CHICAGO ? Age, they say, is a question of mind over matter. ?If you don?t mind, it doesn?t matter.? But in the violent world of boxing, where the young viciously devours the old, age is a heck of a big deal. Just don?t tell that to Bernard Hopkins, who swears he will fight well into next year, when he is 51 years old.
It?s ?absolutely? going to happen, the 6-foot-1 Hopkins recently told USA Today about his currently negotiated fight against Armenian-German Arthur Abraham, the reigning WBO super middleweight champion.
Win or lose, Hopkins already has a place in the Hall-of-Fame. He dominated the middleweight ranks from 1994 to 2005 and defended his unified belts a record 20 times. His signature triumphs include a 12th round TKO over Felix Trinidad on September 29, 2001 and a 9th round KO of Oscar ?Golden Boy? De La Hoya on September 18, 2004.
Besides ruling the 160-pound weight class like a ruthless tyrant. Hopkins also picked up a light heavyweight title last June 10, 2006 when he beat the odds and bullied Antonio Tarver for 12 rounds to secure a unanimous decision at the Boardwalk Hall in New Jersey. During his prime, Hopkins was so cool he required three nicknames. One wasn?t good enough. Two was insufficient. So fans and sportswriters called him The Alien, B-Hop and, more popularly, The Executioner. According to a website that tracks celebrity wealth, Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs) is worth a nifty $40 million. He is obviously famous and his place in history is secure. What then is his motivation to keep fighting at an advanced when the risk of getting seriously hurt increases exponentially? Maybe the Philadelphia native can?t stay away from the lure of the bright lights. Maybe he still enjoys beating up people legally and getting paid for the effort. Maybe Hopkins is in denial and believes he has the tools to defy Father Time. Hopkins has lost two of his last five fights, including a 12-round beating at the hands of light heavyweight king Sergey Kovalev last November 8, 2014. Although his defense is still good enough to prevent from being knocked out, Hopkins has clearly lost his stride and his punch. But like so many great boxers before him, Bernard Hopkins will be the last to know that the best years of his athletic life had already passed him by.
