In
the Black Book of Boxing Secrets, there exists an explanation for how confident
boxers, filled with machismo and a license to inflict pain, suddenly resort to
passive spectators in their own demise. The Book's volumes contain rich
treasures in how to neutralize and nullify younger and fresher opposition. The
mysteries of optimum hand positioning, foot spacing and feinting are presented
as Kabbalistic teachings. The Book focuses on various psychological aspects of
the sport. It features bold chapter titles like, "Your Opponent's Strength
is his Weakness," "He Fights your Fight," and "Instilling
Doubt."
The
information contained in the Book provides enlightenment to its adherents.
Boxing mythology and mysticism are broken down into their elemental truths. But
one cannot find the Book on retail shelves or on Amazon. No, this book is hidden
from the general boxing public and the overwhelming majority of active
fighters. Only the special ones are granted an opportunity to learn from the
Book, and only a few fighters within this exclusive club are able to process
its secrets and absorb its mysteries. The Book is passed down from generation
to generation, from trainers and fighters to their protégés in out-of-the-way
sweatbox gyms in select locations throughout the world. Only those who have the patience,
discipline and athletic gifts can begin to incorporate its marvels.
Bernard
Hopkins has not only mastered the Book, but he co-authored the last edition,
with the hermetic guru of pugilism, Red Basil (what a name!), rumored to be
living in a Himalayan monastery. On his most recent book tour, which occurred
in mostly obscure boxing outposts throughout North America, Hopkins didn't read
from a text; it was all rote. One five-hour lecture on the shoulder feint was
particularly well received in Mexico City.
This
past Saturday, Hopkins, perhaps the most famous active practitioner of the
Black Book of Boxing Secrets along with Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel
Marquez, demonstrated yet again his mastery of the mysteries of the sport.
Within
three minutes, Hopkins transformed titleholder Tavoris Cloud, a physical and
aggressive pugilist, into a tentative figure. Instead of throwing his typical
60-70 punches a round, Cloud finished the first frame with just 24 punches
recorded. In one respect, the battle was already won; Cloud had
given up his two greatest advantages: activity and pressure.
Against Cloud, Guru
Hopkins demonstrated a command and richness of boxing dimensions
that mere mortals could only admire with disbelief: jabbing off the
back foot, pinpoint right-hand counters, shoulder rolling off the ropes,
feints, blocking and rolling with punches, stick-and-moving, triple jabs
starting a combination, lead left hooks to start exchanges, lead uppercuts to
dissuade forward movement.
Perhaps
most impressive was his acute understanding of the opponent in front of him.
Realizing that Cloud moved in straight lines and was only able to fire with his
feet planted, Hopkins moved throughout the night. Featuring subtle
side-to-side movement at times and leaving the pocket entirely on other
occasions, Hopkins ensured that Cloud felt uncomfortable in the ring. The
nasty cut he opened up with a left hook also added to Cloud's unease.
Interestingly, Hopkins
left behind his long, looping lead right hand, his best weapon of the last
decade. Usually, Hopkins would lunge in with this shot and fire off some hooks
on the inside before a clinch. Against Cloud, Hopkins wisely chose to limit his
exposure on the inside. Thus, he resorted to movement and quick combinations
from mid-range. Certainly, Cloud was expecting that lead right hand. He must
have been all the more shocked when Hopkins landed with the lead left hook and
jab.
The
sagacious one didn't dominate and it wasn't his best performance; it was
essentially workmanlike. Per usual, his conditioning was superb. He got crushed
with some body shots in the second round and while he was less inclined to
trade immediately after that exchange, it didn't stop him from having a solid
third round. After Cloud teed off along the ropes in the 8th round and landed a
vicious right hand, Hopkins essentially shut him down the rest of the fight by
masterfully picking his spots and being first and last in exchanges. His legs
still looked fresh in the 12th round and he didn't seem to be working hard as
the fight reached its conclusion.
Scores
were 116-112, 116-112 and 117-111 (this writer scored it 115-113). There were a
number of close rounds, but Hopkins outlanded Cloud and scored with more of the
memorable punches.
The
48-year-old did something else very notable on Saturday; he avoided
imparting his knowledge of the Appendices of the Black Book of Boxing Secrets,
the chapters that highlight the dark arts of the sport. Hopkins instead just
fought. There were no elbows, low blows, wrestling maneuvers or melodramatic
claims of phantom fouls. No, he left his bag of illicit tricks back in the
dressing room. As a result, the fight actually had a flow to it. The crowd
was entertained and riveted by the master's ring craft.
As
the final bell sounded, the fans stood and applauded. New York may not be
known for its sentimental audiences, but on Saturday, they roared with approval
and gave the old warrior a fitting sendoff into the night.
*************************************************
I
have watched, studied and observed Bernard Hopkins more than any other fighter
in my time as a boxing observer. He has been a source of constant enrichment. As familiar as I believe I might be with him,
Saturday's performance reinforced my lack of exposure to the Black Book of
Boxing Secrets.
In
an ex post facto examination
of Saturday's performance, surely I could point to his feints, movement or timing
as what set him on a path to victory. But that level of analysis barely
scratches the surface of Hopkins' performance. Lots of fighters feint. Many boxers
use the ring.
What
I haven't been able to fully comprehend about Hopkins is how he regularly controls
fights psychologically from the moment the opening bell rings. How can someone
make a confident champion (whether it is Trinidad, Tarver, Pavlik or Cloud) so
tentative so quickly? Saturday wasn't an instance of a Hopkins slowly breaking
a guy down with hard shots; as in several other occasions in his career, it was
an example of an immediate imposition of his style. Ultimately, I don't know
what Hopkins' opponents see or don't see that forces them out of their game
plans almost instantaneously.
It's
even more than imposing his will. Hopkins forces fighters to make bad decisions,
to commit self-nullifying acts. Why wouldn't Tarver let his hands go? The man
had no chance to win without activity. Why did Pavlik refuse to throw his jab
after the first three rounds? It's not that Hopkins was the hardest puncher he
had ever faced. He had absorbed huge shots from Edison Miranda and Jermain
Taylor in past fights; yet he would then come on to win them. However, against Hopkins, he
suddenly couldn't pull the trigger. Why did Cloud spend so much time staring at Hopkins from the outside, an area of the ring that assured his defeat?
And
it's not just Hopkins who has this gift. Why did Ortiz resort to head butting against Mayweather?
Why did Pacquiao become a pocket fighter against Marquez in their third fight?
Why did Foreman punch himself out against Ali? These are examples of fighters
performing in the ring with uncertainty or fear. They are under extreme duress
and abandon their game plans.
This
subject fascinates me and there aren't easy answers. Again, these are decorated
champions, confident in all of their abilities, who lose themselves in the ring.
It's Zab Judah swinging wildly in a Las Vegas ring riot while Floyd Mayweather
stands peacefully in a corner. There is an added psychological dimension with
some fighters that would not be accurate to describe as an intangible. These
edges show up repeatedly throughout their careers and expressly help them
achieve victory after victory.
Bernard
Hopkins has won more big fights as an underdog than any other modern boxer.
He's made his career off of this mark. It's a lofty accomplishment and it's no
mere footnote. Opponents who are well-trained professionals seem woefully
unprepared for him once they enter the ring. Boxing handicappers have
downplayed his skills for over a decade. Media members have picked against him
in favor of lesser, younger fighters quite often. Yet this pattern of Hopkins
overcoming the odds has repeated throughout the last 12 years. Logically, this
shouldn't happen.
But
Hopkins' career has defied normal patterns or facile categorization. His
rarified achievements merit their own chapter in the Black Book of Boxing
Secrets. However, these secrets are not for my eyes or ears. I have only picked
up some of its content from anonymous second-hand sources. Hopkins is the
president of the Club within the Club. Although he has performed his
public rituals with exquisite craft in front of tens of thousands, his mastery of the precise technical and
psychological aspects of the sport happened far out of the public view.
Bernard
Hopkins knows more about boxing than I ever will. He is the gold standard. He
is where I aspire to be; I will never get there. This isn't a realization that
leads to bitterness. Hopkins's career has been extraordinary and I have been
here to witness it. Maybe one day his various dimensions will all coalesce into
some unifying principle of his greatness. For now, I will enjoy the ride,
admire his achievements, revel in his career's mystery and continue to learn.
Adam Abramowitz is the head writer and founder of saturdaynightboxing.com.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com
@snboxing on twitter
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The most pleaseing thing about this victory is that now Don (The Crook) King has no Champions left, he has robbed so many fighters blind starting with Ali even after Ali gave him his first real big break, if you steal a million bucks from Ali then this is what you deserve
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