Bernard Hopkins was born on January 15, 1965 in a humble neighborhood of Philadelphia. Just a few days ago he turned 60 years old, and that is why today we look at his career and his outstanding performance in the ring, where he left an indelible mark as perhaps the best boxer in the middleweight category, above even two other great Americans, Marvin “Maravilloso” Hagler, and the Argentine Carlos “Escopeta” Monzón, also considered the greatest exponents in the history of the division. This middleweight comprises fighters weighing between 154 and 160 pounds, and has been home to many other great boxers, whom it would be too long to mention at this time.

Before continuing with the story of Bernard Hopkins, we will pause briefly to review the careers of Hagler and Monzon, the other two titans of the division, before returning to the main focus of this article: “The Executioner”.

HAGLER AND MONSOON: TWO MONSTERS

Marvin “Marvelous” Hagler, also known as “The Hammer” or “The Baldy”, was a boxer who fought professionally from May 18, 1973 until his retirement on April 6, 1987. During his career he fought 67 times, achieving 62 victories, 52 of them by KO, with only 3 defeats and 2 draws. He was world champion in the WBA and WBC versions, and defended his title 13 times, winning 11 times by knockout, one decision against Roberto Durán (“Mano de Piedra”) and a much-discussed defeat against Sugar Ray Leonard, in a fight that many considered unfair, which led him to retire from boxing temporarily, upset and disappointed. Hagler passed away on March 13, 2021 at the age of 66 at his home in Bartlett, New Hampshire, due to COVID-19. He was born on May 22, 1954 in Newark, New Jersey.

On the other hand, Carlos “Escopeta” Monzón, considered the greatest Argentine boxer of all time, was also a world boxing legend. Between February 6, 1963 and July 30, 1977, Monzon had 87 victories in 100 fights, 59 of them by KO, with only 3 losses and 9 draws. In 1970, he won the WBA-WBC middleweight world title after defeating Italian Nino Benvenuti by knockout in 12 rounds. He retained his crown in 14 defenses, 9 of them by knockout, and remained champion for 79 months, retiring after his second victory over Colombian Rodrigo Valdes, after recovering from a second round knockout. Monzón died on January 8, 1995 at the age of 52 in an automobile accident, while returning from a special leave to the prison where he was serving a sentence for the death of his wife, Alicia Muñíz, in a domestic altercation that occurred on February 14, 1988.

FROM CRIME TO GLORY

Getting back to Bernard Hopkins, whose portrait we are tracing in this article, it should be noted that he was born Bernard Humphrey Hopkins Jr. and grew up in a family of eight siblings. In the boxing world he was known as “The Executioner” and “The Alien”.

His career spanned an impressive 28 years, from 1988 to 2016, placing him only behind such legendary figures as Jack Johnson, the first black world champion (who fought from 1897 to 1931), and Panama’s Roberto Durán, “Mano de Piedra” (“Hand of Stone”), who was active from 1968 to 2001 (33 years). Other giants of boxing longevity such as Archie Moore (28 years, from 1935 to 1963) and Evander Holyfield (27 years, from 1984 to 2011) are also comparable to Hopkins in terms of career length.

In Bernard Hopkins’ career, two very different stages can be distinguished: in his early years in the ring, he was a machine of destruction, a brutal fighter who showed no mercy to his opponents. However, in his later years he transformed himself into a wiser, more patient and cunning fighter, capable of employing defensive techniques and tactics that allowed him to accumulate points without resorting to a knockout, making the most of his experience and skills to even out the disadvantages that age imposed on him.

A SAD FAREWELL

Going back to Bernard Hopkins’ beginnings, after his unfortunate debut against Chris Mitchell, the “Executioner” built an impressive streak of 21 consecutive victories. Among them, in December 1992, he captured the national middleweight title by defeating Wayne Powell by first-round knockout to win the USBA title, which he successfully defended once.

On May 22, 1993, Hopkins tried to take the IBF world title, but that day Roy Jones Jr., who at the time was considered the best boxer in the world, defeated him by unanimous decision in 12 rounds. Despite that frustration, Bernard did not stop. After defending his USBA title three times, he returned to fight for the IBF belt, which had become vacant after the departure of Jones Jr. In December 1994, Hopkins was crowned champion by defeating Ecuador’s Segundo Mercado on points in Quito, Ecuador, and repeated the feat a year later in a rematch with the same opponent.

After 13 successful defenses, including a 1998 no-decision against Robert Allen, Hopkins captured the IBF and World Boxing Council (WBC) titles by defeating Keith Holmes.

Half a year later, he moved up to the light heavyweight division and was crowned champion after defeating Antonio Tarver. Then, after some surprise losses to Joe Calzaghe and Chad Dawson, Hopkins, at age 49, reaffirmed his status as the world’s best semi-complete with a decision victory over Beibut Shumenov, a 19-year-old younger opponent, whom he knocked down in the eleventh round.

Throughout his career, Bernard Hopkins set three records for longevity. In 2011, at 45 years and a few months, he successfully defended his WBC semi-complete title by defeating Canadian Jean Pascal, surpassing the record of George Foreman, who had won the heavyweight title at the age of 45, after his loss to Muhammad Ali in 1974. In 2013, at the age of 48 years and 22 days, Hopkins broke his own record again, defeating his compatriot Tavoris Cloud for the IBF semi-complete title.

At almost 52 years old, on December 16, 2016, “The Alien” stepped into the ring at the Forum in Inglewood, California, to face Joe Smith Jr, an opponent 24 years younger, for the World Boxing Council International light heavyweight title. The outcome was even sadder than many anticipated. An already lackluster Hopkins, his arms fatigued, landed a series of punches that knocked him out of the ring. Although he managed to get up, referee Jack Reiss mercifully stopped the fight at 53 seconds of the eighth round. It was the only time in his 65 fights that he did not hear the final sound of the gong.

After that defeat, came his final retirement. Today, Bernard Hopkins enjoys his rest after a successful career, without financial worries, thanks to his participation as a minority partner in Golden Boy Promotions, the company of his former rival Oscar de la Hoya. He celebrated his 60th birthday on January 15 this year, probably surrounded by old and new friends, enjoying the peace of mind that comes with the end of his boxing career.

C’est fini. It’s over. Last bell.