Boxing great Bernard Hopkins finally feeling the love, and ‘I’m getting used to this’

In a span of a few minutes on one special night, 18 days after a horrific, historic day, Bernard Hopkins went from being on his back in the middle of thousands at Madison Square Garden to being king of the world, standing on the bottom rope and pumping his gloved right fist in the air, evoking an electric, packed crowd to chant, “USA, USA, USA!”

Hopkins had just accomplished the impossible, stopping the previously undefeated Felix “Tito” Trinidad in the 12th round to become the undisputed world middleweight champion on Sept. 29, 2001 — one of the first major sporting events held in New York in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The moment was a synopsis of Hopkins’ life, once down and out as a prison inmate, to the pinnacle of boxing success, becoming the maestro of his world, accomplishing feats in the ring not many expected — like beating Trinidad that night in one of the greatest exhibitions of boxing in modern history.

At 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Event Center at Live! Casino, Hopkins will enter a new realm outside of the boxing world as part of the 2023 Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame class. Fellow inductees include Hall of Fame basketball coach Jay Wright, beloved former Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, former Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, and former Phillies owner Bill Giles as well as Al Holbert (motor sports), Anthony Black (horse racing), Bill Knecht (rowing), Carol Lewis (track and field), Irving Fryar (Eagles), James Isaminger (sportswriter), Joe Watson (Flyers), Judy Auritt Klein (swimming), Truxton Hare (football), Valerie Still (basketball), and Willie Jones (baseball).

Hopkins is also a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame, Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame, and Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. It’s a shining achievement for the 58-year-old, who despite his salt-and-pepper beard still looks in amazing fighting shape. Not bad for Inmate Y4145, his prison number etched forever in his mind along with the memory of walking out of the state prison at Graterford in 1988.

Hopkins finished his 28-year career with a 55-8-2 record, with 32 knockouts and a record 20 straight middleweight title defenses that likely will never be surpassed. He became the first unified world champion in the four-belt era and snapped his own record twice as the oldest fighter to win a world championship. When Hopkins won the WBC light-heavyweight world title at 46 in 2011, he broke George Foreman’s record when at age 45 in 1994 he won a world heavyweight championship. “B-Hop” later snapped his own longevity mark by winning titles at ages 48 and 49.

“Anytime you go into any hall of fame, that’s an honor, and knowing people respect your achievements always makes it special,” said Hopkins, who is enjoying success in the business world. “People forget I lost my first pro fight. I’ll admit that it has taken some time to feel appreciated, like I had to fight for my accomplishments to be recognized. But I’m getting used to this. I didn’t feel appreciated at one time. I always felt I had to prove myself [in the ring]. I always felt I had to work for recognition, even with everything I did.”

Why Hopkins is so relatable to the Philadelphia sports fan is because he overachieved. Not blessed with the blazing hand speed of Roy Jones Jr. or the pulverizing power of all-time great Joe Frazier, Hopkins was able to squeeze every last ounce of ability he had into every fight. He did that against Trinidad in 2001, when about the only ones who thought “The Executioner” had a chance to win were Hopkins and his team.

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“That’s true, I’ll admit that,” Hopkins said. “What helped me was I knew what I could do and I knew what I couldn’t do, and I stayed within those boundaries. It is true. I was not blessed with the ability of someone like Roy Jones, but I beat him [the second time they fought], and I beat Oscar De La Hoya, who I wasn’t supposed to beat, and I beat Trinidad, who I wasn’t supposed to beat. I beat them all. I had to overcome so many things, nothing was going to discourage me. Look back over my career, look at the times the media and the fans doubted me. I used to be slayed in the media for turning down these big paydays. I wanted to get an even split. I never got what I deserved. OK, so I had to take it, but I went on to do extraordinary things after those fights. I knew what I was doing.

“I rocked the establishment. I [ticked] off a lot of people along the way. It’s why I was surprised when I got the call to go into the [International Boxing] Hall of Fame. What I overcame in and out of the ring makes my story unique. I’ve done things people don’t see. I’m very proud of helping people, giving out turkeys, hats, scarfs, gloves in the winter. That’s also me.

“Remember, Inmate Y4145 wasn’t even supposed to live past 25 and I fought until I was 51. How many guys are 51 with bellies out to here and can’t get out of their lounge chairs? I was in there with guys trying to kill me with their hands. And I beat them.”

After Hopkins vanquished Trinidad in 2001, he lay with his knees up on the natty blue Madison Square Garden ring’s canvas and stared at the arena’s ceiling for a moment, absorbing everything. He went from being down on his back in triumph to up on his feet, being exulted.

It was over two decades ago. The adulation is still there.

Everywhere he goes, despite his career being over, Hopkins, once ignored, is now a people magnet. He showered in misery early in his life, and now finds himself this sage figure who walks among outstretched arms looking for autographs or selfies.

On Thursday night, they had better prepare. Once behind the microphone, the Germantown native is bound to capture the show. He can be prone to talk, and talk, and talk.

“This is nice,” Hopkins said. “Who doesn’t like being appreciated, even if they are out there working 9-to-5 picking up doo-doo in the streets? It’s always great being honored for things that you accomplish. I don’t like being recognized by people who smile in my face, and if they could have killed you in the process of your trials and tribulations, they would have. I don’t appreciate that. I have to be me. You know that. That will never change. I’m an alien, not an alien based on what you see on TV. I am an alien because I do the things that most people won’t do, because they are afraid to do it.

“Do you know if they have a [time] limit on their [acceptance] speeches?” he said with a laugh.