Longevity in sports creates legends. In combat sports, it creates painful memories. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that most fighters, if they have been compensated well, like to wrap up their careers by their mid-30s.
And yet, every once in a while, there are those who not only push well beyond the reach of Father Time but also extend their primes by winning gold till they can’t anymore. One such athlete was boxer Bernard Hopkins, whose achievements well into his 40s has left Joe Rogan stunned.
“That’s f*cking crazy,” as Rogan puts it!
Hopkins attributed his 28 years of sustained success to rigorous discipline, clean living, and a deep understanding of boxing fundamentals. Hopkins’ career was so long (1988-2016) that it can be classified into two distinct periods.
His early days of merciless beatdown of his opponents earned him a 21-fight win streak and the title of the ‘Executioner’. However, once he was well into his 30s, Hopkins had two choices.
He could continue to fight the way he did – as long as his style complimented his power and reflexes. He still would have had a rather successful career, just not as long as he ended up having.
The second choice was to learn new tricks as an old dog. He worked relentlessly on his defensive technique and gameplan before each fight. It made him a more patient fighter, using his cunning and experience to secure points.
The downside was that he couldn’t exactly fish for KOs anymore. The upside… Well, as Rogan put it on the JRE podcast– “So Hopkins broke his own record by winning the IBF light heavyweight title from Tavoris Cloud in 2013 and again in 2014 he won the WBA super title from Beibut Shumenov at ages 48 and 49.”
Rogan also went on breakdown his fighting style in his 40s, explaining how he managed to be physically fit enough to accomplish what he did.
Rogan hails Hopkins’ intelligence
“The way that he would box was super intelligent,” Rogan said. “You didn’t get clean shots off on Bernard Hopkins.” Rogan explained that Hopkins was simply too clever and understood the fundamentals of the sport at a molecular level.
Of course, training and being smart inside the ring isn’t enough to compete, let alone win, when someone’s in their 40s. So how did Hopkins do it?
“He never drank, never smoked, always took care of his body. Always ate organic food. Worked out every day, never got out of shape—just all discipline”, the UFC commentator elaborated.
Hopkins final fight would come at 52 years of age on the 16th of December in 2016. Facing Joe Smith Jr, a boxer 24 years younger than him for the WBC international light heavyweight title, Hopkins appeared weary and exhausted from the beginning.
After 8 rounds of this lackluster performance, referee Jack Reiss stepped in and stopped the bout in what was the first time in 65 fights that Hopkins couldn’t hear the final bell ring.
Thankfully, he could call it a day after this and go on to join former rival Oscar De La Hoya as a minority partner in the Golden Boy promotion.
