Bernard Hopkins Tribute – This December 17th at the Forum in Inglewood, California, a legend took his last step into a prize fighting ring as 51-yea- old Bernard Hopkins faced Joe Smith Jr in the main event of HBO Boxing’s end-of-the-year offering.
Hopkins is certainly heading to the hall of fame, but he likely did not picture his career ending the way it did this past Saturday. Smith Jr, a man 24 years younger came out and showed Hopkins respect in the early going, even ceding a few rounds to the “Executioner.” In the eighth round however, Smith Jr trapped Hopkins along the ropes and unloaded with a flurry that sent Hopkins down and out of the ring and into boxing history.
Interestingly, Hopkins also started off his career with a loss in 1988 and after that it was 18 months before he even returned to the ring. This bookend loss last Saturday came after a 25 month layoff and sadly, it was clear that despite Hopkin’s defiance throughout the years father time had finally caught up to him.
What teams are going to Super Bowl 51? See here.
You can excuse the confusion that ensued after Hopkins hit the arena floor. He instinctively wanted to continue, but he was not able to get into the ring within the allotted 20 second time limit. He later said he had bumped his head, back and ankle on the way out and the boxing commission seems to have considered giving him additional time to continue. A review of the replay show that Smith Jr sent Hopkins sprawling with clean punches and that there was nothing to the claim that he pushed Hopkins out of the ring. When all was said and done, the match was called a TKO victory for Smith Jr.
Hopkins did not go to the hospital after the fight, Hopkins attended the post fight press conference where he spoke in lucid fashion. His post fight speech was emotional and long winded, as he clearly didn’t like the way things turned out. In the end though, Hopkins stated that we have seen the last of him in the prizefighting ring. And at 51 years old, a legend finally steps away.
Check out livestream raw video of Hopkins speaking at the post fight press conference at The Boxing Channel.
Bernard Hopkins Tribute
In this 32nd edition of the TalknShoot Boxing Podcast we are once again joined by veteran analyst Frank Lotierzo of The Sweet Science to look back at the legendary career of Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins. Lotierzo has followed Hopkins career closely since the very beginning and Frank brings a wealth of detail and knowledge to this podcast. Lotierzo gives Hopkins high praise, calling him perhaps the most “unique” fighter in boxing history. Check out how Lotierzo makes his case here at TnS #32.
Hopkins is walking off into the sunset with an overall record of 55-8-2 and he held the world title at middleweight for more than 10 years, from April of 1995 until July of 2005 and after more than five years passed he became light heavyweight world champion twice, becoming the oldest world champion in boxing history at the age of 48.
Bernard Hopkins Tribute
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