During a conference call a few days before his recent win over a survival-minded Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins made a most interesting comment (as usual) about “the mob” that, he says, currently controls boxing…
Q: I think you’re in a bit of a Catch-22. I think it’s possible that his chin is fatally compromised. If you don’t stop them, then people say Bernard beat a shot Roy Jones, what about that? Are you in a Catch-22?
B. Hopkins
I think it’s a situation where we’re both in a Catch-22. Saying more about my age when I’m doing interviews, but they forgot I just got finished beating up a guy 17 years younger that’s a killer named Kelly Pavlik. It’s funny how people keep forgetting and they have short memories. So as I keep being reminded that I’m 45 like it’s a death sentence, I’m trying to remind them that yes, I am, but have I given you any evidence that I fight like I’m 45? I’m not talking about your personally. I’m not talking about you personally. But to me, I think we’re both in a Catch-22.
I said this for my future career. Yes, I still have a career. I hope to come out healthy. What I mean by that is I hope to win this fight not only impressively. I probably won’t get the credit because of what’s out there about Roy. But Roy is setting up the next big thing for Bernard Hopkins that’s going to have people saying has he lost is mind. But then you’re going to have people saying, man, it was done before. It already done by two people who happened to be middleweights at that time.
So my whole thing is, I’m in a Catch-22 personally to answer your question, because of my age, because I think there’s some entities out there that want me to just go away, go away, Bernard.
Q: Who wants you to go away?
B. Hopkins
Oh, the mob.
Q: The mob?
B. Hopkins
Yes.
Q: Talk to me, the mob, who?
B. Hopkins
In boxing.
Q: Yes.
B. Hopkins
The mob to me in boxing means the entity of powerful people that runs and calls the shots to make things happen when they want it to happen. Now you fill in the dots.
Q: Does that mean you’re going to be fighting David Haye next?
B. Hopkins
To me the mob isn’t the whole ’50s and ’60s guy with a cigar in his hat and cigar in his mouth and a hat tilted to the side sitting ringside waiting for somebody to die. That’s old school. That’s all played out right now. They don’t get any respect in America any more. I’m talking about when you look in the dictionary and you see the word mob, that’s a group of people. So let me define mob, so everybody understands. Mob is a group of powerful people that have their goal is to make things happen when they want it to happen. Now you fill the dots in who you want that to be.
“Mob, n: An organized gang of hoodlums”
Now, as Bernard Hopkins is still going strong and weighing his sporting options while trying to overcome “the mob”, just who is “the mob” and why do they want to eliminate “The Executioner” from the sport?
Does “the mob” feel they can’t maximize profits with Hopkins nor control him to their plans?
Who has the power to defy Hopkins and put a halt to his athletic career?
Will this be the final, ultimate battle of the Hall of Fame career of Bernard Hopkins – versus “the mob?”
Who do you support in this clash of titans, “the mob” or Bernard Hopkins?