Bernard Hopkins

A gritty, old-school fighter who defied Father Time for longer than almost any other boxer in history, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins got a late start in the boxing world. He had a hard life growing up and turned to crime at a young age, eventually serving just under five years in prison. The one positive of that experience was that he picked up boxing while there, and shortly after his release in 1988, he began his professional career.

Bernard Hopkins didn’t get off to the best start, losing a majority decision to Clinton Mitchell at light heavyweight. 16 months later, he made his middleweight debut and won. He ended up winning 22 straight before dropping a unanimous decision to Roy Jones Jr., who was in his prime at the time and had an athleticism that Hopkins simply couldn’t match.

Hopkins racked up wins and titles throughout the 90s, and he held the IBF title for a particularly long reign. Most fighters slow down in their 30s, but not Bernard Hopkins was not one of them. He became more popular in his later years, and his style was able to carry him to continued success. Never the most athletic or powerful fighter, what he did have was sound fundamentals and excellent defensive abilities. He was also good at neutralizing the best aspects of his opponent’s games. This didn’t always lead to the most exciting fights, but it did lead to quite a few wins, even against opponents who were younger, stronger, faster, and had every other edge on paper.

His promotional abilities also improved in the 00s, as he had a knack for creating controversy before his fights. He stomped on the Puerto Rican flag before facing Felix Trinidad, who he defeated by TKO. His comments often toed or crossed the line of political correctness, including when he told Joe Calzaghe that he would never let a “white boy” beat him (Calzaghe proved him wrong when he won their fight by split decision).

Bernard Hopkins is perhaps best known for his longevity, and later in his career he moved up to light heavyweight and won multiple titles in that weight class. He broke George Foreman’s record by winning a word title at 46, and then broke his own record twice when he won titles at 48 and 49.

He then decided to change his nickname from “The Executioner” to “The Alien” because of his ability to fight effectively despite his advanced age. However, his final two fights proved that no man can do that forever. He fought the Russian power puncher Sergey Kovalev and bravely stayed in the fight despite taking a beating, losing on all scorecards. His retirement fight came a few weeks before he turned 52 against Joe Smith Jr. He ended up getting knocked out of the ring in the 8th round from a punch and injuring his ankle, then lost due to TKO when he couldn’t make it back into the ring before the referee’s 20 count. Although his career ended on a sour note, he left a legacy as one of the few greats to have success in his 20s, 30s, and 40s.

What was Hopkins' last fight?

Bernard Hopkins' last fight took place against Joe Smith Jr's on 17th Dec 2016, in Inglewood, United States. He lost by knockout in the 8th round. That fight was 4 years and 1 month ago.

How active is Bernard Hopkins?

Hopkins' last 5 fights have come over a period of 3 years, 9 months and 8 days, meaning he has been fighting on average every 11 months and 10 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 56 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 11.2 rounds on average.

Where is Bernard Hopkins From?

Hopkins was born in the United States.

How Old Is Bernard Hopkins?

The light heavyweight is currently 56 years old. He was born on 15th January 1965, so he will turn 57 in 11 months and 23 days.

How long has Hopkins been fighting?

Bernard Hopkins made his professional debut in October 1988, so he has been a pro for 32 years and 3 months.

How tall is Bernard Hopkins?

Hopkins is 6' 1" (6 Foot and 1 inch) which is 185cm (1 meter and 85 centimeters).

What is Hopkins' Reach?

His reach is 75.2 inches (75.2") which is 191 cm (1 meter and 91 centimeters).

What stance does Bernard Hopkins use?

Hopkins fights from a traditional orthodox stance, which means he favours his right hand as his power hand when fighting.

What will be Bernard Hopkins' Next Fight?

Bernard Hopkins' doesn't currently have a fight scheduled.

How can I stream Bernard Hopkins' Fights?

We don't have streaming details for Bernard Hopkins' next fight yet.

What are some recent Bernard Hopkins results?

Bernard Hopkins has beaten 3 of his last 5 opponents.

In his last fight, he lost to Sergey Kovalev on 8th November 2014 by unanimous decision in their WBA Super World Light Heavyweight, IBF World Light heavyweight and WBO World Light heavyweight championship fight at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, United States.

Previous to that, he had beat Beibut Shumenov on 19th April 2014 by split decision in their WBA Super World Light Heavyweight and IBF World Light heavyweight championship fight at DC Armory, Washington.

Going into that contest, he had won against Karo Murat on 26th October 2013 by unanimous decision in their IBF World Light heavyweight championship fight at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.

Before that, he had beat Tavoris Cloud on 9th March 2013 by unanimous decision in their IBF World Light heavyweight championship fight at Barclays Center, New York.

He had been beaten by Chad Dawson on 28th April 2012 by majority decision in their WBC World Light heavyweight championship fight at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.