Tweet
by David P. Greisman - Bernard Hopkins would never admit that he needed help, for the stars to align and for circumstances beyond his control to play out in a manner that benefitted him.
Any such admission would be unbefitting of the man whose dedication and discipline meant he never returned to prison, who went from losing his first pro fight to becoming a middleweight titleholder, who asserted control of his own career, sued promoters, and then upset the proverbial apple cart when he toppled Felix Trinidad to prove that he was the best 160-pound fighter in the world.
He jumped divisions, defied multiple calls for retirement, defeated foes who’d been favored to beat him, and boxed in the manner he wanted rather than how others hoped he would perform, all because that was the personality of the man who didn’t just have Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” play while walking to the ring, but had the lyrics changed to better describe him.
Hopkins is in his final crusade now, one that started when he beat Tavoris Cloud in March 2013 to capture a light heavyweight world title. He then set his sights on unifying the other belts in the 175-pound division.
But this crusade couldn’t truly begin in earnest until three months later, when Adonis Stevenson stopped Chad Dawson with one punch that June. And Hopkins’ cause was helped even further in August, when Sergey Kovalev demolished Nathan Cleverly. [Click Here To Read More]
Any such admission would be unbefitting of the man whose dedication and discipline meant he never returned to prison, who went from losing his first pro fight to becoming a middleweight titleholder, who asserted control of his own career, sued promoters, and then upset the proverbial apple cart when he toppled Felix Trinidad to prove that he was the best 160-pound fighter in the world.
He jumped divisions, defied multiple calls for retirement, defeated foes who’d been favored to beat him, and boxed in the manner he wanted rather than how others hoped he would perform, all because that was the personality of the man who didn’t just have Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” play while walking to the ring, but had the lyrics changed to better describe him.
Hopkins is in his final crusade now, one that started when he beat Tavoris Cloud in March 2013 to capture a light heavyweight world title. He then set his sights on unifying the other belts in the 175-pound division.
But this crusade couldn’t truly begin in earnest until three months later, when Adonis Stevenson stopped Chad Dawson with one punch that June. And Hopkins’ cause was helped even further in August, when Sergey Kovalev demolished Nathan Cleverly. [Click Here To Read More]
Comment