The following article appeared on BoxingInsider.com in 2005.

By Scoop Malinowski

For a decade we’ve read what the media portrayed to us about Bernard
 Hopkins. For many years we’ve listened to what the TV commentators thought
 of Bernard Hopkins and how he conducted his extraordinary yet sometimes
 controversial career.

But rarely, if ever, have we gotten to know about Bernard Hopkins from
 perhaps the most telling perspective of all - his peers. Now, it’s time
 to let the boxers (and a few others) speak their points of view on the inspiration, the king,
 the pound-for-pound best, the man who wouldn’t be owned by the system, the man who
 has done more for fighter’s rights than perhaps anyone in ring history…the one and only
 Bernard Hopkins.

Hasim Rahman, former IBF/WBC Heavyweight champion: “Obviously I feel like
 he’s a man, he did it his way. And at the end, he was smarter than a lot
 of people. Everybody always talked about what he walked away from, but he
 held his own, he stood firm, he stood his ground and I think he wound up
 on top. So I gotta take my hat off to him.”

Wladimir Klitschko, former WBO Heavyweight champ: “I think Bernard
 Hopkins is something unusual. And he gets so much success, especially
after the de la Hoya fight. And he’s really on the top of everything. And
 he really shows that if you’re focused, focused - and you want to get a
goal - you’ll get it. It doesn’t matter how difficult it is. (He’s 40 and
 the best, what makes him so good?) Yes, that’s unbelievable. He’s ancient.
 He did it. I think the will to survive - because in boxing you have to
 survive. You have to keep winning. Otherwise you’re out. But he’s focused
 on his boxing life. That’s what he wants to do.”

Andrew Golota, heavyweight contender: “Hopkins surprised me (in de la Hoya
 fight). He didn’t rush, he stayed in his gameplan. He was unbelievable,
 like a professor. He fought like a professor. I like his way he fought. He
 stuck with his gameplan. It was easy, step by step. He threw his punches
 one at a time. He didn’t try to take big steps, just little steps. One
 step at a time, de la Hoya just gave it up. I didn’t think the punch was
 involved in the quitting. He just quit. He wasn’t punched out, he just
 quit. (You met Hopkins ringside at the Trinidad-Mayorga fight?) Yes. He’s
 a good guy, you know. He gave me advice for the (Ruiz) fight. He told me
 to, Stay focused.”

Vivian Harris, WBA Junior Welterweight champion: “That’s a fighter with a
 lot of brains and intelligence, and has respect for his opponents. Bernard
 Hopkins never underestimates nobody. As a top fighter, I think you should
 always be on your game. Bernard Hopkins is always on his game. And you
 should always be smart when you’re fighting. And you should always try to
 break a fighter down and you should always try to win the fight with
 intelligence. Oscar de la Hoya disappointed me (against Felix Sturm). He
 fought like he didn’t have any brains. Because that stuff Oscar put out
 there - as a top fighter - that was totally stupid. Throwing a lot of body
 punches like that - it wasn’t even solid body shots - (Oscar) wasn’t
 setting no punches up. He just threw punches. And he looked fat. What? You
 don’t have respect for an opponent? And you call yourself a
 pound-for-pound fighter? You’re a great fighter? Great fighters never
 looked bad like that. Bernard Hopkins fought Robert Allen two times
 already and in the third fight he came out boxing perfectly in the first
 round. He used his head. Great fighters don’t underestimate nobody.
 Bernard Hopkins is a great fighter.”

Robbie Peden, number-one ranked IBF Junior Lightweight: “He’s a true
 professional. Beautiful. He changes his style every fight. He looks after
 his body. He stands on principle. Sometimes he doesn’t make the right
 decision monetarily but you can’t blame him. He’s the one walkin’ down the
 street…unless we walk in his shoes, down his street, we can’t determine
 what he should do. (Did you ever meet him?) I met him a few times. We
 actually fought on the same card - when he fought Antwun Echols in Miami.
 We talked. He got WBC Fighter of the Year one year, I got NABF Fighter of
 the Year in Miami, big convention. That Bernard - he can talk! We talked
 basically about his upcoming fight. I asked him if he’s ready? He said,
 I’m always ready [smiles]. Which is the truth.”

Angelo Dundee, Hall of Fame trainer: “I really enjoyed Bernard Hopkins. I
 met him for the first time last year in Miami when he was training for
 William Joppy. He sparred with my youngster David Estrada. A guy like
 Bernard Hopkins is a blessing for a young kid, ’cause he’s like a teacher.
 Luis Rodriguez (former Welterweight champ) was something like that. He
 could spar with anybody, he never hurt nobody. And these kids learn. David
 loved him. Loved the idea of working with him. Bernard works real nice in
 the gym. I love him. Beautiful smoothness, footwork, heckuva jab. They
 went four or five rounds. It was terrific. Watching it was like something
 you watch when you go to school. He’s what you call a perfect fighting
 machine. In the gym he’s steady, steady, steady. He doesn’t look to take
 advantage. Because he knows he’s superior. Some of these guys want to be
 king of the gym. Bernard Hopkins is not like that. It’s good to see that.
 Boxing needs more people like that. What I like about Bernard Hopkins is
 he has a smile on his face. It’s nice to be that way. His people around
 him are nice people too.”

Kermit Cintron, welterweight contender who recently sparred 16 rounds with
 Hopkins: “He treated me great. I mean, he’s a great guy. A lot of people
 think he might be ignorant, but he’s not, he’s really a great guy. I
 learned a lot from him. Learned how to, and when not to punch, when to
 punch. His craftiness, his speed, his reflexes - I was surprised. For the
 age of 40 he’s a true champion. Afterwards, his trainers would tell me
 what I did wrong and things I do right. (Did he say anything that really
 inspired you?) On the last day of sparring he just said that I got it. I
 mean, that was it, that I ‘got it.’ I have the heart, I’m hungry. I got
 it, just keep with it.’”

Andrew Council, challenged Hopkins (L12) for IBF title in 1997: “Hopkins
 is one of the best conditioned guys in the world. He don’t eat no red
 meat, no junk. His condition - that’s why he’s able to fight at this age.
 Because a lot of the younger guys really can’t fight, and he knows how to
 fight. (What was different about fighting Hopkins?) Just his conditioning,
 he doesn’t get tired, keeps coming and wears you down. (What’s his best
 punch?) He’s not a big puncher. It’s his conditioning, his mentality of
 Keep coming forward. Not really a big puncher. He seems to get stronger
 later in the fight.”

Lou Del Valle, former WBA Light Heavyweight Champion: “That’s one guy you
 can say he’s always ready to work, he’s clean, he lives a good life, he
 helps the fighters, he talks up what the promoters do and what the
 managers do, and he’s been getting robbed and jerked for the money. But
 he’s a great fighter, a great ambassador for boxing. (Do you know him at
 all?) Yeah, he’s my boy! He always tells me that he’s gonna take me to
 Florida, then bring me to Philadelphia to get my act together [smiles]!”

Iran Barkley, former super middleweight and light heavyweight champion:
 ”You gotta respect Bernard Hopkins. He’s doin’ it his way. Technical-wise,
 he’s a good fighter. He’s rulin’ what he’s doin’. I believe he’s holdin’
 his crowns as well as he can do it. I know him as a person. Me and him
 have a lot of respect for each other. I’m glad he’s accomplished what he’s
 done. There’s times I wish I could have been able to control my situation.
 I could control it but at the time my life was in other people’s hands. I
 had to - at the time - it’s not like now where they callin’ their own
 shots. I had to - if I didn’t do what the promoter said - which is the
 powers-that-be like Arum - I wouldn’t have had my titles. I would have
 just had to be in the back of the line or something.
 As a person, Bernard is a good, nice person. I haven’t spent much time
 around him. But the time that I have, I respect him as a person. I
 remember one time, it was in Philly (at the press conference for the
 Hakkar fight), he said, There’s another champion here, Iran Barkley. I
 remember the things he was doing and I gotta secure the money for my
 family. And I can’t let nobody make decisions for me. I have to do it my
 way, because if I don’t - here’s another example of a great champion that
 people directed to do what they wanted him to do and he had a bad
 experience with ‘em. So I kinda respected when Bernard did that.”

Monte Barrett, heavyweight contender: “Well, I respect Bernard a great
 deal. I always see B, he says, Hello, what’s up. One day, when Trinidad
 fought Mayorga, he pulled me to the side, and he’s like, What’s goin’ on?
 Where you at? So I said, Well, you know how politcs is. He pulled me to
 the side, he’s like, I don’t like you even talkin’ like that. And I
 appreciate him takin’ the time out to express himself to me saying,
 Listen, you better than that. Politics can only do two things - it can
 make you or break you. So next time someone asks you how you’re doing, you
 say you’re focused, you’re ready to go. But you don’t sound motivated. So
 he’s like, Don’t let politics get to you in this game. He said, Believe
 me, I’m the king of this controversy thing. So I know. So I took it like
 that. Everything helps in this world. In this boxing game, everything
 helps. Sometimes you get sidetracked. We all human. It only takes one word
 or one sentence from people for you to say, Oh okay, I’m back on track. So
 I have a great deal of respect for him. And I wish him all the success in
 his career that he didn’t have already.”

Lamon Brewster, WBO Heavyweight champion: “Bernard Hopkins is a pioneer.
 When you talk about a fighter taking control of his own career. And he’s a
 warrior as well. I tend to - this is the only time I tend to get upset
 with the critics - because this is a man who didn’t duck anybody. He
 fought everybody. But (some of the media) got something to say negative
 about this man. And now that he’s finally got to where he feels content,
 everybody wants to ride on his coattails. I don’t think that’s right. This
 man is a warrior. Whether he looks good or not, he still won. A win is a
 win. I just think it’s not fair, people always lookin’ for that knockout.
 But knockin’ a man out all the time, you don’t learn. In order to grow in
 any business, you have to go the distance sometime. That’s what I feel
 like about Bernard Hopkins. He definitely led the way, set a guideline for
 me and for other fighters who want to take control. Instead of just
 leavin’ it in the hands of your managers and being at their fate.”

Joe Byrd, father/trainer of IBF Heavyweight champ Chris Byrd: “I got a lot
 of respect for Hopkins. One reason is he taught us age is just a number.
 And he’s a helluva nice guy when you meet him, personally in person. He
 spent that time in prison, he’s still a young man, some guys are younger
 but they live crazy lives. Bernard lives a clean life. I met him, he’s a
 nice guy. You meet him in person - you can’t ever meet a better guy. When
 I first met him we were at the convention out in Phoenix in ‘98 or ‘99.
 And he walk up, Mr. Byrd. He just start talkin’, and he just
 down-to-earth. He ain’t all cocky, like some fighters, I’m the world
 champion, the top pound-for-pound, the best in the world…he just
 Hopkins. He just down-to-earth, nice guy.”

Zab Judah, WBO Junior Welterweight champ: “He the king. He the
 grandfather of boxing right now. You know what I’m sayin’, he’s the big
 boy, the Big Kahuna right now. He the head honcho. You gotta take your hat
 off to him. (Do you get along okay with him?) B-Hop - that’s my boy. From
 Philly to New York baby, we got it on a lot. We got a great deal of
 respect for each other. And I love him like a brother and all that. I
 mean, he’s a good dude, that’s all you can really say.”

Mike McCallum, former champion: “Bernard Hopkins is a great fighter and a true legend. And a throwback to the old times. He’s the last of the Mohicans as far as I’m concerned. Bernard’s a great fighter and a great champion and he’s gonna beat all those guys for a long time, you see…The fighters today don’t fight. They don’t take the fight game serious. These guys like Bernard, myself, we train diligently, all the time. We’re like gym rats, we live in the gym. We love the gym. We eat the gym. We don’t do this as a job, we love doing this. These guys (today)…how much money am I making? But we used to fight for no money! We loved to fight and that’s the difference. Bernard Hopkins is a beautiful guy. A nice guy. Loves his job, fighting hard. (What about how people criticized some of the things he did?) In the end he came out on top, so what can you say? He won. And did it his way. And it’s his career.”
Tim Witherspoon, former two-time Heavyweight champion: “I knew Bernard when he first came out of prison. We were actually training together. I used to hang with his uncle (Artie McCloud). We were taught by the same guy - Slim Jim (Robinson) and we trained a bit. I might’ve boxed him one time. I knew he was a hard worker. And we saw him for a small period, then all of a sudden he was gone. He was somewhere, training hard. He used to ask me questions about boxing. At that time I was going through the thing with Don King. He was asking me questions about different things in boxing. I used to talk to him about. Then eventually I saw him helping other people out in boxing. Me and his uncle were real good friends. Artie McCloud was a middleweight, real exciting - just like Bernard Hopkins. Good defense. Real good. Just didn’t excel. But he was an excellent fighter. A lot of guys knew about him. (Why did Bernard become such a great?) I don’t know. I don’t know what could’ve made him the way he was. Maybe all the trials and tribulations and doing the things where we come from in Philadelphia. I think that was some of the things that maybe pushed him to want to get the greatness. And be one of the greats. All the great middleweights out of Philly might have done it too. (Is Bernard misunderstood?) I think a lot of people understand him…now. Maybe in the beginning he was misunderstood. But now they understand him more. I guess you got to understand the struggle - of fighting against something. The struggle in your life. If you understand that then you might understand what Bernard is talkin’ about.”

Kelly Swanson, boxing publicist: “Working with him on the last two shows,
 I really got to know him and got closer to him. From my perspective,
 Bernard is a PR person’s dream. Because he’s willing to do almost anything
 you ask him to do. He loves to talk with the media. If it fits in his
 schedule, he’ll do it. Even for the biggest fight of his life with Oscar
 de la Hoya, he never said no…He’s so funny, he’s really funny. I mean,
 he had me cracking up all the time. Sometimes he’d be really goofy, making
 facial expressions or mimic somebody. I remember this: In Las Vegas, they
 were at the press conference. Most fighters are like, I’m out of here, let
 me go eat. But Bernard stayed and was sitting in a corral-type situation.
 And they started talking about Oscar’s looks, and how handsome he was and
 everything. And one of the media guys was like, Oh, does Kelly tell you
 that? That you look so handsome? And he was like, no, she just reminds me
 to put in my teeth! So, like that engagement, it was so funny. He is not
 vain. I think he’s a good-looking guy. It’s just that he’s so
 matter-of-fact about everything, with this quirkiness. And that’s what
 makes him so real. He’s so matter-of-fact, there’s no real bull****. What
 you see is what you get. He’ll tell you honestly how he feels. Which, from
 a professional standpoint, I love that. (How about a memory or anecdote of Bernard?) Every day we’d leave the MGM, he’d come down the back way and get into the car - to take him to the press conference, or take him to the gym. Just wherever he had to go, he
 was always going through the back way. And there were always construction
 workers outside. And they became his regulars. And by the time the week
 went by, all of them hats were signed. He never once just brushed by them
 and got in the car. He was just real nice. And I know it wasn’t just this,
 Hey, how you doin’ guy? But by the end of the week, when the next day -
 because he stayed till Monday - And so Monday there’s one of the guys was
 this huuuge boxing fan. He was a Vegas dude, really nice guy, white guy
 with long hair. He knew boxing really well. But he knew Bernard really
 well, his background and everything. And he had his money on him, he had
 his money on him every fight he fought. And he said all his buddies were
 saying Trinidad was gonna beat Bernard. And this guy’s always - full court
 press Bernard Hopkins. By Monday you could just tell this guy was - that
 week probably made his life. And I know it made Bernard’s life, to have
 this guy out there every day, knowing how much he really believed in him.”

Teddy Blackburn, photographer: “Hopkins deserves his props. This is a nice way to go with your story - other fighters’ ideas rather than writers. Besides yourself, most writers put there ego sometimes ahead of the fighters. Hopkins is more intense than any fighter I ever captured through my lens…except Tommy Hearns, who the X-Man looks up to. Hopkins pysched out both Tito and Oscar in the parks of New York City - Bryant Park for Tito - when he threw down the Puerto Rican flag the fight was over. When he made a few comments at Tavern on the Green at Oscar, then looked right into Oscar’s eyes…Oscar had to be “talked” into looking into the X-Man’s eyes by the photographers. He didn’t do it naturally. You could have gone to the sports book window after the photo op. The fight was over in Central Park. I remember when I did some portraits of the X-Man in Philly. He had all his belts ready, on-time, and ready to work. Being on-time is rare for boxing. The only time that day that he broke out of his fight eyes was when his lovely daughter (Latrice) came into the pictures - he had a family smile on his mug. When Hop met Gerald McClellan for the first time since the G-Man went blind and braindamaged after the Benn fight in ‘95, X Man was emotionally touched. Hopkins is the real deal. A tribute to boxing.”

Alex “The Bronx Bomber” Ramos (Former Middleweight contender and Founder/President of Retired Boxers Foundation): “As you may or may not know, I trained in Philly when I turned pro. I have known Bernard Hopkins for many years and he is certainly a part of the “brotherhood of boxing.” I call Bernard my friend and he treats me with the same respect I show him, which is the utmost. Bernard fights at the same class I did - middleweight. Like me, Bernard is a true middleweight. He and I were always in shape and never had a problem making weight because of being a true middleweight. The “brotherhood” is what makes all of us look each other in the eye, and understand the other person. Most fighters reach a point in their careers when they have heard all the bullshit, when they know they are being conned and when they know their value in the sport. Bernard is a “senior” and no one is going to pull the wool over his eyes. Bernard and I also feel the same way about people: We don’t give a shit if you like us or not. We know who we are and we know what is important. We know who can be trusted (not many) and who to watch out for. Sometimes people mistake this for arrogance, but in reality, it is the face of experience. Bernard is passionate about the sport of boxing and wants to leave his mark - not just in the ring, but in the sport itself. He does things for the brotherhood, including speaking out about injustices. He spoke at the National Association of Attorneys General Boxing Task Force and he was one of the few who told the truth about boxing. Some people have a hard time hearing it, mostly because they know he’s telling the truth and they know he’s talking about them. Like I said, he and I can look each other in the eye and know that we are both on the same team. Whenever I see Bernard, he is warm and happy to see me. No bullshit. He knows my name and he knows what I am doing with my life and he always asks me how I’m doing. He loves the Retired Boxers Foundation and he has helped me on a number of occasions. He came to our media conference launching Autographed To You.com at the Playboy Mansion and he didn’t act like he was doing me a favor. He was genuinely happy to help and proud to be associated. He has called me at home and I have his home phone number. Most of all, I like the respect he shows to Jacquie - the Executive Director of the Retired Boxers Foundation. He knows that she is a good person and he knows that she has helped me promote the Retired Boxers Foundation and he knows that we get things done. You know, nobody really gives a shit what the retired Boxers think of the sport - other than the fans. If things are going to change for the better in boxing, it has to be a current champ speaking up for all of us and I think Bernard Hopkins is the man. He doesn’t hesitate to speak up and like I said, he tells the truth. He is a good role model for fighters. You want to be a PROFESSIONAL boxer, you need to look at Bernard. He doesn’t blow up between fights. He maintains his weight and his training isn’t something you focus on for six weeks before a big fight - it’s a way of life. He lives clean. I can tell you from my own mistakes that Bernard is setting an example and I hope that today’s contenders and champions can see the difference between a professional athlete like Bernard, who don’t smoke weed, doesn’t do drugs or drink, and is faithful to his wife and family. He treats boxing like a profession…a career….not something you do between binges or parties. He also invests his money and explores options for his life after boxing. Bernard isn’t perfect, but he’s taking care of himself and his family, which is all you got in the end. Bottom line, Bernard is proving that the athlete is the name of the game in boxing. Sure, you need promoters and television and managers and trainers, but you do not have to trade in your dignity or your intellect to make a name for yourself. You do your job to stay in shape and win fights. You understand your business so you don’t get taken advantage of. If you get screwed over, you make ‘em pay like any businessman, through the judicial system. When you make mistakes, you deal with it. It takes a real man to admit a mistake and people can respect you for being human. I always say: “The past is like your ass, its behind you.” Bernard has learned from his past and made up his mind never to return (to the past). I really admire Bernard Hopkins and I would love to have him on the Honorary Board of the Retired Boxers Foundation. In fact, I’m gonna call him tonight!”