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If you check out the betting line for the upcoming clash between Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins and Sergey “The Krusher” Kovalev, you will find the Russian fighter as the odds on favourite to win the bout on November.
This is surprising considering that Hopkins has won contests against world class fighters such as Kelly Pavlik, Jean Pascal and Tavoris Cloud in the last few years.
In all those fights, the boxer hailing from the mean streets of Philadelphia was considered the long shot to win.
Could it be that the 49 year old fighter is still not getting the respect he deserves, even after making history by becoming the oldest world champion?
If you ask Bernard Hopkins, he will tell you that no one believed that he could win against so many young fighters and that what he has accomplished should be considered historic and part of his superhuman legacy.
His last three fights have all ended in victories and now he is poised to face a 31 year old hard puncher who has knocked out 23 of his 25 opponents as a professional.
Not an easy task for a man who will be turning 50 years of age a few months after the fight.
Some analysts believe that Hopkins at his age has spent all his luck and is now due to lose against a fighter who’s boxing style will be too complicated to counteract in the ring.
It seems that the odds have been against Hopkins all his life but yet he has always beaten those odds.
Before the age of 17, the Philadelphia native had been arrested over 30 times. He was sentenced to Graterford State Prison on an 18 year stretch for armed robbery.
Hopkins said in past interviews that prison introduced him to Boxing as a sport and also recalls a cellmate telling him “see you soon” when he finally was paroled.
Time and time again Hopkins has come up big when he was expected to fail; no doubt a character trait he developed from his past life in the gang riddled streets of Philadelphia.
Never count this man out, even if the bookmakers have him as the underdog in this fight. While history and age are not on Hopkins’ side, it also teaches us that history is made by those who overlook their faults and work hard to change expectations.
Don’t forget to catch this exhilarating fight on HBO from Atlantic City this 8th of November.
