Bernard Hopkins isn't highly regarded by those who have done business with him. He's been to court with his former promoter Butch Lewis and America Presents, sued Don King and been sued by Lou DiBella, who despises him as a man but respects him as a fighter. British promoter Frank Warren also claimed Hopkins was impossible to deal with because the American backed out of a fight against Joe Calzaghe. But by agreeing to fight Oscar De La Hoya on September 18, Hopkins feels every decision he has made in his career has been justified. Forced out of his Miami Beach training camp a week early because of Hurricane Frances, Hopkins is guaranteed $8m against the Golden Boy. If pay-per-view sales in America exceed 1.5m, Bernard could possibly double that figure. That's much more than he was offered to box Calzaghe or Roy Jones in a rematch, or James Toney at cruiser (all fights which have fallen through in recent years). "This (fight) is for all fighters, encouraging them that they can make their own decisions," said Hopkins. "They can still come out on top when they have the courage and patience to continue winning." Not every fighter, however, has Hopkins' talent, speed of thought, strength of character or remarkable dedication. He is, without doubt, the Marvin Hagler of his generation, an old-school champion who came up the hard way, stays in shape and will never allow anyone to take him by surprise. Hopkins, nicknamed "The Executioner", comes from an impoverished background. "I'm not perfect," he admitted. "I'm always paranoid in boxing. I learned that in the business, not the ring. In the ring, you know I'm so comfortable." Hopkins has earned enough from boxing to be comfortable financially along with a wife and young daughter. Though he is a reformed character (having been to jail for bank robbery) and tremendous role model, at the core of the man is someone still more at home in the severe surroundings of hometown Philadelphia. "I'm more paranoid in the suburbs where I live (in Deleware) than I am in the ghetto when I ride back to Philly," he explained. "I'm actually comfortable when I ride home and you can hear gunshots 15 blocks away. You pay no attention to it because you're used to it." But self-control and discipline are Hopkins' greatest attributes, even if he admits that in training he can be a difficult man to be around. "I'm real moody," he said. "But when the fight's over I'm the nicest person to be around. I can change that personality which some fighters can't. They take that fighter personality into society and then you make the papers, the news. In the ring, though, I go in with the mentality that we're in the streets. I don't care about you, your family or who you are with. That might seem cruel and make you angry, but you have to understand that to be a fighter - to be a real fighter - is a mental game. Once you know you have to be strong mentally, you have to take that into combat and into the ring and perform. But when it's all said and done, we're going to hug each other. Most fighters do. When the fight's over, nine out of 10 times we will embrace each other and go about our business. That's the most beautiful thing about boxing."
For most fighters, training camp means precisely that - a place of seclusion, hard work, discipline and no distractions. Not Ricardo Mayorga, the wayward Nicaraguan who boxes Felix Trinidad in New York on October 2. He found time for a night on the tiles with a young lady last week which very nearly resulted in the Trinidad match being cancelled. His partner for the evening on September 2 accused Mayorga of rape at a hotel where they went for the evening. Police in Managua went searching for the boxer, who was nowhere to be found before he surfaced at the international airport trying to board a flight to the United States. Mayorga was promptly arrested and questioned, but later released and given permission to fly to Las Vegas, where he arrived in time last Saturday to sit ringside for the main events at Don King's promotion for the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Ricardo, known for his wild, erratic behaviour - he drinks, smokes and enjoys driving at high speed through the streets in Managua - claimed he had been set up. He insisted that hotel staff, who verified the boxer had been at the hotel with the lady, could confirm they left happily together. Unperturbed by the events, Mayorga said in Vegas, "I'm going to sleep in the ring and wait for Trinidad." He said the incident had cost him only one day's training.
Mike Tyson is feeling low following his defeat by Danny Williams in July. The former two-time world heavyweight king gave an interesting exclusive interview to Boxingtalk.com, explaining he was trying to keep himself together (mentally) after such a disappointing result. "It (defeat) is nothing for my career, because guys lose, come back and win titles all the time," he said. "But I was very disappointed because I trained so hard. I was ready to knock this guy out and become a sensation again, and then pow!" Tyson didn't give Williams much credit, labelling him "a journeyman". Tyson insisted his knee was the reason for his defeat. He is walking again, but said: "My leg hurts a little. I'm getting therapy for it and am doing good. After all these years fighting, this thing with my leg is the only thing that has prevented me from fighting. I never worried about brain damage or anything like that." Asked if he had watched the Williams fight on tape, Tyson said: "I'm too hurt to see it. I'm just trying to get myself together without becoming discouraged or frustrated. The fight was ready to be over. All these people who said he was too tough for me should know he wasn't. He fought back and was gallant. But the bravest thing he did was step into the ring with me."