 Bernard Hopkins’ 30-year journey from teenage delinquent to
Hall of Fame boxer is an awe-inspiring tale of suffering, incredible
perseverance and hard work, and ultimate redemption. To rapt audiences he
delivers the powerful message that tough-minded discipline and faith in oneself
can conquer life’s greatest challenges, no matter how daunting those challenges
may seem.
Bernard himself is living proof of his message. Sentenced to 18 years in prison
for robbery when he was 17, he dedicated himself to turning his life around,
achieving his high school diploma while still behind bars and becoming national
penitentiary middleweight champ three years in a row. From the podium Bernard
tells how, by the time of his release at age 23, he had turned his boxing skills
and Spartan training habits into an art form that would earn him the title of
undisputed middleweight champion and a record 19 straight title defenses. He
thrills audiences with the stories behind those historic triumphs, including his
electrifying wins over Felix Trinidad, Antonio Tarver and Oscar de la Hoya—a
victory which so impressed de la Hoya that he invited Bernard to join his Golden
Boy Promotions as East Coast President.
Now retired, Bernard devotes his energies to developing and promoting young
fighters, continuing his career-long advocacy of boxers’ rights, and drawing on
the story of his own fierce struggle in motivating others to realize their
dreams through self-discipline, faith and determination.
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