Thursday, Sept. 16, 2004 | 10:17 a.m.
It's being hailed as the richest non-heavyweight fight in boxing history.
The total purse for the two fighters could exceed $40 million. More than 16,000 fans will watch in person at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and the pay-per-view telecast will reach perhaps 1 1/2 million homes. Yet at the prefight news conference for Saturday's middleweight championship fight between Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya, a raggedy, 19-year-old Polaroid photograph took center stage.
The photograph, which Hopkins displayed Wednesday at the MGM, was taken at Graterford Prison in Pennsylvania while Hopkins was serving nearly five years for strong-armed robbery. It depicts a young Hopkins standing with his trainer at the time, a fellow inmate named Smokey Wilson.
On the back of the photo, Wilson scrawled a note saying Hopkins would one day become the middleweight champion of the world.
Hopkins said he relied on the snapshot for inspiration as he trained for Saturday's showdown against De La Hoya.
"Whenever someone asks, 'How badly do you want it?' I'm gonna show him this picture," Hopkins said. "It's 1985, I'm in the penitentiary, with no history as an amateur fighter, no background as a professional fighter -- and still, I'm thinking about being middleweight champion."
Although he first won a major middleweight belt in 1995 and unified the titles in 2001, Hopkins has not faced a fight of this magnitude in his career.
Depending on the number of pay-per-view sales, Hopkins is expected to earn at least $10 million Saturday, while De La Hoya's purse will be about $30 million. Hopkins' previous biggest payday was a little less than $3 million for his bout against Felix Trinidad in 2001.
Hopkins (44-2-1, 31 knockouts) is the reigning IBF, WBA and WBC middleweight champion, while De La Hoya (37-3, 29 KOs) owns the more lightly regarded WBO belt. HBO Pay-Per-View is charging $54.95 for the scheduled 12-rounder.
Both fighters are calling the bout a defining moment, not just in their careers, but in their lives.
Hopkins on Wednesday revisited the primary themes he has been hammering on lately:
"I'm willing to leave my soul, body and life out there if that's what it takes," Hopkins said. "You give me a rich fighter and a hungry fighter, and I'll take the hungry fighter every time."
That makes his opponent a "dead man walking," Hopkins said as De La Hoya stared straight ahead, impassively.
De La Hoya had his game face on throughout the entire presentation Wednesday. He presented a serious, almost dour, demeanor, and his trademark handsome grin was missing in action.
"One thing I bring to this fight is stamina," De La Hoya said. "Stamina like I have never had before in my life. I have trained for 11 weeks for this fight. I have sparred hard. ... All I want is those belts. Those are mine."
De La Hoya, 31, of East Los Angeles, is an eight-time world champion in six weight classes -- but he's a natural welterweight, and the majority of his Hall of Fame-caliber career has been spent in lighter divisions.
Oddsmakers made Hopkins about a 2-1 favorite in Saturday's fight after De La Hoya looked unimpressive in his debut as a middleweight, winning a close decision against Felix Sturm on June 5.
Hopkins, 39, of Philadelphia, has defended his middleweight crown a record 18 times.
Although he was admittedly out of shape for the Sturm fight, De La Hoya said he has worked himself into top condition to meet Hopkins. At the official weigh-in Friday (3 p.m. at the MGM), De La Hoya and Hopkins both could come in a little lighter than the 160-pound middleweight limit.
De La Hoya said he has sparred 130 rounds in preparation for Hopkins while he normally spars about 80. Hopkins said he has 180 rounds of sparring under his belt after sparring 220 rounds for his June 5 fight against Robert Allen.
"Everything's perfect," De La Hoya said. "I'm like a machine now. ... Only I know what I possess inside of me. Only I know how hard I trained. ... This is the fight where I let it all loose."
Both fighters vowed to set a fast pace from the opening bell Saturday.
"His style is to be in shape and try to bully the other guy around the ring," De La Hoya said. "He has a nice, fast, stiff jab. But I'm not gonna let no 40-year-old legs wear me down."
Hopkins pointed out that in the Polaroid from Graterford in 1985, he's holding a boxing magazine that features Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns on the cover. Those middleweight greats met in a memorable fight on April 15, 1985, at Caesars Palace, exchanging blows at a furious pace until Hagler prevailed with a third-round knockout.
Watch for more of the same Saturday at the MGM Grand, Hopkins said.
"I'm gonna set a fierce pace," Hopkins said. "We'll see who gets tired first."
Hopkins' longtime trainer Bouie Fisher said that although his fighter has achieved some of his goals, others remain to be conquered.
"We started on a journey 14 years ago," Fisher said. "That journey was to be the best middleweight since the great Ray Robinson. Bernard has reached the point where he is one of the best middleweights of all time.
"We have a goal of 20 title defenses. But we can't think about No. 20 until we get past No. 19."
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