My thoughts on the legend Bernard Hopkins

"He tricked us. He tricked us all." This is what George Foreman said of Bernard Hopkins in 2001 after Hopkins systematically broke down betting favorite and pound-for-pound fighter Felix Trinidad over the course of 12 rounds before knocking him out in the final minute. Trinidad was never the same.

From that point, Hopkins was given the credit he deserved and was seldom underestimated. That is, until 2005 when he fought Jermain Taylor. Taylor took two close decisions from the 40 year old. Boxing writers and fans alike gave out a collective plea for the old man to retire. He's done enough: he has knockout victories over hall of fame fighters including Trinidad and De La Hoya, along with 21 consecutive middleweight title defenses over a span of ten years, which is not only sufficient to punch his ticket to the hall of fame, but his resume is enough to put him in the discussion of all time great middleweights.

At 40 years old, it was time to ride into the sunset. The only thing is, Hopkins "didn't hear no bell." The only man on earth who believed he still had days left on the top echelon of the sport was Hopkins himself. Instead of fighting again at middleweight, Bernard not only decided to jump two divisions to light heavyweight, but he thought he would do it against the champ, Antonio Tarver. Very few gave Hopkins a chance. If he couldn't pull the trigger and finish the job against middleweight Jermain Taylor, what did he think he was going to do against Antonio Tarver? Apparently Hopkins knew something no one else did, because it was a 12 round destruction which made Tarver look like an amateur.

He tricked us. People swore they would never underestimate Hopkins again.

This past April, he met another pound-for-pound fighter in Joe Calzaghe. Though Hopkins knocked Calzaghe down in the first, Calzaghe out hustled Bernard with an incredible work rate. Calzaghe took a close 12 round decision, as Hopkins looked a little slower than usual. His reflexes weren't quite there. His caginess turned to lethargy. Numerous times throughout the fight, as the bell sounded to end a round, Hopkins walked to the wrong corner. He was disoriented. Hopkins had been able to fight on the top level for so long not solely because of physical gifts. Bernard Hopkins, mentally, could not be beat. He turns his opponents' strengths into their weaknesses. He is the ultimate strategist and ring general--a ring general who couldn't find his way back to the corner. At age 43, it was apparent Bernard Hopkins had finally reached the end of his fairy tale career.

But Hopkins didn't think so. He opted to keep fighting. Bernard figured he may as well challenge Kelly Pavlik, the hardest hitting middleweight since Tommy Hearns. Pavlik is 34-0 with 30 knockouts. He is not simply a power-punching fluke--Angelo Dundee himself has said, "Pavlik belongs in any era." Hopkins didn't care; he has never acknowledged the writing on the wall--he has never acknowledged that there is a wall.

Twelve boxing writers were asked to give their predictions for the outcome of the fight. Twelve writers picked Pavlik. Many of whom expressed concern for the safety of Bernard Hopkins.

The first bell sounded and Hopkins went to work like a surgeon. Never before had Pavlik been hit so clean; never before had he been so confused; never before could he not find the trigger; never before had he lost. Bernard Hopkins gave Pavlik a true boxing lesson. There was no lack of direction, and no lack of energy. Bernard Hopkins truly stopped time and became more than a living legend, this past Saturday night, he became immortal.

In the final round, Hopkins came out fighting with just as much vigor and guile as he did in the first. Old men don't attempt to knock out 26 year old studs, though this is precisely what Hopkins sought to do in the last round of a landslide fight. As the final bell sounded, Hopkins stoically walked over to the edge of the ring apron and stared at every boxing writer sitting ringside who picked against him...again. With his bottom lip quivering, Bernard Hopkins couldn't fend off the raw emotion, the pure drama of his performance, giving the ultimate twist ending to his epic career.

He certainly tricked us. He tricked us all.

The Third Act

Jermain Taylor has a certain magnetic quality about him. Call it "athletic charisma." He exuded this coveted quality in his first act: the lead-up bouts en route to a title shot. In each of these fights, Taylor utilized precision, patience, and discipline. These virtues coupled with his supernatural physical gifts produced a result that gained him a following that prophesied a reign at the top which could rival the current King's. Who in their right mind would not only predict, but expect a young fighter to carry such a torch? That honor is reserved for special heroes who are deemed as such only after their achievements; he had not yet proven anything. But this was the power of Jermain Taylor.

And so began act 2.

Taylor got his title shot and won it in a fashion which had all parties heated. His disciples claimed he did not win in the manner he was supposed to, and his detractors were outraged that he now had the title despite the performance. But the faithful remained confident their prophesy was still true.

Forty eight rounds later, even the most faithful were looking for the smoke and mirrors behind the pulpit. The temple was sparse. Those who remained recited, "Beware. Beware. His physical gifts are there." But to those not influenced by their hopes saw an underachiever--an underachiever who in his reign has not yet followed through on his promises made in act 1. After every battle, there was always an excuse, none of which ever found fault with his physical talent; every explanation cited his discipline, patience, and control. These were things that had his disciples so frustrated: with his powers, Taylor could have been a part of the Justice League, yet he was stuck in traffic during every meeting.

Taylor's eventual demise was befitting, but not painless. Act 2 had been one long trial. Finally, on the night of September 29, 2007 the verdict was in: he was to be tortured. It was a mere human who rose to the occasion. A human in Kelly Pavlik did not see a deity before him; he did not see a superhero, a savior or chosen one. While Taylor's disciples saw his shiny cape, Pavlik saw the human wearing it. Pavlik beat the powers right out of him. Taylor fell to the ground, a mortal. He bled like a mortal. He lost like a mortal.

His disciples were hurt, stunned. But we stood by him; we wished him to try again. The human that he was--he did try again. He improved like a human; he failed like a human. The prophesy had proven to be false; the true Jermain Taylor has been identified. The confrontation and revelation have occurred. What is the resolution? What does act 3 hold?

How will the story end?