Bernard Hopkins Believes He Is Ignored Because Of Race

In a recent interview with ESPN, current unified light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins ( discussed the coverage of his legacy. He believes that what he has accomplished has been partially ignored due to the color of his skin.

Bernard Hopkins (55-6, 32 KO) is fighting more than just Sergey Kovalev (25-0, 23 KO) on Saturday. At least that is what he believes. He feels as though his legacy, one that will see him go down as perhaps one of the greatest pound for pound boxers in the sport’s history, is being diminished, due in part to race.

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When Hopkins, the current IBA, IBF, and WBA light heavyweight champion faces of against WBO titlist Kovalev, he will be just two months shy of his 50th birthday. That kind of longevity; to remain at such a height of performance, will no doubt be the story of this fight. At least, that is the way it should be. But for the current unified champ, it is a completely different situation. In fact, he feels as though his career is being overlooked in the process.

“[It’s] because I’m black. What do you think if my name was Augustine, Herzenstein, Stern? Cappello? Marciano? Don’t you understand the conflict of interest? If I was any of those names of any other background, I’d be on every billboard and every milk carton and every place to be. If we’re talking ‘American Dream,’ here’s a guy who almost threw his life away and he took this great country’s great attributes and used it — do for self, work hard and be a law-abiding citizen. I’ve done that for 26 years,” said Hopkins.

He would go on to say the defeating Kovalev, a man so brutal that Roman Simakov died 3 days after boxing him due brain trauma. That would not even crack his personal podium of accomplishments. The top spot? That would be his victory over former undefeated middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik back in 2008; a fight that could be credited with sparking the downfall of the latter’s career.

“That was the greatest moment of my life because it was undeniably white against black. The American story against the thug, even though he changed his life. The convicted felon. So it was me representing an entity that had changed in spite of what they say you should be able to do. But once you do it, they really don’t want you to do it. And so I exposed it and I beat him easily after being a 6-to-1 underdog. And, matter of fact, it even went further. I ruined his life. I ruined his career,” said the unified champ.

It would appear that race is a reoccurring form of motivation for Hopkins. The notion that it will hold back his legacy from achieving the coverage it deserves is a bit puzzling though. After all, Floyd Mayweather is of the same race and is considered by most fans to be an all time top pound for pound boxer. How about the most quoted man in the history of the sport, Muhammad Ali? Is it too much to ask that we put crazy notions of racist coverage aside and just enjoy a good story for what it is? Because if Hopkins wins on Saturday, it will make for a great one; because of his age, and nothing else. That is the way it should be.

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