THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY PAYTON, JUNE 22, 2011

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JUNE 22, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing and honoring Bernard Hopkins for his achievements

and contributions to the sport of boxing and the City of

Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins was born January 15, 1965, and was

raised in the Germantown section of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, As a misguided and pugnacious youth, Mr. Hopkins

improperly channeled his aggression and regrettably found

himself embroiled in a life of crime and gang activity; and

WHEREAS, In 1982, 17-year-old Bernard's lifestyle of violence

and destruction eventually caught up with him, resulting in a

conviction and sentence of 18 years for assault and armed

robbery; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins was sent and housed at the Graterford

State Penitentiary, where he quickly realized the errors of his

ways and adopted a more positive outlook on life; and

WHEREAS, During his incarceration, Mr. Hopkins cultivated a

new and improved mental and spiritual foundation, and more

importantly discovered his passion for the sport of boxing; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins wisely utilized his time while

incarcerated to hone his boxing skills in preparation to pursue

a professional career in the sport upon his release; and

WHEREAS, In 1988, after 56 months of confinement, Mr. Hopkins

was released from prison at the age of 23; and

WHEREAS, Staying true to his ambition, Mr. Hopkins officially

turned professional as a light-heavyweight soon after his

release, but lost his first professional bout to Clinton

Mitchell on October 11, 1988; and

WHEREAS, On February 22, 1990, Mr. Hopkins scored his first

professional win against Greg Paige in a four-round decision,

crediting his Spartan-like work ethic to his new trainer, Bouie

Fisher, who played a pivotal role in the shaping of his

illustrious career; and

WHEREAS, During the period between 1990 through 1992, Mr.

Hopkins, under the tutelage of trainer Bouie Fisher, worked his

way through the middleweight journeyman ranks and scored a

remarkable 19 consecutive victories; and

WHEREAS, On December 4, 1992, Mr. Hopkins earned an

opportunity to contend for the United States Boxing Association

(USBA) Middleweight Title against veteran Wayne Powell; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins emerged victorious, winning the USBA

Middleweight Title in a mere 21 seconds by a knockout; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins earned the reputation as a hard-nosed

warrior and would finally receive an opportunity to contend for

a world title shot against Roy Jones, Jr., on May 22, 1993; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins lost this bout in 12 hard-fought rounds

by a unanimous decision, suffering only the second loss of his

still-budding career; and

WHEREAS, Using this loss as motivation, Mr. Hopkins put his

heart and soul into his training and four months later defended

his USBA crown by way of a technical knockout (TKO) victory over

previously unbeaten Roy Ritchie; and

WHEREAS, Two title defenses followed which earned Mr. Hopkins

a second shot at contending for a world title; and

WHEREAS, Although his dreams of capturing a world title would

once again be deferred, Mr. Hopkins finally earned the title of

world champion in convincing fashion against Segundo Mercado on

April 29, 1995; and

WHEREAS, From the late 1990s through the early 2000s, Mr.

Hopkins dominated the middleweight division, successfully

defending the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title 12

times against quality contenders; and

WHEREAS, The combination of speed and precision with which

Mr. Hopkins vanquished his opponents earned him the nickname

"The Executioner"; and

WHEREAS, In 2001, Mr. Hopkins was named Ring Magazine Fighter

of the Year and World Hall of Fame Fighter of the Year; and

WHEREAS, In February 2003, Mr. Hopkins not only used his

physical prowess to make an impact upon the boxing world, he

also was an outspoken advocate for fighters' rights, even

testifying before Congress in support of the Muhammad Ali Boxing

Reform Act; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins continued to establish himself as an

all-time great by scoring victories over marquee names such as

Felix "Tito" Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, successfully

defending his title for a record-setting 20th time; and

WHEREAS, Although his title defense streak would finally come

to an end on July 15, 2005, soon thereafter, Mr. Hopkins

achieved the amazing feat of moving up two weight classes and

capturing the light heavyweight title against Antonio Tarver on

June 10, 2006; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins regained the middleweight title on

October 18, 2008, and twice defended the light heavyweight title

against boxing elites, Roy Jones, Jr., and Winky Wright; and

WHEREAS, On May 21, 2011, in a bout for the light heavyweight

title against Jean Pascal, Mr. Hopkins further solidified his

legacy as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the

sport by becoming the oldest world champion in boxing history at

the age of 46; and

WHEREAS, To date, Mr. Hopkins as compiled a stellar record of

52 wins, five losses and two draws, with 32 of the victories by

knockouts (KOs), and is regarded as an unequivocal future hall

of fame inductee; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and

honor the achievements and contributions of Bernard Hopkins to

the sport of boxing and the City of Philadelphia.