Kempo Chris
11-26-2003, 09:55 PM
Hopkins speaks out on creating a legacy
Norm Frauenheim
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 25, 2003 12:00 AM
Bernard Hopkins wants to be known for more than the punches that have left his brutal trade with a cliche reputation.
"Duh-duh-duh," Hopkins said in a conference call. "Put your hand up when you have a suit on and take a picture.
"I'm not into that."
Maybe not.
For now, however, Hopkins will endure blows that have left so many others mumbling about chances lost like brain cells.
At 38, Hopkins still pursues another fight that will allow him to be more than a former fighter. His Dec. 13 middleweight title defense against William Joppy in Atlantic City appears to be just a stop along the way to the legacy he foresees.
"Mention my name 15, 20 years from now, and it's going to be more than: 'Hey, he was a great fighter,' " Hopkins said.
There's no insult in being a great fighter, active or retired. But the intriguing, always entertaining Hopkins talks, and talks a lot, about himself in the third person. It's as if he believes himself to be smarter than the rest.
Maybe he is, although there are questions about his inability to capitalize on what appeared to be a career-defining upset of Felix Trinidad in September 2001.
Then, Hopkins was at or near the top of the pound-for-pound debate. Now he is rarely mentioned. He's a fighter in a frustrating pursuit of another big-money date against Oscar De La Hoya or Fernando Vargas.
"Ask those guys about the old man," Hopkins said. "And I want that term used. What about old-man Hopkins?"
Norm Frauenheim
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 25, 2003 12:00 AM
Bernard Hopkins wants to be known for more than the punches that have left his brutal trade with a cliche reputation.
"Duh-duh-duh," Hopkins said in a conference call. "Put your hand up when you have a suit on and take a picture.
"I'm not into that."
Maybe not.
For now, however, Hopkins will endure blows that have left so many others mumbling about chances lost like brain cells.
At 38, Hopkins still pursues another fight that will allow him to be more than a former fighter. His Dec. 13 middleweight title defense against William Joppy in Atlantic City appears to be just a stop along the way to the legacy he foresees.
"Mention my name 15, 20 years from now, and it's going to be more than: 'Hey, he was a great fighter,' " Hopkins said.
There's no insult in being a great fighter, active or retired. But the intriguing, always entertaining Hopkins talks, and talks a lot, about himself in the third person. It's as if he believes himself to be smarter than the rest.
Maybe he is, although there are questions about his inability to capitalize on what appeared to be a career-defining upset of Felix Trinidad in September 2001.
Then, Hopkins was at or near the top of the pound-for-pound debate. Now he is rarely mentioned. He's a fighter in a frustrating pursuit of another big-money date against Oscar De La Hoya or Fernando Vargas.
"Ask those guys about the old man," Hopkins said. "And I want that term used. What about old-man Hopkins?"