After prison I can overcome anything, says Hopkins

Published on Tuesday 15 April 2008 23:42

BERNARD Hopkins admits he is reaching the end of a remarkable journey which began in ignominious fashion almost 20 years ago when he emerged from a Pennsylvania prison cell to lose his first professional fight.

Having dominated the middleweight division for over a decade before moving up to light-heavyweight to destroy former undisputed champion Antonio Tarver, there is little left for the 43-year-old to achieve.

But Hopkins, who was lustily booed by a smattering of Calzaghe supporters when he made his 'grand arrival' at the Planet Hollywood resort on Monday, says the memory of that rare failure is what drives him forward to finish on a high.

Hopkins said: "I lost my first fight, but adversity motivates me and makes me train the way I train. Losing the first fight was the worst blow that ever happened to me because I didn't do anything for a year and a half.

"I worked in a hotel, but they read in the papers I'd fought in Atlantic City, and when they found out I was a convicted felon they laid me off. I had every damn excuse to go back to what I used to do – there are drug dealers still out there.

"Do you know how many people told me it was impossible to be 22 years old, have a nine-year parole stint and not go back inside? I've been doubted. The best way to shut people up is to accomplish what they say you can't.

"There's nothing I can't overcome. You can't leave yourself in that position of being a lamb because there are people who look for wounded prey. So I said to myself when I lost that fight: 'I'm not going back there.'"

Hopkins' subsequent success ensured that what he is fighting for against Calzaghe is no longer his already-guaranteed place in the Hall of Fame, or even favourable comparison with the greats of boxing history.

Hopkins added: "When April 19 comes people are really going to have to put my achievements and legacy in a special place. I'm not just saying fighters, I'm saying athletes period in any sport.

"There are so many fighters who will never be in an elite group. But they are going to have to put me in a whole new different category. I'm already a legend. To be an icon is the climax – you can't get any higher than that."

Calzaghe has laughed off Hopkins' many monologues and says he has seen little of his latest opponent to make him believe he is any greater threat to his proud career-long unbeaten record.

"He calls himself a legend, but I haven't seen anything to back that up," said Calzaghe. "He's a dirty fighter and he doesn't sell tickets. That doesn't make him a legend in my book."

The Welshman had long gone from the relatively low-key arrival stage before Hopkins arrived, although his hopes of a quiet build-up week have not been helped by a significant promotional push to sell the fight.

The fighters' faces stare down from every available billboard, an experience which is wholly new for Calzaghe who prepared for his unification fight against Mikkel Kessler at his isolated gym in Cwmcarn.

But Calzaghe knows this is what it takes to silence the critics of his British-based record and belatedly emerge as a true global star in a city in which so many boxing legacies have been boosted or broken.

Calzaghe added: "I'm trying to keep everything as normal as possible while I'm out here. I'm staying in a quiet rented house away from the Strip and I've had an excellent and relaxing build-up.

"All this stuff's not really for me, but fighting Hopkins in Wales was never going to be a challenge. I had to come over here to face one of the last remaining challenges of my career, and I'm looking forward to it."

And Calzaghe has no doubts he will overcome his opponent: "I am going to put him into permanent retirement. After this fight his career is going to be over and I'm going to be the first to stop him. I'm faster, fitter and stronger. I hit harder and I have a better chin. He says he's a legend, but he's seriously over-hyped. He hasn't been in any exciting fights."

The Welshman is bulging with confidence and roundly ridiculed the claims of Hopkins, who predictably stole the show by ripping off his shirt to reveal his chiselled torso.

"Hopkins won't be able to touch me. He will have to resort to headbutting, spoiling and low blows just to survive," said Calzaghe. "He's succeeded in the past only because his opponents were smaller. He is no better than many guys I've fought."

Hopkins has made plans to quit before but been lured away first by the prospect of facing coming force Jermain Taylor, then moving up to 175lbs to dethrone Tarver.

But he believes that after Calzaghe there are will be no more big enough names available to tempt him to lace on the gloves again. Hopkins said: "I'm looking for a fight where I have something to fight for. Whether I want to retire or not, I think I'll be forced to retire because I've run out of opponents."

Calzaghe's old conqueror scrapes by as an asbestos remover

WHILE Joe Calzaghe prepares to top the bill in Las Vegas in his multi-million dollar super-fight against Bernard Hopkins, the last British fighter to beat him is working as an asbestos remover in a Welsh power station.

Michael Smyth admits he is still tortured by what-might-have-been's over his boxing career which peaked in a failed British title challenge and petered out in a fourth-round loss to Ted Bami in 2002.

Smyth beat Calzaghe in the final of the Welsh welterweight championships in 1990. With the exception of Romanian Adrian Opreda, he is the last man to beat the super-middleweight great who boasts a 44-0 professional record.

Smyth recalled: "I looked across the ring that day and I remember thinking there was no way he was going to beat me. I took the fight away from him, I got on top of him and I broke his heart.

"I had the same attitude when I turned professional and won my first 16 paid fights. But then I had some big family problems including the death of my grandfather, and mentally I lost the edge. I'm not ashamed to admit that I struggle financially now.

"There is not a day that goes by when I don't look at Calzaghe and wonder what could have happened. I'm very dissatisfied with how my career turned out."

Smyth, nicknamed the 'Barry Bomber', suffered his first defeat to Kevin Lueshing in 1995. Three years later he was stopped in round seven by Geoff McCreesh in a British welterweight title challenge which was marred by rioting fans.

After his loss to Bami, the eighth of a 31-fight career, he retired with a 23-8-1 record.

He works seven days a week in his hazardous job at Aberthaw, and is still involved in boxing as co-trainer at the Rhoose amateur club on the outskirts of Cardiff.

Smyth shrugs off the impact of his win over Calzaghe, although he admits fellow workers at the power station get out the DVD of the fight every time Calzaghe is back in the news.

And unsurprisingly his sense of injustice does not allow him to hail Calzaghe as one of the sport's all-time greats. Smyth believes he will certainly beat Hopkins, but prove little in the process.

Smyth said: "What Joe's done is exceptional but to become a true great you've got to beat better fighters than he has.

"It is a foregone conclusion that he will beat Hopkins because of his age. Hopkins should be at home looking after some grandchildren, not still fighting.

"He calls himself the Executioner but there's only one man going to be beneath the guillotine on Sunday morning."