The shocking facts of where Bernard Hopkins grew up

[Super Flyweight]

I read that doctors didn't think he'd pull through after the 10th time he was stabbed to death.. You CANNOT underestimate a cagey veteran..

Too right... when he was an embryo he was headbutting her uterus then grabbing hold to stop it countering.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

i disagree..

Hops HIMSELF says prison motivated him and still does..

did he have that "work ethic" before he went to prison?

What I am saying is the absense of fear of dying, the toughness,etc etc did not make him beat RJ and JT. He says THEY ARE the reasons he will beat JC..and they are not. It is ****** to think that growing up tough etrc etc is the reason.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

When you step in the ring, it doesn't matter where you grew up.

Just because you grew up in a ****ty part of town , doesn't mean you've got more heart, courage, stamina, skill, power or ability.
It just means you were poor.

very very very true!

[Mr. Ryan]

What I am saying is the absense of fear of dying, the toughness,etc etc did not make him beat RJ and JT. He says THEY ARE the reasons he will beat JC..and they are not. It is ****** to think that growing up tough etrc etc is the reason.

They will not factor into how he performs against Calzaghe, but they mold the mental character that Hopkins brings into every situation, in and out of the ring. It's good for press also.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

There are many fighters from decidely less intimidating backgrounds whose mental strength etc. exceeds his

[sonofisis]

There are many fighters from decidely less intimidating backgrounds whose mental strength etc. exceeds his

Like who and what have they gone through to mold that type of mental integrity? Usually experience molds character and mental aptitude, when you say "less intimidating", you must not be referring to experience, but the irrelevancy of what neighborhood one grew up in. Someone who's never been in a difficult situation will have a hard time dealing with one when it finally confronts them.

[Lucky13]

Like who and what have they gone through to mold that type of mental integrity? Usually experience molds character and mental aptitude, when you say "less intimidating", you must not be referring to experience, but the irrelevancy of what neighborhood one grew up in. Someone who's never been in a difficult situation will have a hard time dealing with one when it finally confronts them.

You don't have to go through anything to have a mental edge over your opponent. Take Pavlik for example, the kid shows no fear whatsoever, it's in your nature, where you grew up is nothing but a small part of it.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Son of Isis..well how about GATTI, WARD, and a guy named MUHAMMAD ALI?? Stop with the drama...any pro will tell u that where a guy comes from, jail, prison, gangs etc etc has LITTLE bearing on his level of toughness, guts, fortitude etc. Please, my man. Mitch Green was a big time street gang leader in Harlem. So wasn't Alex Garcia. Alex Garcia's gang background and all that entailed didnt help him one but with Teo got ahold of him.

[Thread Stealer]

Hopkins talked about his upbringing on the Beyond the Glory episode.

He grew up in the Raymond Rosen projects and moved to Germantown later on. He said, "it wasn't the suburbs, but not really the ****** either".

But he said he still got into a lot of trouble and street fights.

[sonofisis]

You don't have to go through anything to have a mental edge over your opponent.

The word he used was "mental strength" actually. Having a "mental edge" takes an entirely different set of tools. Mayweather usually has a mental edge and it's more about psychology then his mental integrity.

Take Pavlik for example, the kid shows no fear whatsoever, it's in your nature, where you grew up is nothing but a small part of it.

I disagree that it's "in your nature". That's as if to say that firstly, Pavlik didn't have it rough (as far as his experiences) in one of the most economically depressed states in the nation, and 2., as if he's genetically predisposed to mental toughness. I don't get this argument at all actually.