Yees duab Credit: Greg Gorman

Philadelphia (Jan. 15, 2015) – Boxing lus dab neeg Bernard Hopkins yog paub los ntawm ntau lub npe – “Lub executioner,” “Lub Alien” thiab “B-Hop” mus rau npe rau ob peb. Pib hnub no, nws yuav muaj tsis tau lwm moniker – “50-xyoo-laus.”

Qhov no yog ib qho tseem ceeb milestone nyob rau hauv lub neej ntawm lub neej yav tom ntej Hall ntawm Famer. Nws yog kev zoo siab ib xyoos uas rau feem ntau ncaws pob los ntev tom qab lawv ua hauj lwm. Nws yog zoo tshaj plaws uas nws yog tsis tsuas tseem active, tab sis cia li hlis tshem tawm sib ntaus sib tua nyob rau ntawm lub heev pinnacle ntawm nws kev ua si nawv.

Hopkins yog ib tug surefire thawj daim ntawv xaiv tsa tas li ntawd mus rau lub International Boxing Hall ntawm koob meej (IBHOF) thaum nws yuav tsim nyog tau txais. Nws caum-ywg raws li lub ntiaj teb no yeej, ua ke nrog unifying tag nrho cov koj cov menyuam nyob rau hauv division, muab nws ib tug thov nyiaj mus ua tus loj tshaj Middleweight txhua lub sij hawm. Qhov tseeb hais tias nws muab tso ua ke ib tug thib ob-txoj hauj lwm uas pom nws koom ua ib lub teeb Heavyweight npe lends credence rau Hopkins’ neeg pab leg ntaubntawv hais tias nws yog “tsis ntawm no lub ntiaj teb no.”

“Kuv tuaj los ntawm ib tug laus lub tsev kawm ntawv ntawm boxing qhov twg koj tua qhov zoo tshaj plaws tawm muaj thiab ua pov thawj rau koj tus kheej,” Hais Hopkins. “Kuv xav mus yuav ib qho piv txwv zoo rau cov ntxhais neeg tua hluav taws los txog tias nyob rau hauv thiaj li yuav muaj kev vam meej nyob rau hauv kev ua si nawv, koj yuav tsum tiv thaiv koj tus kheej txhua lub sij hawm. Nws txhais tau tias nyob rau hauv thiab tawm ntawm lub nplhaib. Kuv twb tau ua li ntawd raws li kuv tseem sib ntaus sib tua thaum tseem qhuas kuv thaum 50 xyoos. Qhov no yog kuv ua tim khawv rau kev kawm tau zoo.”

Thoob plaws hauv nws cov hauj lwm Hopkins yeej tsis ceev cia los ntawm txojkev zoo tshaj plaws. Nws sib ntaus-by-sib ntaus nyeem zoo li ib tug uas yog uas los ntawm Hall ntawm Famers, lub ntiaj teb no yeej thiab sab saum toj-flight boxers. Hopkins ntsib tag nrho peb tua hluav taws inducted rau hauv IBHOF nyob rau hauv 2014, muaj nrua ntaus Oscar tsib La Hoya thiab Felix Trinidad thiab xa me nyuam rov txiav txim rau Joe Calzaghe. Nws tuav ntau cov ntaub ntawv rau nws mus dhia nyob rau tom Middleweight, nrog rau cov longest reign li lub ntiaj teb no yeej (10 xyoo, ob lub hlis thiab 17 hnub) thiab rau feem ntau cov sib law liag title tiv thaiv (20).

Ntawm lub teeb Heavyweight thiab mus rau hauv nws forties nws tseem yuav ua rau keeb kwm. Nyob rau hauv lub Tsib Hlis 2011, Hopkins yeej Jean Pascal rau lub Qhov teeb Heavyweight ntiaj teb Championship, dua George foreman li cov hiob boxer rau puas tau yeej lub ntiaj teb title (46 xyoo, plaub lub hlis thiab rau hnub).

Nws tsoo nws tus kheej cov ntaub ntawv ob xyoos tom qab thaum nws yeej Tavoris Huab rau IBF teeb Heavyweight ntiaj teb Championship (48 xyoo, ib lub hlis thiab 22 hnub). Nyob rau hauv 2014 nws teem lwm cov ntaub ntawv raws li nws tau los ua tus hiob fighter los koom ua lub ntiaj teb no lub npe thaum nws yeej Beibut Shumenov mus ntxiv lub WBA teeb Heavyweight ntiaj teb Championship rau nws IBF yas.

“Tsis muaj ib tug yuav tsis kam lees lub legacy tias kuv twb tsim nyob rau hauv no kev ua si nawv. Kuv yeej zoo siab rau kuv ua li cas, uas kuv tiv thaiv, yuav ua li cas kuv matured raws txoj kev. Kuv xav tias zoo tiag tiag txog ib yam dab tsi tsis muaj ib tug yuav noj tam sim ntawd los yog tsis kam ua kuv qhov chaw nyob rau hauv cov kev ua si’ keeb kwm,” Hais Hopkins.

Hopkins’ tsis cia siab tawm ib txojsia tshaj kev ua si nawv ntawm boxing, uas raws li ib tug ncej ntawm kev kho mob thiab kev nyab xeeb rau cov African-American zej zog thiab lub tshaj-40 pawg neeg. Ob Hopkins’ cov niam txiv tso tseg ua ntej lub hnub nyoog ntawm 50, vim teeb meem ntawm cov ntshav qab zib thiab kab mob plawv. Qhov no tau coj lub champ rau rooj txhawb siab rau huv si nyob uas muab nws txaus siab nyob rau hauv cov organic khoom noj uas nws tse nws tus kheej.

“Peb tsuas nyob ib zaug thiab peb lub cev yog peb tej tuam tsev. Kuv tsis tau mus noj ib yam dab tsi uas yog tsis zoo rau kuv lub cev,” Hais Hopkins. “Kuv roj kuv tus kheej nrog lub zog ua zaub mov. Tsis muaj no txhua txhua hnub cwj pwm kuv lub cev yuav tau muab rau kuv ib tug ntev lub sij hawm dhau los.”

Hopkins kuj ntev tiv thaiv rau cov cai ntawm nws cov khub boxers. Famously tim khawv ua ntej Congress nyob rau hauv them nyiaj yug ntawm Muhammad Ali ua. Nyob rau hauv 2014, Hopkins nyob ntawm lub tebchaws United States Capitol tsev los pab tsa lub profile ntawm lub Lou Ruvo Center rau lub hlwb Health tej kev kawm txog kev boxers thiab cov nyhuv lawv ua si nawv muaj nyob rau ntawm lawv lub hlwb.

Nyob rau hauv lub xyoo caum kawg, Hopkins tau pab rau kev ua si nawv raws li ib tug neeg pab txhawb. Txij li thaum nws 2005 Middleweight title kev koom ua ke sib ntau sib tw nrog Oscar tsib La Hoya, Hopkins thiab “Lub Golden Tub” tau tsim ib tug sib koom tes nrog Hopkins owning ib tug feem pua ​​ntawm cov Golden Tub Promotions thiab pab txhawb lawv cov sib ntaus tag nrho cov thoob lub teb chaws.

Rau Lub ib hlis ntuj 20th, Golden tub yuav hwm Hopkins’ 50th birthday with a special edition of Golden Tub Live! rau hma liab kev ua si 1 thiab hma liab Deportes nyob ntawm lub 2300 Arena nyob rau hauv Hopkins’ hometown ntawm Philadelphia. Philly tus kheej Eric “Lub outlaw” Hunter yuav tawm xov xwm rau hauv lub hmo ntuj ntawm fights. Nws yuav siv sij hawm nyob rau hauv René “Twin” Alvarado nyob rau hauv ib tug 10-round featherweight sib ntau sib tw.

“Kuv ntseeg tias nyob rau hauv investing nyob rau hauv no kev ua si nawv thiab nws txhais tau tias stepping mus txog rau lub phaj raws li ib tug neeg ncaws kab taub thiab raws li ib tug neeg pab txhawb,” Hais Hopkins. “Kuv muaj ib lub sij hawm thiab ib tug luag hauj lwm mus rau lub tua hluav taws thiab cov kiv cua ua no kev ua si nawv qhov zoo tshaj plaws nws yuav ua tau.”

Seb koj puas qhuas nws vim nws ua hauj lwm hauv lub nplhaib, los yog txoj kev nws nyob nws lub neej sab nraum, yog tsis muaj tsis uas Hopkins yog ib-rau-ib-zoo. Thaum nws nws thiaj li yoojyim kev ua si nawv nws yuav phem, raws li nws ib zaug hais tias:

“Txaus siab rau qhov thaum koj ua tau. Tsis txhob txhawj txog thaum twg los sis yuav ua li cas kuv yuav mus tawm los yog ua txhaum down. Koj hais mav yog tag nrho cov tib neeg, Kuv to taub koj, tab sis koj tsis to taub kuv.”

Xav Bernard ib tug 'Happy Birthday’ on TwitterTheRealBHop thiab siv cov hashtag # BHOP50.