Bernard Hopkins' Ring Life Continues

Don't wish Bernard Hopkins success, wish him failure.

Specifically, tell the 44-year-old boxer that he's so far past his prime, that you believe he'll lose on Dec. 2 to unheralded 29-year-old Enrique Ornelas, the man he will meet in a non-title, 12-round light heavyweight (175 pounds) bout at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Hopkins' hometown of Philadelphia.

"People have written me off a lot of times in my life, and that's been my biggest motivation. I've always needed people to be rooting against me," said Hopkins, a former Philadelphia street criminal who survived three stabbings, was imprisoned at age 18 for five years, and released in 1988.

"I did not let the street life destroy me. I'm that throwback Philadephia fighter who just happened to take care of himself, and that's why I'm still here," said Hopkins, who is 49-5, with 32 knockouts.

"I took care of myself in my 20s, I took care of myself more in my 30s. I don't have a secret potion. No secret vitamins. No secret strength," said Hopkins. "Do I feel the same way at the age of 44 as I did at the age of 24, or, 34? No. But I will always be ahead of the game compared to the average, 45-year-old who is boxing -- if there is anyone out there other than me."

Hopkins, in addition to the age factor, said that he is at least equally -- if not more -- focused on the philanthropic theme of a his clash with Ornelas, which will be televised on VERSUS.

It will benefit three charities: The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia & Susquehanna Valley, to which Hopkins will donate in memory of 2008 brain cancer victim Shaun Negler; the Hero Thrill Show, an annual day of events designed to raise money for the education of relatives of police and fire personnel killed in the line of duty; and the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc., in memory of Hopkins' deceased mother, Shirley.

A film crew will record his visits to Shirley Hopkins' "resting place of eight years, as well as my brother's since [1984], my father's since '96, and my grandfather's since '84."

"There will be some emotional footage that no one has ever seen. We'll be running the streets where I got into trouble. This is meaningful for me to go through all of this leading up to this fight," said Hopkins, who will fight in Philadelphia for the first time since his eighth-round KO of Morrade Hakkar.

"It's crazy that the city is proud of me for accomplishing the things that I have," said Hopkins. "Philadelphia has lost 15 police officers in less than two years, but there will be a lot of [policemen] supporting me at the Liacouras Center."

Hopkins will enter the ring for the first time since October 18, 2008, when he dominated middleweight (160) world champion Kelly Pavlik of Youngstown, Ohio, to rebound from an April 2008 loss to unbeaten Joe Calzaghe of Wales.

"Because of my age, that's [Pavlik] a win that stands out the most," said Hopkins. "I proved that even though I was 43 at the time, that I could still compete at that level."

After losing his undisputed middleweight champion status to Jermain Taylor in July 2005, Hopkins rose to light heavyweight in June 2006 and routed former world champ Antonio Tarver, 118-109, on all three judges' cards.

"I was a big underdog against Tarver," said Hopkins, who subsequently routed former world titlist Winky Wrigh in July 2007. "I've been blessed to have a lot of great moments, but I think that I have a lot more history to accomplish. And my hit-list starts with Enrique."

Called, "a Mexican Joe Frazier," by Hopkins' trainer, Nazim Richardson, Ornelas is a former sparring partner of Hopkins.

"We've trained for an opportunity like this, and I know that he's not going to see me as a friend. As soon as we step into the ring, it's each man for himself. We're friends, but as soon as the bell rings, we're both their to execute a plan," said Ornelas, a hard-puncher with a record of 29-5 with 19 knockouts.

"I don't feel like this is his backyard or anything. I know that I'm fighting in his city, and I know that I'll have less of his crowd going for me," said Orlenas, a native of Mexico who lives in La Habra, Calif. "But that's all the better, and it will make me push harder to show the people that I really do want to win this fight."

The younger brother of super middleweight (168 pounds) Librado Andrade (28-2, 21 KOs), also of La Habra, Calif., Ornelas has lost three of his last seven bouts, being stopped once during that time.

Coming off of July's fourth-round stoppage of Roberto Baro, Ornelas is motivated by the fact that Andrade will face Montreal's southpaw IBF champion Lucian Bute (24-0, 19 KOs) at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec, Canada, on Nov. 28.

Bute-Andrade is a rematch of their Oct. 24, 2008, bout that ended with Bute surviving nearly being knocked out in the 12th round. Ornelas believes that his sparring sessions with Andrade will bring out his best against Hopkins.

"My brother and I have a similar style, so it's easy. We're here to work, and we're working really hard, and we're having a great time. [Hopkins] has seen it all. We really can't show him anything different," said Ornelas.

"We're just going to stay busy and try to take whatever he gives us. We have to be ready to take advantage of the opportunities any time he gives them to us. Fighting is what I love to do. I just want to prove it," said Ornelas. "We're looking to win, and we're training really hard. Winning would be an amazing thing that will open so many doors in so many ways."

Hopkins-Ornelas precedes an agreed-upon rematch with Florida's multi-champion Roy Jones (54-5, 40 KOs) slated for early, 2010, assuming Jones gets past Austrailia's tough Danny Green (27-3, 24 KOs) on the same night before Green's home crowd in Sydney.

According to ESPN.com, Jones-Hopkins II is slated for March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

"I have more to lose, and Enrique has more to gain. But trust me: I'm going to win this fight," said Hopkins, who will turn 45 on January 15 -- one day after Jones turns 41. "I'm going to look great, and I'm going to finish off Roy Jones Jr., and I might become the heavyweight champion of the world in 2010."



Nicknamed "The Executioner," Hopkins lost a unanimous decision in May 1993 to Jones, who since falling to Calzaghe last November, has stopped Omar Sheika and Jeff Lacey in five and 10 rounds respectively in March and August.

Hopkins earned the middleweight crown on April 29, 1995, with a seventh-round knockout of Segundo Mercado in a rematch of their controversial draw four months earlier. Hopkins made a division record 20 title defenses before losing to Taylor by a split decision.

Hopkins' title run included wins over nine world champions, with seven of those being knockouts of titlists Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Robert Allen, Simon Brown, Glen Johnson, John David Jackson and Carl Daniels.

"Dec. 2 starts a marathon of super-greatness for me. Some people may think that I'm bragging, but I'm blessed," said Hopkins. "I know that a lot of the media is trying to figure out when in the hell, and on what night, is this guy going to look like he's 45?"