MY FIRST TIME: BERNARD HOPKINS
Hopkins’ victory over Robert Allen in 2004 set up the superfight that would produce The Executioner’s most memorable punch.
MY PERFECT PUNCH SEPTEMBER 18, 2004 OPPONENT: OSCAR DE LA HOYA “My best shot to stop a guy is with Oscar De La Hoya. You cannot shake off a good body shot – you can ask any Hall of Famer or contender; you can ask anybody who did boxing for sport or for play. I was taught this in Philadelphia. That’s why Joe Frazier was so vicious with the left hook from every angle. The left hook to the body was my favorite punch. We know the jab is the set-up punch: jab and left hook; left hook, then jab. You can do so much with the left hook. “I knew Oscar was wearing down, and we talk about it and laugh about it. I knew he was wearing down because every round, I was picking up the pace. If you watch from the sixth round on, that’s when I start to put on the pressure. I started giving him feints with my head, like I was going to the body, but I didn’t go, and I seen him react to it. He braced himself, figuring that it was coming, and once I got him conscious of that, I caught him later on as he threw a punch out of panic. I got closer to him. He knew it was
majority decision). I was in shape, but I wasn’t in shape for real boxing. I got tired. There’s a difference between boxing in prison and boxing in Atlantic City Resorts International. I did my best. Was I upset? Yes! Do you want to know how upset I was? I didn’t fight again until 1990. Let’s just say 1989 was rough and I should be in prison right now. I can’t say much more, because my wife is looking at me. I was now out of the gym and I was crushed. I’d made $150 for my pro debut and lost. “Mitchell had won Golden Gloves titles and he was decorated. I found that out after the fact, but if you look him up, he was highly regarded. His career was cut short when he was diagnosed with a disease (diabetes) and he passed away.”
coming, threw a punch out of desperation, and I connected as he was throwing. One of the best punches you can hit a guy with is catching him before he catches you. I got there first. “Before the left hook, I gave him a throwaway jab as a distraction. It’s like someone saying, ‘Look over there, that’s a nice car!’ They turn away, and you steal their pocketbook. That’s the New York hustle. If anyone ever says to you to look over there, don’t look.” You can follow the great Bernard Hopkins on Instagram @bhopdaalien .
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