Photo Ebe E Si Nweta: Greg Gorman

Filadelfia (Jan. 15, 2015) – Boxing akụkọ mgbe Bernard Hopkins a maara site ọtụtụ aha – “The Mmezu,” “The Ọbịa” na “B-iwuli elu” ole na ole aha. Malite taa, ọ ga-enwe ma ọzọ moniker – “50-otu afọ.”

Nke a bụ ihe dị mkpa ịrịba ama ndụ nke ga-eme n'ọdịnihu Ụlọ Nzukọ nke Famer. Ọ na-eme ememe a ụbọchị ọmụmụ na n'ihi na ọtụtụ na-eme egwuregwu na-abịa oge mgbe ha lara ezumike nká. Ọ bụ ịrịba ama na ọ bụghị nanị na ka nọ n'ọrụ, kama, dị ọnwa wepụrụ na-alụ ọgụ na n'ọtụtụ kasị elu nke ya egwuregwu.

Hopkins bụ a surefire mbụ akwukwo vootu mgbakwunye na International Boxing Ụlọ Nzukọ nke Maara Aha (IBHOF) mgbe ọ na-aghọ oruru. Ya afọ iri-n'ikpeazụ dị ka n'ụwa onye mmeri, jikọtara na-ejikọ niile nke eriri na nkewa, enye ya a na-azọrọ na ọ bụ kasị ukwuu middleweight niile oge. Eziokwu ahụ bụ na ọ na-etinye ọnụ a nke abụọ-ọrụ na ya hụrụ ya jikota ìhè heavyweight utu aha lends credence ka Hopkins’ na-ekwu na ọ bụ ya bụ “abụghị nke ụwa a.”

“M na-abịa site na otu agadi akwụkwọ ọkpọ ebe ị na-alụ ọgụ ihe kasị mma e nwere na-egosi onwe gị,” Kwurula Hopkins. “Na m chọrọ ịbụ ihe nlereanya na-eto eto alụso abịa na iji ihe ịga nke ọma egwuregwu, i nwere iji chebe onwe gị mgbe niile. Nke ahụ pụtara na na nke mgbanaka. M na-enwe ike ime nke ahụ ka m ka na-alụ ọgụ mgbe na-eme ememe m 50th ụbọchị ọmụmụ. Nke a bụ m agba na ihe ịga nke ọma.”

N'oge ya ọrụ Hopkins mgbe kụziri ala si n'ihu ndị kasị mma. Ya agha-na-ọgụ-agụ dị ka a onye bụ onye na-nke Ụlọ Nzukọ nke Famers, ụwa akaebe na n'elu-elu na-eti ọkpọ. Hopkins ihu atọ nile alụso edeba aha ya n'usuu n'ime IBHOF na 2014, nwere amia Oscar De La Hoya na Felix Trinidad na idobe a mkpebi Joe Calzaghe. Ọ esetịpụ multiple ndekọ nke ya na-agba middleweight, gụnyere ndị fọdụrụ n'ezinụlọ eze ka n'ụwa onye mmeri (10 afọ, ọnwa abụọ ma na 17 ụbọchị) na n'ihi na ọtụtụ consecutive aha nchebe (20).

Mgbe ìhè heavyweight na n'ime ya forties ọ nọgidere na-eme ka akụkọ ihe mere eme. Na Mee 2011, Hopkins meriri Jean onwa maka WBC Ìhè Heavyweight World Asọmpi Onye Mmeri, na-agafe George onyeisi ọrụ dị ka ndị kasị ochie oku okpu ka mgbe merie a ụwa aha (46 afọ, ọnwa anọ na ụbọchị isii).

Ọ nyawara ya ndekọ afọ abụọ mgbe o meriri Tavoris Ígwé ojii maka IBF Ìhè Heavyweight World Asọmpi Onye Mmeri (48 afọ, otu ọnwa na 22 ụbọchị). Na 2014 o setịpụrụ ọzọ ndekọ dị ka ọ ghọrọ kasị ochie fighter ka jikota ụwa utu aha mgbe o meriri Beibut Shumenov ka ịgbakwunye WBA Ìhè Heavyweight World Asọmpi Onye Mmeri ya IBF okpueze.

“Ọ dịghị onye pụrụ ikwu na e ketara na m na kere a egwuregwu. M bụ n'ezie mpako nke ihe m mere, onye m agha, otú m matured n'ụzọ. M na-eche n'ezie ezi banyere ihe ọ dịghị onye nwere ike ịnapụ ma ọ bụ agọnahụ m ebe ke egwuregwu’ akụkọ ihe mere eme,” Kwurula Hopkins.

Hopkins’ olileanya na-na-ahapụ ihe nketa gabiga egwuregwu nke ọkpọ, kpọmkwem dị ka a ogidi ahụ ike na mma maka African-American obodo na n'elu-40 ìgwè mmadụ. Ma nke Hopkins’ nne na nna agabigawo tupu afọ 50, ruru nsogbu nke ọrịa shuga na ọrịa obi na ọrịa. Nke a emewo ndị champ na ya ịlụ agha ntụte maka ọcha ndụ nke na-enye ya afọ ojuju na organic oriri na ọ na-esikwa nri ya onwe ya.

“Anyị ebi naanị otu ugboro na ahụ anyị na-anyị ụlọ nsọ. M na-adịghị ga-eri ihe na-adịghị mma n'ihi na m usoro,” Kwurula Hopkins. “M ịkpalite m na ume na-amị oriri. Enweghị ihe a kwa ụbọchị ahụ m ga-nyere na m ogologo oge gara aga.”

Hopkins nwekwara ogologo agha nke ikike nke ibe ya na-eti ọkpọ. Famously na-agba akaebe n'ihu Congress na ihe nkwado nke Muhammad Ali omume. Na 2014, Hopkins pụtara na United States Capitol ụlọ aka ịzụlite profaịlụ nke Lou Ruvo Center maka Brain Health si keukwu amụ ọkachamara na-eti ọkpọ na mmetụta ha egwuregwu nwere na ha na ụbụrụ.

Ke akpatre afọ iri, Hopkins e so na egwuregwu dị ka a ume. Ebe ọ bụ na ya 2005 middleweight aha ịdị n'otu n'obi na Oscar De La Hoya, Hopkins na “The Golden Nwa” kpụrụ a mmekorita ya na Hopkins owning a pasent nke Golden Nwa n'ọkwá ma na-enyere akwalite ha ọgụ niile ná mba.

On January 20, Golden Nwa ga na-asọpụrụ Hopkins’ 50th birthday with a special edition of Golden Nwa Live! na Fox Egwuregwu 1 na Fox Deportes ndụ si 2300 Arena na Hopkins’ n'obodo nke Philadelphia. Philly onwe Eric “The mapụrụ” Hunter uche isiokwu n'abalị nke ịlụ ọgụ. Ọ ga-on Rene “Ejima” Alvarado na a 10 gburugburu featherweight n'obi.

“M kweere na etinye na nke a egwuregwu na na pụtara n'itinyekwu na efere dị ka onye na-eme egwuregwu na dị ka a ume,” Kwurula Hopkins. “M nwere ohere na a ọrụ na mgbanyụ na Fans ka a egwuregwu ndị kasị mma ọ pụrụ ịbụ.”

Ma ị na-enwe mmasị ya maka ọrụ ya n'ime mgbanaka, ma ọ bụ otú o bi ndụ ya n'èzí, e nweghị ekwetaghị na Hopkins bụ otu-nke-a-ụdị. Mgbe o mesịrị doo egwuregwu ọ ga-abụ ewute, dị ka o kwuru, sị:

“Enwe nke a mgbe ị nwere ike. Echegbula onwe gị banyere mgbe ma ọ bụ otú m na-aga na-ahapụ ma ọ bụ gbarie. Ị ụmụ okorobịa bụ ụmụ mmadụ niile, Aghọtara m gị, ma ị na-adịghị aghọta m.”

Echere Bernard a 'Obi ụtọ Birthday’ na TwitterTheRealBHop na-eji hashtag # BHOP50.