George Kimball America At Large There comes a time in every boxer's career, if he hangs around long enough, when he can seemingly grow old in a single night, and at 39, Bernard Hopkins is a candidate for the Dorian Gray Syndrome every time he laces on the gloves.
Hopkins, who brings three world titles to the table, has been guaranteed $8 million for Saturday night's encounter with Oscar De La Hoya at the sold-out MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. De La Hoya, who brings charisma, will earn at least $25 million. The upside could see the two whack up as much as $60 million in a bout that appears destined to go down as the biggest-selling non-heavyweight fight in history.
If anticipation is running high, one can hardly turn on a television or open a newspaper without stumbling upon some allusion to the Marvellous Marvin Hagler-Sugar Ray Leonard bout which took place up the street at Caesars Palace 17 years ago. Scrutiny will usually confirm that the people so blasphemously tossing Hagler's and Leonard's names around generally have a vested interest in this weekend's pay-per-view sale, but the comparisons can be nonetheless instructive.
De La Hoya has switched trainers more often than some boxers change their underwear, and while Gil Clancy's time in the Golden Boy's corner was brief, the Hall of Fame trainer has always retained a soft spot for Oscar. A few weeks ago Clancy phoned Bob Arum with a bit of sagacious advice, which the promoter passed on to De La Hoya at his California training base.
"Remind Oscar," said Clancy, "that just because he's fighting a middleweight doesn't mean he has to be a middleweight."
Clancy pointed out that when he came by his first world title 38 years ago, Emile Griffith weighed 150½lb when he beat Dick Tiger for the middleweight championship. De La Hoya would be better served in his challenge for Hopkins' undisputed 160lb title, believes Clancy, if he comes in at around 154lb and retains what could be a significant advantage: speed.
When the sports books began taking action on Hopkins-De La Hoya last spring, The Executioner was quickly established as a 7 to 5 favourite. In the aftermath of their dual appearances on a June 5th card that saw Hopkins subdue Robbie Allen and De La Hoya barely squeak by the Croatian-turned-German Felix Sturm in an undercard bout for the WBO title, the price shot up to 5 to 2. It has levelled off somewhat at 2 to 1.
"I keep reminding people about the Hagler-Leonard fight," said Arum. "Back then not many people gave Leonard a chance, either, and if all you watched was the two June fights that would make sense. Oscar's performance was beyond abysmal. He was out of shape, he was packing extra weight, and his whole game plan was to knock this guy (Sturm) out. At 160lb, he doesn't knock anybody out, but if he goes in as the smaller fighter, he doesn't give away the only advantage he has."
When Hagler entertained Leonard, he had successfully defended the middleweight title 13 consecutive times, and needed one more to tie the divisional record held by Carlos Monzon. That milestone would be denied him when Leonard improbably returned from extended inactivity to outbox Hagler and win a split decision that inspires controversy to this day.
Three years ago, Hopkins tied Monzon's record by knocking out the previously unbeaten Felix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden, and has extended that skein to 18 straight defences in the meantime. Like Hagler, he is favoured to win again against a smaller man. De La Hoya has been watching tapes of Leonard's upset, presumably in search of inspiration.
"The Sugar Ray-Hagler fight was like once in a lifetime. I can't recall another fight that compares to that kind of event," De La Hoya said recently. "It all goes down to history. It's exciting knowing that this one is very comparable. Me, the smaller guy, fighting the bigger guy, the middleweight king."
Like Leonard, De La Hoya is a former Olympic gold medallist who has worked his way up the boxing food chain. He won his first title as a junior lightweight a decade ago and has won championships in six weight classes.
Like Hagler, Hopkins is a career-long middleweight who did much of his early boxing away from the limelight, suffered his losses early, and has come to be appreciated only late in his career. In 1988, he lost a majority decision in his professional debut, and in 1993 was outpointed by Roy Jones. He hasn't lost since.
"There are similarities - the Olympic gold medal vs the blue-collar guy - but this won't be a repeat (of the Leonard-Hagler upset)," warns Hopkins. "I beg you to reserve your opinion until after it's over, because it won't be the same outcome."
Hagler in 1987 wasn't quite as long in the tooth as Hopkins is today, and Arum, whose view might be somewhat skewed, claims the aging process was evident in his last outing.
"It seemed to me everybody was so taken with how bad Oscar looked that they didn't watch Hopkins against Allen," says the promoter. "His legs were gone, he didn't move. He fought a wily fight, but he was in with a guy who couldn't get out of the way. I think anybody who can give Bernard Hopkins movement now is capable of beating him."
De La Hoya's myth of invincibility had long since disappeared even before Sturm made him look silly. The ancient apothegm holds that old age and treachery will overcome youth and guile, and classic match-ups like this one are supposed to favour the good big man over the good little man.
De La Hoya has never been noted for listening to trainers, but if he has paid heed to Clancy this one time (and tomorrow's weigh-in will shed some light on that), we like his chances.
