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In the early nineties, George Foreman use to spout his “Forty is not a death sentence” shtick, but in boxing nothing could be further from the truth. Most fighters by the time they are forty are retired and have a double chin and not a double jab, but this past February Bernard Hopkins proved that he’s the exception to the rule by successfully defending the world middleweight championship against number one contender Howard Eastman. This feat, a defense of a world title by a 40-year-old fighter is a very rare occurrence and has only been accomplished by fighters who have a very special place in the boxing’s storied history.
The late Cus Damato always believed that a great older fighter could put it all together on any given night and call back the magic of the past to give one last virtuoso performance. Great fighters like Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Robinson did that on more than one occasion in the twilight of their careers and even though those encore performances were awe inspiring, it’s easier for a middle aged fighter to put it all together on one night and win a big fight than it is to be consistently successful at the world class level, which is exactly what Bernard Hopkins has done.
Think about it, how many forty-year old world champions can you think of?
Only four men have been world champions at the age of forty, and only three of them engaged in a successful title defense; Archie Moore, George Foreman, and Bernard Hopkins. Bob Fitzimmons is the other forty-year-old fighter that won a world championship, but never successfully defended it, losing the light heavyweight title in his first defense to Philadelphia Jack O’ Brian in 1905.
Archie Moore and Bernard Hopkins are made from a special mold because they are the only forty-year old fighters in the history of the sport that have been able to compete consistently and successfully as middle-aged fighters against the top contenders of their respective divisions. The current success that Bernard is having today as the middleweight champion mirrors the longevity and accomplishments that the Old Mongoose had as the world light heavyweight champion in the fifties. [details]
The late Cus Damato always believed that a great older fighter could put it all together on any given night and call back the magic of the past to give one last virtuoso performance. Great fighters like Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Robinson did that on more than one occasion in the twilight of their careers and even though those encore performances were awe inspiring, it’s easier for a middle aged fighter to put it all together on one night and win a big fight than it is to be consistently successful at the world class level, which is exactly what Bernard Hopkins has done.
Think about it, how many forty-year old world champions can you think of?
Only four men have been world champions at the age of forty, and only three of them engaged in a successful title defense; Archie Moore, George Foreman, and Bernard Hopkins. Bob Fitzimmons is the other forty-year-old fighter that won a world championship, but never successfully defended it, losing the light heavyweight title in his first defense to Philadelphia Jack O’ Brian in 1905.
Archie Moore and Bernard Hopkins are made from a special mold because they are the only forty-year old fighters in the history of the sport that have been able to compete consistently and successfully as middle-aged fighters against the top contenders of their respective divisions. The current success that Bernard is having today as the middleweight champion mirrors the longevity and accomplishments that the Old Mongoose had as the world light heavyweight champion in the fifties. [details]