Who's Retiring Who?: Roy Jones vs Bernard Hopkins
Written by Troy J. Hines, Thursday April 01 2010
WASHINGTON, DC-- Athletes and retirement mix together about as well as oil and water. However, once we analyze the mindset of these ultra-competitive alpha males, one should not be surprised at all. Muhammad Ali and Ray Leonard are examples of icons who didn’t know when retirement was the best option. For the love of basketball Michael Jordan came back for the Wizards, and for the love of the pigskin Brett Favre has not been able to make up his mind for the past 5 seasons. And these are the masters.
It has been quantified that it takes nearly 10,000 hours of practice to technically master anything; the piano, driving, and even boxing. But what about mastering the mindset to never quit?
Do you remember the signs on the walls of your high school locker room? “Winners Never Quit, & Quitters Never Win”, or “All Quitters Are Good Losers”. So how do you unwire someone who has made their living, while being applauded by the masses for their greatness, through the use of God given talent, repetition, and the mastery of the will? To champions, quitting is more painful than having someone rip out your finger nails from the root, one by one, with a rusty wrench. Well, maybe not that painful.
On Saturday, April 3, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, we will see two post-prime Hall of Famers who should have fought this rematch 10 years ago. But instead of dwelling on the negatives of father time, we will accentuate the positives. Both of these men have dedicated their lives to the sport of boxing. Both of these men are living legends. Both of these men will deserve a standing ovation at fight’s end, because both the winner and the loser should retire. But the question is who will retire who?
The last time these veterans met was on May 22, 1993 at the former home of the Washington Redskins—RFK. In a unanimous decision, with all score cards reading 116-112, Roy Jones, Jr. captured the vacant IBF Middleweight title thus winning his first World Championship. He would go on to make his indelible mark as one of the All-Time greats to ever lace up the gloves, wear a Vaseline mask, and commit himself to a lifestyle of celebrated violence. Can you imagine what the announcer sounded like when he rattled off, “The reigning and defending IBA, IBF, IBO, NBA, WBA, WBC, and WBF Light Heavyweight Champion of the World, Roy Jones, Jr.!”? That introduction alone defeated the Brit, Clinton Woods.
But a lot has changed over the last 17 years. Part of the human condition is that we age like vinegar, not like wine. We lose muscle, we lose bone, and we begin to grow nose hair. When an Army losses speed, its ability to regroup diminishes and must rely on an impeccable war strategy to be successful in the theatre. This is why the best strategist will win this fight.
Bernard Hopkins is a mean and intelligent icon in the sport of boxing. It’s almost as if in 1903, when the division was created, Lou Houseman knew he was creating a talent laden weight class. Although Hopkins is the oldest man to ever hold the world title in the Middleweight division, his name belongs on the list of the 5 best Light Heavyweights ever. Name them. You run out of argument after you’ve named Archie Moore, Bob Foster, Michael Spinks, and Roy Jones, Jr. Not only is Hopkins one of the greatest boxers of our era, but he has business sense and understands entertainment value. He gets it. Walking towards the ring with his arms over head, crossed like an X, The Executioner marches towards the ring wearing a mask more suitable for “Lucha Libre” than for prizefighting.
As a pure counter-puncher, some boxing fans do not appreciate how he hunts his opponents. Instead of attacking like an angry lion, he surveys the land like a leopard. He examines the possible exit strategies of his prey. He looks for water, then boxes him in, and looks for a climbable tree with which to place his catch. He is a thinker in the ring. He has fought like an old fighter, even when he was young; patiently.
This Saturday, April 3, we will see two men square off who truly love their sport. So much so that, leaving it is more painful than the punishment they will endure in the ring. If you’ve ever boxed or played any sport, can you remember the last time you laced up your shoes or put your pads on? Do you remember the silence in your mind during the action, only to realize how loud the crowd was echoing after the execution?
Roy Jones, Jr. and Bernard Hopkins have given boxing fans footage of prizefighting greatness that will be marveled by our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. For that, I am truly grateful. But if for nothing else other than long life, prosperity, and health, I hope these two warriors will hang up their gloves after this fight. Thank God, bow to the crowd, and await your entrances to the Hall of Fame. As boxing fans, we thank you for entertaining us with your bravery and courage. Your horse is saddled and the sun is setting. Ride on.
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