Since we're talking so much about Bernard Hopkins this week in light of his history-making win at age 46 on Saturday night, I thought it would be fun to look back on an old Hopkins fight.
No, not a fight against Oscar, Tito, Roy, Jermain Taylor, Pavlik, Glen Johnson, Segundo Mercado, Calzaghe, Winky, John David Jackson, or Syd Vanderpool. Most of you have seen those fights for sure. Those are the fights of an experienced Bernard Hopkins, at various points during his Hall of Fame-bound career.
Nah, let's make this truly old school.
May 31, 1990. Bernard Hopkins is in his fifth pro fight, on TV. Charley Steiner and Al Bernstein are on the call. Bernard Hopkins is not yet "The Executioner" -- he's "The Terror." He didn't even plan to fight this night, and arrived at the War Memorial in Rochester, N.Y., just a short time before his fight, getting the bout on 4-5 hours notice, according to Steiner. The opponent is Jouvin Mercado, who after this would fight just once more, losing to David Telesco in 1991.
For a little perspective:
- A child born on the day that Hopkins beat Mercado would be legally able to buy a drink in the United States in exactly one week.
- 1990 was the second year of Ken Griffey Jr's MLB career. Griffey's pro career ended in ugly fashion last year, about a decade after he was last a true top star in baseball.
- Michael Jordan had zero of his six NBA titles at this point, as the Bulls were in the midst of losing to the Detroit Pistons for a third straight year in the Eastern Conference finals.
- Joe Montana hadn't yet handed over the keys of the San Francisco 49ers to Steve Young.
- The No. 1 single on the Billboard charts was "Vogue" by Madonna.
- This guy just won the light heavyweight championship again.