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Bernard Hopkins will put his IBF and WBA Light Heavyweight titles on the line against the Russian Krusher, Sergei Kovalev on November 8, 2014 live on HBO.
Hopkins is the oldest boxer to ever win a title, defend a title and unify titles.
Hopkins started his career in 1988, losing his first fight, but then went on a tear and won multiple titles at Middleweight and Light Heavyweight.
Scroll through as we take a look at the top five fights of Bernard Hopkins’ illustrious career.
5. Kelly Pavlik
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After losing to Joe Calzaghe, Hopkins moved down to a catch weight limit of 170 pounds to fight Middleweight kingpin, Kelly Pavlik.
Pavlik entered the fight with the mindset of knowing he destroyed Jermain Taylor twice. The same Taylor who beat Hopkins twice.
With that in mind, Pavlik and many of the media, thought the younger, stronger fighter would work the older Hopkins into retirement.
That was simply not the case as the 43-year-old Hopkins fought faster and smarter than his 26-year-old counterpart. Hopkins would go on to dominate the fight, proving to the world that the old man could still fight.
4. Oscar De La Hoya
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After 18 straight title defenses at Middleweight, Bernard Hopkins took on “The Golden Boy,” Oscar De La Hoya in a unification match.
Even though Hopkins was fighting a blown up Welterweight in De La Hoya, he gained more in popularity after the fight by being the first boxer to stop De La Hoya. Hopkins played defense early on, as De La Hoya was far more aggressive to start the fight.
Midway through the bout, Hopkins’ overall strength and size advantages were too much for the smaller De La Hoya, as a body shot caused the Mexican-American superstar to collapse on the floor, unable to beat the count.
Afterwards, Hopkins went on to make a tie breaking record of 20 straight Middleweight defenses of his title.
3. Jean Pascal
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At age 46, Bernard Hopkins stepped in the ring to challenge WBC, IBO and Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion, Jean Pascal for a second time.
After fighting to a draw in their first bout–a fight many believed should have gone in Hopkins’ favor–BHop once again traveled to Pascal’s home in Montreal, Canada to fight.
Once again, making doubters into believers, Hopkins simply outclassed Pascal. Pascal had no answers on that night, as Hopkins would go on to break George Foreman’s record of being the oldest man to win a championship.
2. Antonio Tarver
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After suffering two losses in a row and losing his lineal Middleweight championship status, Bernard Hopkins did the unthinkable. He moved up two weight classes to challenge Antonio Tarver in what many saw as a future homicide case.
Hopkins was a 3-1 underdog heading into the fight, but he looked nothing like it. Hopkins stunned Tarver with his high work rate and power, which was enough to keep Tarver honest.
In the fifth round, Hopkins countered Tarver and dropped him, to the amazement of the pro-Hopkins crowd. Hopkins would go on to route Tarver and win a second tier championship in the process.
1. Felix Trinidad
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If Bernard Hopkins had to choose one fight for his grandchildren to see, I’m almost certain it would be this one.
The finale to Don King’s Middleweight tournament that included Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad, William Joppy and Keith Holmes. Hopkins would beat Holmes by unanimous decision to retain his IBF title and also win Holmes’ WBC strap.
Trinidad entered this bout with a perfect record 40-0, 33 KOs. A bit of controversy arose during the promotion when Hopkins, who is known to never back down from an opponent, grabbed the Puerto Rican flag from Don King’s hand and threw it on the ground twice, including once in Puerto Rico.
With the bout originally scheduled in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on September 15, 2001, it was pushed back two weeks because of the September 11 attacks.
The fight was a great one, with both fighters starting a bit slow and trying to feel each other out. In the third round, Hopkins took control of the pace, amping up his punch output. Towards the middle of the fight, Tito landed some good power shots, but to his dismay, they did not have much effect on Hopkins.
By the 10th round, Trinidad seemed to sense the win was getting further and further from his grasp and he knew he needed to go for broke to win. And go for broke he did. After the 10th, it was apparent that Trinidad had punched himself out. Hopkins knew that also, as he countered and punched the exhausted Trinidad.
Slumping and breathing heavily on his stool between the 11th and 12th round, Trinidad would go back out for the 12th with little left in the tank.
Knowing Tito was done, Hopkins laid into him and threw a right that sent Trinidad crashing to the canvas. Referee Steve Smoger determined that Trinidad could not continue. With the win, Hopkins became the undisputed Middleweight champion of the world, the very first fighter to do so since “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler.
