One Hall of Fame boxing legend finished his career with a record of 55-8-2, holding world titles in two weight divisions, becoming undisputed in one, and breaking a very impressive record.
Bernard Hopkins is known for his record as the oldest world champion in boxing at the age of 49, and was the second man to unify all three middleweight titles to become undisputed.
He has wins over Roy Jones Jr., Felix Trinidad, and Oscar De La Hoya, and has also shared the ring with Joe Calzaghe.
But his career didn’t begin with success, as Hopkins’ pro debut ended in a nightmare.
Bernard Hopkins questioned his career and life after losing his pro debut
Hopkins reportedly boasted a hugely impressive amateur record of 95-4 before turning pro, and seemed skilled enough to do great things in the sport.
In his debut, he faced Clinton Mitchell, a fellow debutant with no wins or losses to his name. According to BoxRec, Hopkins earned just $350 for the bout, which saw his dreams dashed when he lost to Mitchell via majority decision.
After his loss to Mitchell, Hopkins said: “I had to ask myself if I was ready to live, eat, breathe, and sleep boxing. So when I made the decision and told myself this is what I want to do … I came back with a terror.”
His next fight came over a year after his debut, and he remained undefeated for his next 22 fights until he lost to Jones Jr. in their first encounter.
Mitchell, meanwhile, only fought four more times as a pro, ending his career with a record of 3-1-1. He beat just two men, one twice.
Bernard Hopkins was sent flying out of the ring by Dmitry Bivol’s future opponent in his final fight
Hopkins, who lost to Chad Dawson, fought from 1988 all the way to 2016, and fought Joe Smith Jr. in his final fight at the age of 51.
Despite his records, time catches up to us all, and despite being ahead on one scorecard, Hopkins was knocked out by Smith Jr. in the eighth round of their fight with a brutal shot that sent Hopkins, who beat Kelly Pavlik, through the ropes and out of the ring.
Smith Jr. went on to face both Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, but lost to both men.