Bill Text: PA HR350 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Recognizing and honoring Bernard Hopkins for his achievements and contributions to the sport of boxing and the City of Philadelphia.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2011-06-22 - Adopted (201-0) [HR350 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HR350-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 2172
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 350 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY PAYTON, JUNE 22, 2011
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JUNE 22, 2011
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing and honoring Bernard Hopkins for his achievements
and contributions to the sport of boxing and the City of
Philadelphia.
WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins was born January 15, 1965, and was
raised in the Germantown section of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, As a misguided and pugnacious youth, Mr. Hopkins
improperly channeled his aggression and regrettably found
himself embroiled in a life of crime and gang activity; and
WHEREAS, In 1982, 17-year-old Bernard's lifestyle of violence
and destruction eventually caught up with him, resulting in a
conviction and sentence of 18 years for assault and armed
robbery; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins was sent and housed at the Graterford
State Penitentiary, where he quickly realized the errors of his
ways and adopted a more positive outlook on life; and
WHEREAS, During his incarceration, Mr. Hopkins cultivated a
new and improved mental and spiritual foundation, and more
importantly discovered his passion for the sport of boxing; and
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WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins wisely utilized his time while
incarcerated to hone his boxing skills in preparation to pursue
a professional career in the sport upon his release; and
WHEREAS, In 1988, after 56 months of confinement, Mr. Hopkins
was released from prison at the age of 23; and
WHEREAS, Staying true to his ambition, Mr. Hopkins officially
turned professional as a light-heavyweight soon after his
release, but lost his first professional bout to Clinton
Mitchell on October 11, 1988; and
WHEREAS, On February 22, 1990, Mr. Hopkins scored his first
professional win against Greg Paige in a four-round decision,
crediting his Spartan-like work ethic to his new trainer, Bouie
Fisher, who played a pivotal role in the shaping of his
illustrious career; and
WHEREAS, During the period between 1990 through 1992, Mr.
Hopkins, under the tutelage of trainer Bouie Fisher, worked his
way through the middleweight journeyman ranks and scored a
remarkable 19 consecutive victories; and
WHEREAS, On December 4, 1992, Mr. Hopkins earned an
opportunity to contend for the United States Boxing Association
(USBA) Middleweight Title against veteran Wayne Powell; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins emerged victorious, winning the USBA
Middleweight Title in a mere 21 seconds by a knockout; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins earned the reputation as a hard-nosed
warrior and would finally receive an opportunity to contend for
a world title shot against Roy Jones, Jr., on May 22, 1993; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins lost this bout in 12 hard-fought rounds
by a unanimous decision, suffering only the second loss of his
still-budding career; and
WHEREAS, Using this loss as motivation, Mr. Hopkins put his
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heart and soul into his training and four months later defended
his USBA crown by way of a technical knockout (TKO) victory over
previously unbeaten Roy Ritchie; and
WHEREAS, Two title defenses followed which earned Mr. Hopkins
a second shot at contending for a world title; and
WHEREAS, Although his dreams of capturing a world title would
once again be deferred, Mr. Hopkins finally earned the title of
world champion in convincing fashion against Segundo Mercado on
April 29, 1995; and
WHEREAS, From the late 1990s through the early 2000s, Mr.
Hopkins dominated the middleweight division, successfully
defending the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title 12
times against quality contenders; and
WHEREAS, The combination of speed and precision with which
Mr. Hopkins vanquished his opponents earned him the nickname
"The Executioner"; and
WHEREAS, In 2001, Mr. Hopkins was named Ring Magazine Fighter
of the Year and World Hall of Fame Fighter of the Year; and
WHEREAS, In February 2003, Mr. Hopkins not only used his
physical prowess to make an impact upon the boxing world, he
also was an outspoken advocate for fighters' rights, even
testifying before Congress in support of the Muhammad Ali Boxing
Reform Act; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins continued to establish himself as an
all-time great by scoring victories over marquee names such as
Felix "Tito" Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, successfully
defending his title for a record-setting 20th time; and
WHEREAS, Although his title defense streak would finally come
to an end on July 15, 2005, soon thereafter, Mr. Hopkins
achieved the amazing feat of moving up two weight classes and
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capturing the light heavyweight title against Antonio Tarver on
June 10, 2006; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Hopkins regained the middleweight title on
October 18, 2008, and twice defended the light heavyweight title
against boxing elites, Roy Jones, Jr., and Winky Wright; and
WHEREAS, On May 21, 2011, in a bout for the light heavyweight
title against Jean Pascal, Mr. Hopkins further solidified his
legacy as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the
sport by becoming the oldest world champion in boxing history at
the age of 46; and
WHEREAS, To date, Mr. Hopkins as compiled a stellar record of
52 wins, five losses and two draws, with 32 of the victories by
knockouts (KOs), and is regarded as an unequivocal future hall
of fame inductee; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and
honor the achievements and contributions of Bernard Hopkins to
the sport of boxing and the City of Philadelphia.
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