Photo Credit: Greg Gorman

PHILADELPHIA (UJan. 15, 2015) – Boxing legend Bernard Hopkins waziwa ngamagama amaningi – “The ukuzokhipha isahlulelo,” “The Alien” futhi “B-Hop” sibala ezimbalwa. Kusukela namuhla, yena uyoba nangomunye moniker – “50-umnyaka owodwa.”

Lokhu igxathu elibalulekile empilweni iHholo of Famer esizayo. Yena ugubha usuku lokuzalwa abadlali abaningi kuza ngemuva umhlalaphansi eside. Kuyinto ephawulekayo ukuthi akayena nje namanje asebenzayo, kodwa nje izinyanga esuswa ukulwa at kakhulu esivelele lomdlalo.

Hopkins kuyinto surefire lokuqala lokuvota Ngaphezu International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) lapho uba abafanelekile. Wakhe run eyishumi-nje iqhawe emhlabeni, kuhlangene lokuhlanganisa zonke amabhande in the division, emnika claim kokuba middleweight kunabo bonke isikhathi. Iqiniso lokuthi wabeka ndawonye wesibili-career ukuthi bambona sabahlanganisa izihloko ukukhanya wesibhakela izimisele lifakazela Hopkins’ uthi uyena “awusiwo owaleli zwe.”

“I ivela esikoleni elidala isibhakela lapho ulwe the best ngaphandle lapho uzibonakalise,” Said Hopkins. “Ngifuna ukuba isibonelo zabashokobezi abasha ekhuphuka ukuthi ukuze uphumelele mdlalo, kufanele uzivikele ngaso sonke isikhathi. Lokho kusho futhi aphume ring. Ngiye ngakwazi ukwenza lokho njengoba nginguJehova shikashikana kuyilapho kosuku lokuzalwa kwami ​​50th. Lokhu ibufakazi yami empumelelweni.”

Kukho konke ukusebenza kwakhe Hopkins never yasehlisa kusukela ezibhekene best. Fight-by-impi yakhe ifundeka like a ubani ngubani Hall of Famers, ompetha bomhlaba futhi top-flight punjab. Hopkins wabhekana nazo zonke fighters ezintathu eyodwa inikelwa the IBHOF in 2014, kokuba washaywa Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad and bephonsa isinqumo Joe Calzaghe. Ubeke amarekhodi multiple for run yakhe at middleweight, kuhlanganise sokubusa waqopha njengoba iqhawe emhlabeni (10 Eminyakeni, izinyanga ezimbili futhi 17 izinsuku) futhi ngenxa alandelanayo kakhulu isihloko izivikelo (20).

At wesibhakela ukukhanya futhi zibe forties zakhe waqhubeka umlando. Ngomeyi 2011, Hopkins wanqoba Jean Pascal for the WBC Light sosondonzima World Championship, odlulayo George Foreman njengoba boxer endala ngqa ukuphumelela isihloko emhlabeni (46 Eminyakeni, izinyanga ezine futhi izinsuku eziyisithupha).

Waphula irekhodi lakhe eminyakeni emibili kamuva lapho wanqoba Tavoris Cloud for the IBF Light sosondonzima World Championship (48 Eminyakeni, inyanga eyodwa futhi 22 izinsuku). In 2014 wazibekela omunye umlando waba fighter endala ukuze ahlanganise izihloko emhlabeni lapho wanqoba Beibut Shumenov ukwengeza WBA Light wesibhakela World Championship to IBF umqhele wakhe.

“Akekho ongaphika ifa ukuthi ngiye wadala kulo mdlalo. Ngiyaziqhenya ngempela lokho engakwenzayo, ngubani Ngalwa, indlela ngavuthwa endleleni. Ngizizwa okuhle ngempela ngento akekho ongangena away noma baphika endaweni yami yezemidlalo’ umlando,” Said Hopkins.

Hopkins’ akusho banethemba ukhondolo ngaphesheya Umdlalo wesibhakela, ngqo njengoba insika ngempilo nobungqabavu for the umphakathi African-American kanye nesixuku kuka-40. Zombili Hopkins’ Abazali washona ngaphambi engu- 50, ngenxa yezinkinga sikashukela kanye nesifo senhliziyo. Lokhu kuye kwaholela oli on crusade yakhe ukuphila okuhlanzekile ukuthi kumnika ukwaneliseka ukudla organic ukuthi upheka ngokwakhe.

“Thina nje siphile kanye imizimba yethu amathempeli yethu. Angikhulumi ozodla into engeyinhle for uhlelo yami,” Said Hopkins. “I kubhebhethekisa ngokwami ​​amandla ikhiqiza ukudla. Ngaphandle kulo mkhuba nsuku zonke umzimba wami ngabe ithemba kimi kudala.”

Hopkins uye eside elwela amalungelo punjab nabo. Adumileyo efakaza ngaphambili Congress ukweseka isenzo Muhammad Ali. In 2014, Hopkins wavela isakhiwo United States Capitol ukusiza ziphakamise the Lou Ruvo Center for esifundweni Brain Wezempilo olunzulu punjab professional kanye nomphumela sport kwabo engqondweni yabo.

In the eyishumi edlule, Hopkins ubelokhu sandla ezemidlalo njengethuluzi umgqugquzeli. Kusukela yakhe 2005 middleweight isihloko ubunye iziqubu nge Oscar De La Hoya, Hopkins and “The Boy Golden” Ngikwakhile budlelwane Hopkins ukufuya iphesenti Golden Boy Promotions nokusiza ukukhuthaza ukulwa zabo ezweni lonke.

On January 20, Boy Golden uyakumazisa Hopkins’ 50th birthday with a special edition of Golden Boy Live! on Fox Sports 1 futhi Fox Imidlalo bahlala kusukela 2300 Arena in Hopkins’ ekubo of Philadelphia. Eric Philly uqobo “The Outlaw” Hunter intando kusihloko ebusuku ukulwa. Uyothatha on Rene “Twin” Alvarado in a 10-round featherweight iziqubu.

“Ngikholwa imali kulo mdlalo futhi kusho sandise kuze plate njengoba nomsubathi futhi njengoba umgqugquzeli,” Said Hopkins. “Ngithola ithuba kanye nokuzibophelela bomlilo abalandeli ukwenza lo mdlalo the best kungaba.”

Kungakhathaliseki obathandayo kuye ngomsebenzi wakhe ngaphakathi esiyingini, noma indlela uyaphila ukuphila kwakhe ngaphandle, akunakuphikwa ukuthi Hopkins ungomunye-of-a-uhlobo. Lapho ekugcineni ushiya lo mdlalo kuyoba nenjabulo, njengoba wake wathi:

“Jabulela lokhu ngenkathi unga. Ungakhathazeki uma noma kanjani Ngizofika ukushiya noma aphule phansi. You guys are bonke abantu, Ngikuqonda kahle, kodwa wena abaqondi me.”

Wish Bernard a 'Birthday Happy’ on TwitterTheRealBHop futhi asebenzise hashtag # BHOP50.