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Bernard Hopkins was a technical wizard inside the ring.
While he may not have had the most entertaining style at times, 'B-Hop' was a true student of the sweet science. Equipped with a well-rounded game, the Philadelphia-born boxer could fight and smother his opponents on the inside or attack from a distance with sniper-like accuracy. He could frustrate his opponents with his sharp in-ring IQ and capitalize on their slightest mistakes.
Fighting professionally for nearly 30 years, Bernard Hopkins cemented his status as a legend by completing one of the greatest careers boxing has ever seen. A world champion in two weight classes — middleweight (160lbs) and light heavyweight (175lbs) — 'B-Hop' fought the best of multiple generations.
Hopkins' illustrious career finally came to an end on December 17th, 2016 when he was stopped by Joe Smith Jr. Hopkins entered the fight as a 51-year-old man and wished to shock the world one final time, however, Smith knocked his veteran opponent out of the ring in the eighth round. 'B-Hop' couldn't beat the count or make it back to the ring, giving Smith the TKO victory. It was the only knockout loss of Hopkins' 28-year career.
It's been nearly six years since his last fight. Fans of the sweet science should never forget the amazing career of Bernard Hopkins.
Bernard Hopkins is one of the greatest middleweights of all time
Bernard Hopkins began his professional career as a middleweight. At 160 pounds, 'B-Hop' laid the foundations for what would become a Hall of Fame career.
In 1993, Hopkins challenged for the IBF Championship against the great Roy Jones Jr. The Philadelphia-born boxer lost the bout, but won the title in 1995 after defeating Ecuadorian Olympian Segundo Mercado. 'B-Hop' would then go on a historic tear through the division, defending his title a total of 19 times, while also unifying the entire division by eventually capturing the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO Championships.
During his run at middleweight, Hopkins defeated the likes of Glen Johnson, Keith Holmes, Robert Allen, Félix Trinidad, Carl Daniels, William Joppy, Oscar De La Hoya, and Howard Eastman.
Hopkins' historic streak at middleweight came to an end after he suffered a pair of back-to-back losses to rising star Jermain Taylor in 2005. The fights were incredibly close, with many pundits believing 'B-Hop' did more than enough to win both bouts.
The middleweight division is one of the most captivating and famous weightclasses in the history of boxing. Legendary fighters such as 'Sugar' Ray Robinson, Carlos Monzon, and Marvin Hagler all competed at 160 pounds. Hopkins' decade-long dominance in the weightclass should cement his name in every fan's middleweight Mount Rushmore.
To this day, no boxer, not even Gennadiy Golovkin or Canelo Alvarez, has been able to dominate middleweight boxing the way Bernard Hopkins did.
Bernard Hopkins defied time throughout his career
At the beginning of his career, he was known as 'The Executioner' for his knockout power. Later on in his career, however, when he was dominating opponents while in his 40s, Bernard Hopkins became known as 'The Alien'.
The moniker was more than well deserved. Even as a middleweight, Hopkins consistently defended his world titles against far younger competition. After losing his 160 pound crown to Jermain Taylor in 2005, many fans believed that was the beginning of the end for 'B-Hop'. After all, he was already 40. What more could he possibly do in the sport at such an age?
Well, as it turns out, he could add a whole other legendary chapter to his epic career at a completely different weightclass.
In 2006, at the age of 41, Hopkins moved up two weightclasses to fight lineal light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver. 'The Magic Man' was a heavy favorite heading into the bout and most of the boxing world thought Hopkins was crazy for taking on such a challenge. Tarver was the first man to shatter the unstoppable image of the legendary Roy Jones Jr., the same man who had defeated 'B-Hop' years ago.
How was Hopkins supposed to defeat the bigger, stronger, and younger champion?
In dominant fashion, apparently.
Hopkins versus Tarver was a blowout. The Philadelphia-born boxer beat 'The Magic Man' in virtually every department of the bout. He outfought him on the inside and was able to frequently tag Tarver with his right hand from the outside, going so far as to knock the champion down in the fifth round with a counter-straight cross. After 12 rounds, Hopkins won a unanimous decision and became a champion in his second weightclass.
At light heavyweight, 'B-Hop' produced a separate legacy to his already immortal career.
On May 21st, 2011, he made history by becoming the oldest champion in boxing history at the age of 46 after defeating Jean Pascal for the WBC Light Heavyweight Title. Two years later, he broke his own record by defeating the undefeated Tavoris Cloud for the IBF Championship at the age of 48.
Hopkins' run at light heavyweight also saw him conquer big names such as Winky Wright, Kelly Pavlik, Karo Murat, and Beibut Shumenov. During this timeframe, he would also avenge his 1993 defeat to Roy Jones Jr. by beating him via unanimous decision.
In 2016, Bernard Hopkins retired with a record of 55-8-2. His professional career spanned nearly three decades. He was a fighter with razor-sharp in-ring IQ, laser-like precision, and an unbelievable work ethic that saw him able to dominate opponents nearly 20 years younger than him. Boxing fans should always remember the greatness of Bernard Hopkins, for there will never be someone like 'The Alien' again.
