|
"THE MOST FEARED? TRY THE MOST DESPICABLE!" By Elisa Harrison |
 |
It was not to be, however, as Bernard Hopkins chose to wallow in deeper mire,
continuing his personal vendetta against James and Bouie Fisher.
Hopkins referred to himself, and I paraphrase, as the most feared fighter in boxing. Is he trying to convince us or himself? Has it dawned on him yet that it was never about him? The highlight of his aging
career was a victory against el gran campeón Felix "Tito" Trinidad, on September 29, 2002,
and what has happened to this "feared" and "fearless" undisputed champion since?
Having to look at Bernard Hopkins has never been a pleasant task for me; having to
listen to him is even more difficult. However, I looked forward to the much hyped
conversation with Hopkins on ESPN2's most recent edition of Friday Night Fights. I was
hoping against hope that we would see and hear a new and improved Bernard Hopkins, a remorseful
or even a respectful version of the old Philly felon.
The answer is not behind door number one, two or three; the answer is staring him in the face and he can't possibly like it. NOTHING! That's what has happened to Bernard Hopkins, absolutely NOTHING!
Well, actually, let me amend that, he does have an upcoming mandatory which was downgraded from PPV to HBO, and has all the makings of garnering the lowest rating ever for the network's boxing events.
The pay, a measly $1,125,000, a lot less than he had been offered by HBO and SHOWTIME for a match against RJJ and one or two mandatories. The "Executioner" has made it a career of shooting himself in the foot, and his inability to capitalize on the Trinidad defeat is proof positive of that fact.
Hopkins' lack of humanity has bought him nothing but trouble, and his reply on ESPN2 when asked if he missed Bouie as a trainer ranks as an all time low, even for him. "No, I don't miss him," said Hopkins. "I'd miss him if he was dead."
Throughout Bernard's very public execution of Bouie and James Fisher, father and son have chosen to avoid any verbal sparring with Hopkins, while Bouie awaits his day in court. James, Bouie's son and Bernard's escape goat in this caper, has opted to remain low key and has refused comment on the many accusations Hopkins has pitched his way.
Fast forward to this past Friday, January 10th, 2003, when in plain view of millions Bernard Hopkins called James Fisher "a bum, a bum who has never worked and has never wanted to work." I couldn't believe my ears, as once again, Bernard Hopkins, (who must have a special arrangement with his legal team, the more lawsuits the cheaper the fee), assassinated a man's character in such a crude and unjustified manner.
I did some research on James Fisher, trying to find the qualifying particulars for the "bum" attribute and this is what I was able to find out.
James Fisher is one of eight children born to Bouie and Peggy Fisher, who have been married over fifty years. The Fisher brood was educated in Catholic schools, and James attended the prestigious St. John's Prep in Philadelphia, which is run by Jesuits priests, at an early 80's tuition cost of $5,000 a year.
James went on to Penn State and Elizabeth City State in North Carolina, where the talented saxophone player received a marching band scholarship. In 1984 James Fisher joined the U.S. Air Force, served in active duty for three years, reserve duty for three more years, and received an honorable discharge in 1990.
James Fisher has also helped his father run the family owned transmission shop since 1988. He has worked in construction, and as a clothing merchant, as well as an advisor/assistant to Mr. Hopkins, the job he was performing when we met. He has never ran afoul of the law, has never been arrested, has never been in trouble.
Shall we compare James Fisher's résumé to Bernard's? Or is that too easy? Bernard Hopkins served five years of a ten year sentence in the Pennsylvania prison system for strong armed robbery. Bernard Hopkins is a convicted felon, who preyed on helpless victims on his way to the big house.
The thug mentality -or perhaps it's just an inherent trait- has gotten him to this day, when instead of sitting on top of the world, enjoying the celebrity status he attained after the Trinidad victory, Hopkins continues to go one on one against the world, stewing in his own juice, accomplishing nothing but disdain and killing whatever marketability he may have had.
I applauded Lou DiBella's victory, although I had hoped for a bigger monetary award. I can't wait for Bouie Fisher to get his just reward as well, and today, as I write this piece, I am hoping that James Fisher will waste no time contacting attorney Judd Burnstein come Monday morning.
3-31-2004
Brought to you by Saratogamist copyright 2001-2004