Hopkins Gets in the Last Word
Bernard Hopkins hosted a media workout Friday at a local boxing gym in Montreal, and the 46-year-old Executioner was his usual talkative self.
“The word ‘discipline’ speaks volumes about my life and my career,” B-Hop said. “The magic number 46 dictates how long the fire has burned in my belly. I am here today because of genetics, because of talent and mostly because of my good decisions.”
Hopkins has made many good decisions, starting with turning his back on a life of crime.
“You can’t hustle boxing or boxing will hustle you. I never would have believed that I would be here. There are a lot of things I have overcome in my life. I am not saying that this is easy, but this is nothing compared to what I went through when I was younger.”
There are worse ghettos in Philadelphia, but growing up in Mt. Airy was no picnic.
“I have always been accused of being a 15-round fighter. I could have fought in any era. I want to remind people that I am the modern-day Archie Moore. He came to Canada in his 40s and beat [Yvon] Durrelle in his own backyard. I am going to show the fans on Saturday night what déjà vu in the ring looks like in Canada.”
Archie Moore, aka the Old Mongoose, was something else. The same words apply to Bernard Hopkins.
“Winning the fight is the most important thing to me. Without the turkey, you don’t get the dressing. The win is the turkey and the history is the dressing.”
