It is no exaggeration to say that Bernard Hopkins might be one of the greatest athletes who has ever lived. His dedication to boxing was bolstered by a physical fitness obsession and an early reappraisal of his dietary habits. By the time he was 40 years old, Hopkins had made a record 20 middleweight title defenses to secure his status as an all-time great. But he wasn’t done. His monastic lifestyle extended Hopkins’ youth far beyond that of a mere mortal and saw him win multiple belts at light heavyweight. He won his final world title fight at the age of 49, a record that is sure to stand the test of time. • However, like many great fighters, all of the glory that Hopkins attained was rooted in very humble beginnings.
Bam’ Hines … I could name all of them. They were really respected because Joe Frazier had been the heavyweight champion of the world. “This gym was like a dungeon with a very intimidating atmosphere. It was like a box with enough room for 15 to 20 people on one floor and a mirror on one wall from end to end. I wanted the attention of all the trainers in there, so I’d be shouting and screaming as I hit the bag. I was there watching pro fighters, people who were older than me, people who had been on TV. So you can imagine, I was saying to myself, ‘I can be Joe Frazier. I can be Robert “Bam Bam” Hines. I can be [former IBF junior welterweight titleholder] Gary Hinton.’ Just look at the track record of Philadelphia fighters.”
MY FIRST AMATEUR FIGHT “We still laugh about it today. My first amateur fight was against Robert ‘Bam Bam’ Hines, who had beaten Gary Hinton [as an amateur]. He was a southpaw, and he beat the living lights out of me. I told my trainer that I’d get him in the next round, and he said, ‘The fight’s over. They stopped it!’ It was the second round of a three-round fight in the Pennsylvania Golden Gloves Championship [in 1977]. That’s a big tournament because you’re representing your state.
My First Time by Bernard Hopkins As told to Tom Gray
“I’ll never forget it, because we knew each other. Robert’s got to be a year or two older than me. I’m 60, and he’s got to be 62 or something. (Note: Hines is 64.) I’m 60, and I still remember that butt-whipping. Robert Hines is the reason I became so good against southpaws. We sparred at Joe Frazier’s gym and at Champ’s Gym, which is another historic gym in Philadelphia. “I learned how to handle southpaws through getting my lessons, my adolescence ass-whippings, from Robert Hines.”
THE FIRST TIME I LACED UP THE GLOVES
“I was 8 or 9 years old. My Uncle Arthur – we called him Arty for short – was a highly respected prospect who sparred many times with Marvelous Marvin Hagler. At the time, Hagler had come down to beat two of the greatest middleweights from Philadelphia, Willie ‘The Worm’ Monroe and Boogaloo Watts. I got my DNA from Arthur McCloud, who was my mother’s brother. “My Uncle Arty took me down to Joe Frazier’s gym on Broad and Glenwood. I fell in love with boxing to the point that I was feared in the neighborhood from a young age. This was 1977, ’78, ’79, and there was an amateur program at the gym. They had the Golden Gloves, the AAU and the nationals. I remember that clearly, like it was yesterday. This amateur program produced world champions – the likes of [former IBF junior middleweight titleholder] Robert ‘Bam
MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL FIGHT OCTOBER 11, 1988
OPPONENT: CLINTON MITCHELL VENUE: RESORTS INTERNATIONAL, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY
“I was inexperienced, but I had a heart bigger than the city of Philadelphia. Mitchell had been a really good amateur, and I was the opponent that night. I just wanted to get my first professional fight under my belt. For the previous five years, I’d been getting copies of Ring Magazine sent to me in prison (Hopkins spent time inside for armed robbery), so I was just grateful to be fighting. “I felt that I lost the fight (Hopkins dropped a four-round
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