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Home , Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor

Boxing: Farewell Fight

Bernard Hopkins is scheduled to step into the ring one final time on December 17th. The 51-year-old legend will face Joe Smith Jr. in a bout at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Hopkins is a shoo-in for the Boxing Hall of Fame five years after he retires. Here is a look back at the career of The Executioner.

Convict Turned Fighter Hopkins began his boxing career in 1988 after he was released from prison. He served four and a half years for armed robbery, and it was in prison where he discovered his boxing ability. He immediately turned pro after his release, and he lost his first pro fight to Clinton Mitchell. The loss really discouraged him, and it would be 16 months before he would fight again.

First Win Hopkins bounced back to win his second fight at , beating Greg Paige on February 22, 1990. This victory kicked off an incredible run for Hopkins. He won 22 straight fights to shoot up the middleweight rankings. This led to his first big fight, a matchup with Roy Jones, Jr. for the IBF Middleweight title on May 22, 1993. Hopkins lost in a unanimous decision. Gaining the Middleweight Title Later that year, Hopkins again fought for the IBF Middleweight title. This fight was against Segundo Mercado in Quito, Ecuador. Hopkins suffered from altitude sickness in the fight and was almost knocked out before he came back to earn a draw. The two met again on April 29, 1995, and Hopkins scored a TKO against Mercado to claim the title.

Middleweight Unification Fight On September 29, 2001, Hopkins fought Felix Trinidad in a match to unify the various middleweight belts. Hopkins was an underdog in the fight for the first time in years, and he actually bet $100,000 on himself to win. Hopkins thoroughly outclassed Trinidad, knocking him out in the 12th round to shock the boxing world. This victory made Hopkins the first undisputed middleweight champion since Marvin Hagler held all the belts in 1987.

Hopkins vs. De La Hoya The biggest fight of Hopkins’ career came on September 8, 2004 against . This was a huge payday for Hopkins, earning him $10 million. He knocked out De La Hoya with a vicious left to the body. The fight made them friends. Soon after, De La Hoya would invite to Hopkins to become his business partner in Golden Boy Productions.

Hopkins ended up successfully defending the middleweight title 20 times, which is a record. His eventually lost the title championship in a split decision against on July 16, 2005. He has fought sporadically over the last decade with most of his fights at light heavyweight.

No Easy Contest Hopkins is a fighter who seeks out challenges. He is not going to ride off into the sunset against a patsy. His opponent Smith is a tough Irishman who has a 22-1 record with 18 . Hopkins wants to go out with a bang, saying his aim is to knock Smith out. With so much power in this fight, it should be an exciting contest that ends with one fighter being counted out.