Date: Volume II, 2004

Cover: Bernard Hopkins (photo by Will Hart)

What’s So Important About This Issue? Just three years before this issue was published, Hopkins was one of boxing hidden gems. A tireless and ageless champion, Hopkins first gained glory in 2001 with a knockout of unbeaten superstar Felix Trinidad, and reached an apex by being the first man to knock out boxing’s “Golden Boy,” Oscar De La Hoya in 2004 at the age of 39. With a picture of Hopkins leaping into the air in a sudden rush of exhilaration, the cover perfectly signified that all of Hopkins’ dreams have come to fruition, and he has become a legend.

Cover Story: By chronicling Hopkins’ difficult rise from “the penitentiary to the pinnacle of his profession,” Nigel Collins’ article, “A Legend In Our Midst: Hopkins Dismantles De La Hoya With Subtle Brilliance,” revealed a fighter that turned tragedy into triumph and works tirelessly with a hunger for glory. While De La Hoya’s career has had all the glitz and glamour of a Hollywood movie, Hopkins busted in through the back door of superstardom.  For instance, Collins writes that “De La Hoya never had to defend his title for $100,000 on ESPN, or find a storefront lawyer to defend him against a high-priced team of attorneys.” But, as Collins concludes, “Hopkins will always be more of a fighter than a star. And once the bells ring, that’s what really counts.”

Also In This Issue:  “Who Is Erik Morales The Man” by William Dettloff … “Can Vargas Make Another Championship Run?” by Eric Raskin … “Mosley’s Last Chance” by Ivan Goldman… Fighter of the Month: Daniel Edouard… Special 30th Anniversary Magazine-Within-The Magazine: The Rumble in the Jungle Revisited.

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