A FIGHT NEVER SEEN BEFORE | Young Bernard Hopkins 5th Pro Fight | FREE FIGHT

We open up the vault in this #freefight to bring you #bernardhopkins 5th ever fight against Jouvin Mercado.
Next up for Top Rank Boxing, Unified Light Heavyweight King Artur Beterbiev to Defend Crown Against Knockout King Anthony Yarde at OVO Arena Wembley in London.
London calls for the light-heavyweight king. WBC, WBO and IBF world champion Artur Beterbiev will defend his belts against big-punching British challenger Anthony Yarde at the OVO Arena Wembley on Saturday, January 28.
The WBO No.1 contender gets his shot at the Montreal-based Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs), boxing’s only world champion with a 100 percent knockout ratio. He will be fighting professionally in the United Kingdom for the first time, with the highly decorated former amateur having fought in London at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Promoted by Frank Warren and Queensberry, in association with Top Rank, this huge 175-pound showdown will be shown exclusively on BT Sport in the UK and streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.
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[@ravkhabra]

Took the fight at 5 hours notice. LEGEND.

[@YouAintGotNoTegridyBoi]

Bernard Hopkins was a truly special fighter, you could see that from the start.

[@cheilech5361]

Damn bernard took this fight same day he got the call . He looked in incredible shape

[@salutcava2262]

Bernard look like a middleweight Mike Tyson here.

[@robertenglish3921]

I wonder where Bernard could've been the better

[@freddy8479]

On a journey of being JUST AS LETHAL!!!!!

[@murtazasrwr09]

Except the stance

[@SOLE_II_SOUL]

And to think that he started boxing late and still was able to show this level of technique.

[@MishaElRusito]

This is how you fight when you're an up and coming pro. Straight for the kill, no dancing around for 4 rounds like most of the young prospects today.

[@JosephKulik2016]

All the "dancing around" started with Cassius Clay in 1960, and it completely ruined Boxing after that IMO. If you want to dance, then become a Ballerina. But if you want to be a Boxer, then FIGHT for God's sake !!! In that way, Hopkins was actually a throw back to an earlier era.

[@raulcitraro]

HOPKINS was one of a kind. Fast, accurate, and had exceptional boxing timing...

[@ComaToast1]

I’ve been seeing you everywhere for years under boxing vids

[@scottywiddashotty]

"Most prospects today" ok name them. There's 100s of 1000s of prospects, some stick and move, some move and fail to stick (in which case they lose), some fight on the inside, but of course you, like most people, don't know shxt about boxing. And that other dude said Muhammad Ali ruined boxing by starting the "running"... 1. Ali was far from the first boxer to move around the ring and 2. Did he ruin boxing when he layed on the Ropes absorbing George Foreman's punches before knocking George out?

[@sleeperino3054]

Willie Pep 1946: *wins a fight “without landing a punch”* Boxing fans: “He’s a defensive genius!” Shakur Stevenson 2022: *outlands Valdez throughout the entire fight, displaying beautiful technical ability and knocking him down once* Boxing fans: “He’s just dancing around! They don’t make them like they used to!”

[@retroboxingdocumentaries4817]

Great to see a young B-Hop

[@RZRBLAZ]

5 Hours notice everyone. PHENOM!

[@endlesscrusade]

if boxing had a create a fighter fantasy system and you were to create a character with the perfectly balanced stats you would get bhop.

[@tom11zz884]

The people in the audience didn't realize they were watching an all time great in the making

[@artisfu9]

I never knew Hopkins fought at 168 before becoming the MIDDLE WEIGHT KING! This fight must've been in 1988/89!

[@endlesscrusade]

it was in 1990, hopkins would have been about 25. Legend in the game for sure.

[@raulcitraro]

Also, later in his career, he fought in the Light Heavyweight Division...

[@ronaldandrews283]

He was at a higher weight than this.Thats why he got his 1st loss.

[@davedtproductionstillman]

This was so Awesome. Thanks Top Rank. Excellent Quality too.

[@MishaElRusito]

If you look closely, you'll see that Hopkins punches were always compact and narrow, no wide shots. That and his defense is why he was never knocked out. Can't counter that kind of punch effectively. Also those punches are hard to see.

[@endlesscrusade]

I agree, if you watch him training etc you'll see that he rarely ever loses his shape, elbows always tucked compact as you said it. Fundamental fighter of which we don't really see these days!

[@MishaElRusito]

@@endlesscrusade that's that disciplined old school. Hopkins said it best: boxing today lacks teachers who teach discipline, history, mental aspect, the strategy, the art of boxing, but full of trainers and coaches that just hold the pads.

[@NangTalksBoxing]

He was knocked out, by Joe Smith Jr. Albeit over 50 at the time.

[@arthurmorgan9944]

@@NangTalksBoxing"Over 50"

[@arthurmorgan9944]

@@NangTalksBoxingWould love to see that Joe smith jr try that with prime B-Hop..

[@IAMJUDAH144]

And that was how the new talent performed. You look at the up and coming boxers nowadays they don’t come out to make a statement. The up and coming boxers back in those days were serious

[@BlackyListon]

DAYUM!! ok B-hop Never saw this fight before SHYT!! 💯💯

[@Kingceaze318]

The executioner ! Greatest of all time

[@martindunstan8043]

Wow😲 I'm gonna start watching I love Lucy if it makes you perform like that at short notice😂call Bernard what you like the Terror, the Executioner, the Alien or B-Hop he was fantastic to watch an ATG 👊✌️

[@kamilkamil7180]

Hopkins is a natural talent ;)

[@dbr7033]

Controlled demolition

[@MrJoshortega]

Legend

[@enterthecarp7085]

Skill transcends time. Good upload!!! 🍻 Thank you

[@Maravillaboxeo]

Executioner no doubt. Bernard Hopkins was ruthless.

[@freddy8479]

In some cases, MORE THAN TYSON!!!

[@jdvlanka265]

People forget how exciting hopkins was before he got old. Top 3 favorites to watch when he’s in his prime

[@lemarscottwhyte3260]

Exciting? He was a terrible headbutting, elbowing racist mong. Got ruined on his debut and by white boys. 😂

[@Santana482]

No one forgot bro

[@jdvlanka265]

@@Santana482 ya…mostly they just don’t know cuz most casuals didn’t start watching until he beat Trinidad at age 36..

[@Mitch_Feral]

I think his old man fights are some of the best theater in all of boxing. Hopkins always delivered, young or old.

[@freddy8479]

I remember on USA TUESDAY FIGHTS when he made his appearance with his entourage. My thoughts were that he's going to have TO PROVE IT... AND G-DAMN HE'S BEEN MAKING A BELIEVER OUT OF ME EVER SINCE!!!!

[@Josh-bp1km]

Damn, money well spent for the folks lucky enough to catch this fight live.

[@Inca13]

perfect technique

[@willofm]

Excellent

[@LucieOne]

Guy's sitting there at 3-1, turns out to be one of the greatest fighters of all time. Can't help but wonder if Mercado was related to future Hopkins opponent, Segundo Mercado in anyway.

[@louduva9849]

Doubt it.

[@LucieOne]

@@louduva9849 I do too, but I was surprised to learn that Segundo was related to Carlos Gongora recently.

[@creety-live9327]

@@LucieOnesegundo and Jovian are both from same residence on boxrec

[@LucieOne]

@@creety-live9327 Wow! You're right. Richmond Hill, NY for both of them... well I think that's a pretty good sign isn't it? And it's a very specific place, it isn't like it just says New York City or something.

[@PrezPoet]

@@creety-live9327 Interesting!

[@Dudditz_TTV]

People don’t realize that boxing, unlike most other sports, is year-round. To stay mentally and physically in shape without having an actually fight in front of you is astonishing to say the least. There are a lot of greats who started boxing young and had the momentum of boxing their whole life, going or, and having fights always in front of them. The fact that B-Hop showed up on 5 hours notice to fight is another level of badass. It shows he was always in the gym staying ready for that opportunity, that wasn’t directly in front of him. The “last minute replacement” fighters are always something special when they are actually ready. Some people have this mindset, some don’t.

[@Super_M_AN__]

Sensational.

[@MrKeepnit100]

His style in this fight was BEAUTIFUL

[@freddy8479]

BEAUTIFULLY RUTHLESS!!!

[@reginald8134]

Delicious 5 piece combo 🥊

[@amjay2272]

Happy birthday B-Hop

[@nodnostrebor4300]

Boy, you've really got to like this young Super Middleweight, Bernard Hopkins! Yeah.

[@prabhdeepdhahan1147]

5 round fights are funner to watch.

[@roblee9254]

patience is what i look for in young prospects. Sit back on your jab

[@AgainstTheRopesWithDos]

B HOP

[@georgegrullon8495]

Bernard was catching him with too many hooks.

[@ron357]

Goat

[@user-cr6md8ln6s]

Listen... LET ME OFFICIALLY STAMP THIS AS THE STANDARD MEASURE FOR ALL BOXERS, PAST AND PRESENT TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE CIRCLE OF THOROUGH

[@Paul-sl9zm]

A fight never before seen? Was everyone in the crowd legally blind?

[@willofm]

Cant wait for him to show up in HNI Versus Takamura

[@gavinbrando8255]

Never knew his old nickname was the terror 😂 he went to the executioner and then the alien but I am glad he removed the terror

[@LeadLeftLeon]

Bernard always been hard to hit even early on

[@fartfacemuldoon5657]

I had seen this before.

[@tranminh4751]

thời cổ

[@pnfposse123kbabi6]

Who owns this footage?

[@luelue5323]

What was that nickname lol great fight

[@maryambintghassani2341]

Fortunately for everyone else, Hopkins would only fight at the top level for two more decades.

[@WillDaYungOG]

BHop !

[@bruceleeharveyoswald5104]

X

[@stephenmorris3696]

Mercado must have started boxing late he looks 50

[@RomanKortylewski-fq8nb]

Dzięki wspaniałej technice i zdrowiu tak długo walczył na najwyższym poziomie

[@tck5778]

Real Fighter real champion

[@_DeathB4Dishonor]

never seen before...mmmhh..what bout all those people in attendence ..Silly Rabbit Trix are for Kids

[@FightHT]

💥good news