Bernard Hopkins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bernard Hopkins | |
 |
|
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Real name | Bernard Hopkins |
| Nickname(s) | The Executioner B-Hop |
| Rated at | Light-Heavyweight Middleweight |
| Nationality |  American |
| Birth date | January 15, 1965 |
| Birth place | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 55 |
| Wins | 48 |
| Wins by KO | 32 |
| Losses | 5 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (born January 15, 1965, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American boxer.
Contents |
Background
Born to Bernard Hopkins Sr. and his wife Shirley. Hopkins turned to crime early in his life, by the age of thirteen he was mugging people and had been stabbed three times. At seventeen Hopkins was sentenced to 18 years in prison for nine felonies. While in prison he witnessed rapes and the murder of another inmate in an argument over a pack of cigarettes, but also discovered his passion for boxing.[1] After serving almost five years, Hopkins was released from prison and decided to use boxing as an escape from his previous life.
Professional career
He immediately joined the professional boxing ranks as a light heavyweight, losing his debut on October 11, 1988, in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Clinton Mitchell. After a sixteen-month layoff, he resumed his career as a middleweight, winning a unanimous decision over Greg Paige on February 22, 1990.
Between February 1990 and September 1992, Hopkins scored 20 wins without a loss. He won 15 of those fights by knockout, 11 coming in the first round.
His first chance at a world title came on May 22, 1993 in Washington, DC, against Roy Jones Jr. for the vacant IBF middleweight belt. Hopkins lost by unanimous decision but retained his world ranking and defended his USBA belt three more times.
Winning the IBF middleweight championship
Jones abandoned the middleweight ranks in 1994, and the IBF came again knocking at Hopkins's door on December 17 of that year, matching him with Segundo Mercado in Mercado's hometown of Quito, Ecuador. Mercado knocked Hopkins down twice before Hopkins rallied late and earned a draw. The IBF called for an immediate rematch, and on April 29, 1995, Hopkins became a world champion with a seventh-round technical knockout victory in Landover, Maryland.
In his first title defense he defeated Steve Frank, whom he stopped in twenty-four seconds. By the end of 2000, he had defended the IBF title 12 times without a loss, while beating such standouts as John David Jackson, Glen Johnson, Simon Brown, and Antwun Echols.
2001 middleweight unification tournament
The arrival of multiple-division champion Félix Trinidad into the middleweight ranks set off a series of unification fights between major titleholders. On April 14, 2001, Hopkins won a unanimous decision over WBC champion Keith Holmes in New York City. Then, on September 29, WBA champion Trinidad challenged Hopkins for middleweight unification in Madison Square Garden.
For the first time in many years, Hopkins was an underdog in the betting which led the confident Hopkins to place a $100,000 bet on himself to win the bout. He was on his way to a lopsided decision victory when, in the 12th and final round, he floored Trinidad and referee Steve Smoger called a halt to the fight after Trinidad's father entered the ring to stop the fight. It was the first loss of Trinidad's career, and made Hopkins the first undisputed world middleweight champion since Marvin Hagler in 1987. The Ring magazine and the World Boxing Hall of Fame named Hopkins as the 2001 Fighter of the Year.
Undisputed middleweight championship
He defended the undisputed title six times. Hopkins bested Carl Daniels on February 2, 2002, by tenth-round technical knockout; Morrade Hakkar on March 29, 2003, by eighth-round TKO; William Joppy on December 13, 2003, by unanimous decision; and Robert Allen on June 5, 2004, also by unanimous decision.
In the highest paying fight of his career, Hopkins fought six-division titleholder Oscar de la Hoya for the undisputed middleweight championship on September 18, 2004, in Las Vegas. Hopkins won the bout with a knockout in the ninth round and thus became the first boxer ever to unify the titles of all four major sanctioning bodies.
In November 2004 de la Hoya invited Hopkins to join his boxing promotional firm, Golden Boy Promotions, as president of its new East Coast chapter.
Hopkins reached the middleweight record of 20 title defenses on February 19, 2005, against Howard Eastman, the European middleweight champion.
Hopkins vs. Taylor
In his next fight on July 16, 2005, Hopkins lost his undisputed middleweight championship to Jermain Taylor via split decision.
On December 3, 2005, Hopkins lost his rematch against Jermain Taylor by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 115-113 for Taylor.
Light heavyweight
On June 10, 2006, Hopkins defeated The Ring light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver via unanimous decision. All three judges had him winning the bout 118-109.
Return in 2007
On July 21, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Hopkins defended The Ring light heavyweight championship against former undisputed junior middleweight champion Winky Wright. During the weigh-in, Hopkins shoved Wright with an open-hand to the face, igniting a brawl between both fighters entourages.[2] Hopkins was fined $200,000 for instigating the brawl.[3] Hopkins struggled to figure out Wright in the early rounds, but began landing effective punches as the fight progressed.[4] An accidental head butt opened a nasty cut by Wright's left eye in the third round. Referee Robert Byrd warned Hopkins repeatedly for using his head, but he never deducted a point. Hopkins looked fresh late in the bout, luring Wright in and snapping off combinations. In the final round, Hopkins wobbled Wright with a right hand as blood streaked down his cheek. Hopkins prevailed with a unanimous decision victory by scores of 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112.[5]
Fight with Calzaghe
On April 19, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Hopkins lost The Ring light heavyweight championship to Joe Calzaghe by split decision.[6] Hopkins got off to a great start by knocking Calzaghe down with a straight right hand in the first round. Calzaghe wasn't badly hurt, however. Hopkins mostly threw one punch at a time and often initiated clinches to prevent Calzaghe from punching in combinations. The first half of the fight had lots of hitting and holding, but Calzaghe slowly began to figure Hopkins out, landing flurries of short quick punches. In the end, judges Chuck Giampa (116-111) and Ted Gimza (115-112) scored the fight for Calzaghe, while judge Adalaide Byrd (114-113) scored the fight for Hopkins.[7]
After the fight, Hopkins was upset with the official decision and said that he was robbed of a clear points win. Hopkins said, "I just really feel like I took the guy to school. I feel like I made him fight my fight, not his. I wanted him to run into my shots. I think I made him do that, and I think I made it look pretty easy. I think I controlled the pace, and I controlled the fight."[8]
References
- ^ Doogan, Brian. "Bernard Hopkins: 10 things you didn’t know" 13 April 2008. Times Online URL accessed 13 April 2008.
- ^ Willis, George (2007-07-21). Hopkins, Wright Brawl at Weigh-in. New York Post. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Hopkins fined $200,000 for weigh-in scuffle with Wright. ESPN.com (2007-08-17). Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Richardson, Anwar S (2007-07-22). Revitalized Hopkins Outclasses Wright. Tampa Bay Online. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Rafael, Dan (2007-07-23). Hopkins keeps title with entertaining win over Wright. ESPN.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Calzaghe defeats Hopkins!. Orange United Kingdom. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
- ^ Perea, Victor; A. Hale (2008-04-19). Calzaghe defeats Hopkins!. Fightnews.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
- ^ Vester, Mark (2008-04-19). Hopkins: "I Took Joe Calzaghe To School". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
See also
External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Vacated by Reggie Johnson |
USBA Middleweight Champion December 4, 1992 – 1994 |
Succeeded by Vacancy filled by Robert Allen |
| Preceded by Vacated by Roy Jones Jr. |
IBF World Middleweight Champion April 29, 1995 – July 16, 2005 |
Succeeded by Jermain Taylor |
| Preceded by Keith Holmes |
WBC World Middleweight Champion April 14, 2001 – July 16, 2005 |
|
| Preceded by Félix Trinidad |
WBA World Middleweight Champion September 29, 2001 – July 16, 2005 (elevated to super champ November 16, 2001) |
|
| Preceded by Oscar de la Hoya |
WBO World Middleweight Champion September 18, 2004 – July 16, 2005 |
|
| Preceded by Vacated by James Toney |
The Ring World Middleweight Champion September 29, 2001 – July 16, 2005 |
|
| Preceded by Antonio Tarver |
The Ring Light Heavyweight Champion June 10, 2006 – April 19th, 2008 |
Succeeded by Joe Calzaghe |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Roy Jones Jr. |
Pound for pound #1 boxer (The Ring) 2004 – 2005 |
Succeeded by Floyd Mayweather Jr. |
| Preceded by Felix Trinidad |
Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year 2001 |
Succeeded by Vernon Forrest |
