B-Hop’s Latest Hall of Fame Extends Beyond the Ring

Published

1 year ago

November 3, 2023

B-Hop’s Latest Hall of Fame Extends Beyond the Ring

Thomas Wolfe’s celebrated novel, You Can’t Go Home Again, published posthumously in 1940, paints a rather bleak picture of a fledgling author who writes of the hometown he left years earlier but still mostly remembers with fondness, although his literary return to his roots is greeted with menacing letters and death threats from the town’s residents who don’t like his not-always-complimentary takes on the place where they still live.

In legend and lore, Philadelphia is a tough city that infrequently grants its love, especially to individual athletes or those who wear the colors of its local teams, and only then with large dollops of show-me skepticism. It isn’t enough just to be from Philly or to have arrived as a hired mercenary; in the City of Brotherly Love, it is necessary to earn civic affection through hard work and an absolute commitment to a common cause that transcends place of birth or any previous stops along the way.

Joe DeCamera, the sports-talk radio host who served as master of ceremonies for Thursday night’s 20^th annual induction ceremony of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, acknowledged as much when he offered his opinion that James Harden, a would-be major cog in the unfulfilled championship aspirations of recent 76ers squads, would never have a seat at the dais for a future enshrinement because the star point guard, traded to the Los Angeles Clippers two days earlier, simply did not “get” Philadelphia, nor did Philly “get” Harden, a chronic malcontent who was with the team for only 79 regular-season games (and 23 playoff contests) in less than two full seasons.

Former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, unlike Wolfe’s George Webber character in You Can’t Go Home Again, doesn’t have to worry about an unwelcoming return to Philly because, well, he never really left. Although B-Hop still maintains a residence in Delaware, it is within the Philadelphia metropolitan area’s footprint, and he also has a lavish condo in Philly overlooking the Delaware River, befitting someone who has accrued so many professional successes. He is an inductee into the International, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Atlantic City Boxing Halls of Fame, but the one that took him to its collective bosom Thursday at Live! Casino & Hotel in South Philly, a stone’s throw from the stadiums and arenas where the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers and Flyers play, puts him not only in the company of such cherished hometown fighters as Joe Frazier, Tommy Loughran, Joey Giardello, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Jeff Chandler and Meldrick Taylor, but with some of the team-sports heroes of his youth, the ultimate accolade for someone who continues to wear his pride of Philadelphia’s intermittent sports competitive successes on his sleeve.

“It’s 2023 and to be recognized again at this time in my life (Hopkins is 58) and in my hometown is right up there with any honor I’ve received in my career,” B-Hop said before he took his place at the head table in the Live! Event Center. “This is the cherry on top of four scoops of vegan ice cream. You got baseball greats, football greats, basketball greats. And, of course, boxing greats. It’s a whole bunch of people who did unique and extraordinary things.

“One thing about Philly, you cannot just walk into an honor like this. You have to earn it from a generation of tough fans, maybe a couple of generations worth.”

Hopkins’ appreciation for being viewed as not only an iconic Philadelphia boxer, but an iconic Philly athlete regardless of the sport, is hardly a newly minted revelation. On Oct. 9, 2004, 19 days after he knocked out Oscar De La Hoya to become the first middleweight to fully unify the division title in the four-belt era, Hopkins was the man of the moment in a parade down North Broad Street, from the front of the legendary Blue Horizon to City Hall, where he was praised as one of the city’s sporting treasures by then-Mayor John Street. An estimated 10,000 Hopkins fans lined the parade route, which might seem a bit skimpy in comparison to, say, the Eagles’ multimillion-celebrants parade after they won Super Bowl LII, a 41-33 conquest of the New England Patriots on Feb. 4, 2018, but it was nonetheless historic. Longtime Philly boxing promoter and local boxing historian J Russell Peltz, also an inductee into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 2020), noted that it was the first such parade held for a boxer since 1939, when thousands of Italian-Americans lined South Broad Street to cheer heavyweight contender “Two-Ton” Tony Galento, a native of Orange, N.J., who was in town for a bout with Lou Nova. In his previous bout, Galento had knocked down heavyweight champion Joe Louis before being knocked out himself.

“It’s an emotional thing for me to be recognized in my hometown,” Hopkins said before the parade in his honor began. “There are so many great athletes and fighters in Philadelphia – legends, really – who never got anything like this. It’s beyond my wildest dreams.”

So moved by the emotion of the moment when he was called to the microphone by DeCamera, Hopkins, whose responses to even the most innocuous question from a member of the media can result in a 20-minute soliloquy, that he required less than one full minute to express his gratitude to be joining the PSHOF. To longtime observers of B-Hop, it was like whittling down Tolstoy’s War and Peace to a one-page synopsis from a Cliff’s Notes. Then again, the career gists of all of the inductees in attendance were shown beforehand in well-crafted videos that left few stones unturned.

Truth be told, Hopkins’ historical milestones are so numerous and impressive that it was as inevitable as a morning sunrise that he would pass muster with the PSHOF selection committee. Despite a late start to his boxing career, the result of an armed robbery committed as a teenager that landed him behind bars for 56 months, his 20 successful middleweight defenses (since matched by Gennadiy Golovkin) were a division record and he became the oldest fighter to win a world championship when he won a light heavyweight title, the IBF’s, by outpointing Karo Murat over 12 rounds on Oct. 26, 2013, in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. So fantastically fit was Hopkins that, even when he was nearly 52, he still remained a world-rated fighter.

“Bernard Hopkins is as close to a perfectionist with nutrition (hence his remark about vegan ice cream) as anyone I’ve ever dealt with,” said renowned physical conditioning guru Mackie Shilstone, who helped B-Hop (then 41) bulk up the right way from the middleweight limit of 160 pounds for his unanimous decision over stellar light heavyweight Antonio Tarver on June 10, 2006.

The 16-member PSHOF Class of 2023 increases the total number of inductees to 217, just 14 of whom have ties to boxing. It says much about how high that bar is set that such cherished Philly main-eventers as “Bad” Bennie Briscoe, Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts, Stanley “Kitten” Hayward and Willie “The Worm” Monroe remain on the outside looking in (Briscoe, Hayward and Monroe are deceased.)

In addition to Hopkins, other notable Philadelphia athletes and coaches getting their call to the hall included former Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright, who guided the Wildcats to NCAA championships in 2016 and 2018; Eagles standouts Jeremiah Trotter and Irving Fryar; former Phillies owner Bill Giles; former Flyers defenseman Joe Watson, who helped the team to win Stanley Cup titles in 1974 and ’75; Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, an important member of the team’s 2008 World Series champions; Olympic long jumper Carol Lewis, younger sister of track and field legend Carl Lewis, and jockey Tony Black, who was on board 33,964 mounts during his long career, during which he brought home 5,211 winners.

—

Bernard Fernandez, named to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the Observer category with the Class of 2020, was the recipient of numerous awards for writing excellence during his 28-year career as a sports writer for the Philadelphia Daily News. “Championship Rounds, Round 4,” the fourth installment of Fernandez’s four-volume anthology, is now out and available via Amazon and other book-selling outlets.

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Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results

Published

43 mins ago

January 25, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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LAS VEGAS, NV – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions was at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas tonight for the second half of a DAZN doubleheader that began in Nottingham, England. In the main event, Diego Pacheco, ranked #1 by the WBO at super middleweight, continued his ascent toward a world title with a unanimous decision over Steven Nelson.

Pacheco glides round the ring smoothly whereas Nelson wastes a lot energy with something of a herky-jerky style. However, although Nelson figured to slow down as the fight progressed, he did some of his best work in rounds 11 and 12. Fighting with a cut over his left eye from round four, a cut that periodically reopened, the gritty Nelson fulfilled his promise that he would a fight as if he had everything to lose if he failed to win, but it just wasn’t enough, even after his Omaha homie Terence “Bud” Crawford entered his corner before the last round to give him a pep talk (back home in North Omaha, Nelson runs the B&B (Bud and Bomac) Sports Academy.

All three judges had it 117-111 for Pacheco who mostly fought off his back foot but landed the cleaner punches throughout. A stablemate of David Benavidez and trained by David’s father Jose Benevidez Sr, Pacheco improved to 23-0 (19). It was the first pro loss for the 36-year-old Nelson (20-1).

Semi wind-up

Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, who as a pro has never fought a match slated for fewer than 10 rounds, had too much class for Hermosillo, Mexico’s rugged Omar Salcido who returned to his corner with a puffy face after the fourth stanza, but won the next round and never stopped trying. The outcome was inevitable even before the final round when Salcido barely made it to the final gun, but the Mexican was far more competitive than many expected.

The Cuban, who was 4-0 vs. Keyshawn Davis in closely-contested bouts as an amateur, advanced his pro record to 5-0 (2), winning by scores by 99-91 and 98-92 twice. Salido, coming off his career-best win, a 9^th-round stoppage of former WBA super featherweight title-holder Chris Colbert, falls to 20-2.

Other TV bouts

Ernesto “Tito” Mercado, a 23-year-old super lightweight, aims to become the next world champion from Pomona, California, following in the footsteps of the late Richie Sandoval and Sugar Shane Mosely, and based on his showing tonight against former Beijing Olympian and former two-division title-holder Jose Pedraza, he is well on his way.

After three rounds after what had been a technical fight, Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) knocked Pedraza off his pins with an overhand right followed by short left hand. Pedraza bounced back and fell on his backside. When he rose on unsteady legs, the bout was waived off. The official time was 2:08 of round four and the fading, 25-year-old Pedraza (29-7-1) was saddled with his third loss in his last four outings.

The 8-round super lightweight clash between Israel Mercado (no relation to “Tito”) and Leonardo Rubalcava was fan-friendly skirmish with many robust exchanges. When the smoke cleared, the verdict was a majority draw. Mercado got the nod on one card (76-74), but was overruled by a pair of 75-75 scores.

Mercado came out strong in the opening round, but suffered a flash knockdown before the round ended. The referee ruled it a slip but was overruled by replay operator Jay Nady and what would have been a 10-9 round for Mercado became a 10-8 round for Rubalcava. Mercado lost another point in round seven when he was penalized for low blows.

The scores were 76-74 for Mercado (11-1-2) and 75-75 twice. The verdict was mildly unpopular with most thinking that Mercado deserved the nod. Reportedly a four-time Mexican amateur champion, Rubalcava (9-0-1) is trained by Robert Garcia.

Also

New Matchroom signee Nishant Dev, a 24-year-old southpaw from India, had an auspicious pro debut (pardon the cliché). Before a beaming Eddie Hearn, Dev stopped Oakland’s Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) in the opening round. The referee waived it off after the second knockdown.

Boxers from India have made large gains at the amateur level in recent years and Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn anticipates that Dev, a Paris Olympian, will be the first fighter from India to make his mark as a pro.

Undefeated Brooklyn lightweight Harley Mederos, managed by the influential Keith Connolly, scored his seventh knockout in eight tries with a brutal third-round KO of Mexico’s Arturo de Isla.

A left-right combination knocked de Isla (5-3-1) flat on his back. Referee Raul Caiz did not bother to count and several minutes elapsed before the stricken fighter was fit to leave the ring. The official time was 1:27 of round three.

In the opener, Newark junior lightweight Zaquin Moses, a cousin of Shakur Stevenson, improved to 2-0 when his opponent retired on his stool after the opening round.

Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom

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Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City

Published

1 day ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Najee-Lopez-Steps-Up-in-Class-and-Wins-Impressively-at-Plant-City

Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his last three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).

Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.

In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.

The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.

Co-Feature

In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.

Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.

What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.

The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.

Also

In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).

A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, applied the exclamation point, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.

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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim

Published

2 days ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11^th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.

Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.

Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.

Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is Brandon Figueroa should he defeat former Inoue foe Stephen Fulton next weekend. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.

Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”

Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.

Semi-wind-up

In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.

Also

In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.

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