Bernard Hopkins = Pound for Pound Champ

Bernard Hopkins = Pound for Pound Champ - November 17th, 2004

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Put yourself back to September 29, 2001. Felix Trinidad, one of the most skilled and powerful boxers on the planet, ready to face an aging Philadelphia champion. It was surely a victory for Trinidad who was younger and had faced better opposition, but at the end of the day it was Trinidad sitting on the canvas, confused with his face bloody and beaten.

That was the day that boxing found a new pound for pound champion in Bernard Hopkins. He beat Trinidad so bad that he had to retire. And still, no parade down Broad Street in Philly, and there were still boxing pundits who didn’t give him his due as the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

The face of boxing has changed in the last three years. Gone is Roy Jones Jr. who gave Hopkins his only significant loss. Gone is Lennox Lewis who ruled the heavyweights in his later years. Too invisible is Floyd Mayweather Jr. who some had deemed the best pound for pound, but until he has a superfight with Arturo Gatti or Kosta Tszyu there’s no way to crown him pound for pound champ.

So Hopkins wins by default? Not exactly. His body shot knockout of Oscar De La Hoya solidifies him as boxing’s elite fighter, and at 39 years old he looks like he could out class and out battle anyone right now. In my opinion De La Hoya was winning the fight early on, but the wise Hopkins picked his spots, started to gain control of the ring and then the famous “Chopped Liver” shot put De La Hoya down and he couldn’t get up.

The image of De La Hoya pounding his fist on the mat in frustration is forever engrained in boxing history. Oh just in case you didn’t know, De La Hoya has never been knocked out. A man that has fought Leija, Gatti, Chavez (twice), Whitaker, Camacho, Vargas, Mosley, and Trinidad had never been knocked out until he faced Hopkins.

Trinidad had never even been beaten let alone knocked out, and he was an obvious choice for pound for pound champ. Until he met Hopkins.

Do you need anymore proof? Give Bernard the respect he deserves as the best fighter pound for pound.

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