. The rest you could certainly say is history.

To become the oldest man to win and defend and unify a world title tells only a small part of his undoubted legacy. The boxing writers may be divided at times on Hopkins’ style, but it’s a style that has worked for him and given him the rewards those results bring. The amount of articles you can read about fighters ducking and avoiding opponents throws up many names, but not Hopkins. The fighters resume bares testimony to fighting the best that was around at the time, win or lose. The Spartan lifestyle Hopkins leads, the early morning runs, the early nights and healthy eating habits but above all inner determination to keep proving everyone wrong.

The fighter with a career spanning over 25 years, Hopkins the original ‘Executioner’ turned ‘Alien’ at 49 years young certainly seems from another planet. The sporting world writes off athletes 15 years younger in any sport, age is certainly just a number in this case.

Bernard Hopkins possibly against Adonis Stevenson next in Canada. It’s a big ask but Hopkins always has been an individual that enjoys proving people wrong time and again. ‘The Alien’ against the ‘Superman’, certainly has got a ring to it we know Stevenson has KO power. Hopkins fights with economy more now than ever, but he also bucks the trend in his boxing style. Hopkins against the dangerous Stevenson. Hopkins does extremely well against southpaws. The trend for orthodox boxers being wary of dangerous southpaws is an age old problem, but Hopkins has long since worked out a formula to combat that.

If the fight is made Hopkins will be the betting underdog, which is nothing new there. The legacy is cemented, and the pressure will all be on Stevenson. The sporting world throws up many stories that become legendary and this is a living one .Time waits for no man, except if your name is Bernard Hopkins.



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