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I'll most likely be alone on this but so be it.
I suppose it’s how the individual views legacy. For me the number one position here is almost obvious if not for the blurs caused by the present. This guy won’t need a vote for the hall of fame because they will just send him his invitation. Whether he is fan friendly or not today or needs to go away in the minds of many is tainted and in most cases by those who have not witnessed his incredible run. He's a modern day Archie Moore and even if you hate him as I did for years as far as legacy goes he wins this hands down imo.
Bernard Hopkins
1993- Age28. He fights the legendary Roy Jones for the IBF title and loses on points. In doing so he also took more rounds off Jones then anyone did prior to his decline.
1995- Age 30. Wins IBF title.
1996 – 2000. Starting at age 31 and ending at age 35. He defends his title 12 times including knocking out Glen Johnson.
2001- Age 36. Enters middleweight tourney. Defends his IBF and partially unifies against Holmes for his WBA title.
2001- Age 36. In another unification just 5 months later he fights the legend Tito for his WBC title while defending the other 2 and puts on a clinic. People who were not around at the time in this medium or the boxing world in general really have no idea how big this fight was. I actually posted at Espn in those days lol. Next to Hearns/Leonard 1, it was personally devastating. (Tito never came back)
2002- 2004. Starting at age 37 and ending at close to 40. He defends all three belts 4 times and then meets Oscar for full unification and stops him. He becomes the first unified middleweight champion since Hagler. Shadowing 40 years old.
2005. Age 40. Fights the flavour of the HBO day in Taylor and loses a close and to this day very controversial decision. He then rematches the upstart and loses again in another almost to close to call fight. Many to this day including myself believe that if Taylor did enough to lift it in the first then Bernard did enough to get it back in the second. (Taylor was never the same)
Life goes on for this guy.
2006. Age 41 and a mere 6 months later. Jumps up 2 weight classes and destroys the man that beat the man at 175. (Tarver was ruined)
2007. Age 42. Fights and beats Winky Wright.
2008. Age 43. Calzaghe. Loses on points to one of the best fighters in the world.
2008. Age 43 just shy of 44. Drops ten pounds to fight HBO’S newest choir boy as a coming out fight and quite literally makes a fool out of him sending him into retirement.
The indestructible Kelly Pavlik. (Yet another thrown into darkness)
2009. Age 44. Fights a stay in shape fight really but wins it.
2010. Age 45. Well Roy was what it was.
At close to 46, he then fought Pascal in an ugly but effective fight.
2011. Age 46. Rematches and beats Pascal lifting his 175 title.
2012. Age 47. Rematches Chad Dawson in defense of his title in a losing effort.
2013. Age 48. Challenges the undefeated IBF light heavyweight champ who is about half his age and puts on another clinic.
To be continued….
Wait a second, you make it seem like the Trinidad fight was huge and the De La hoya fight was no big deal.