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Jeff Dawson was a project manager in the software industry until last year^[when?], when he to became the full-time Croquet Association (of England) merchandiser. He has been playing for 25 years and has won the Championship of Surrey three times.^{[citation needed]}

Dawson is married with two children. He divorced his last wife Megan Davies three years ago and is now married to former Brookside star Susan Twist. He is 49 years old.^{[citation needed]}

World ranking[link]

Dawson's World Ranking as of 7 October 2007 was 27.^[1]

References[link]

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Louis Prima
Background information
Birth name	Louis Prima
Also known as	The King of the Swing
Born	(1910-12-07)December 7, 1910 New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died	August 24, 1978(1978-08-24) (aged 67) New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genres	Jazz Swing Traditional pop
Occupations	Singer, entertainer, trumpeter, bandleader
Instruments	Vocals, trumpet
Years active	1936–1975
Associated acts	Gia Maione, Keely Smith, Sam Butera
Website	Official website

Louis Prima (December 7, 1910^[1] – August 24, 1978) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with his seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the 1920s, then successively leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the 1950s, and a pop-rock band in the 1960s. In each of his musical endeavors, he incorporated his exuberant personality into his act.^{[citation needed]}

Early life[link]

Prima was from a musical family in New Orleans. His father, Anthony Prima, was the son of Leonardo Di Prima (the original family name was Di Prima), a Sicilian immigrant from Salaparuta, while his mother, Angelina Caravella, had immigrated from Ustica as a baby.^[2]

Louis Prima was the second child of Angelina Caravella and Anthony Prima. His older brother, Leon, was born in 1907. He had two younger sisters Elizabeth and Marguerite. Marguerite passed away when she was only three years old. Leon, Louis, and Elizabeth were all baptized at St. Ann's Parish. They lived in a house at 1812 St. Peter Street in New Orleans, which was mainly populated by Italians, Arabs, Jews and African Americans.^[3]

Louis's mother, Angelina, was a second generation Italian American in New Orleans. She cared much about her children's futures and made sure that each of them played an instrument. Louis was assigned the violin and started out playing at St. Ann's Parish.^[3] He became interested in jazz when he heard it streaming out of clubs from black musicians, including Louis Armstrong. At the time, segregation between blacks and whites was extremely prevalent. However, Italians and African Americans got along famously.^{[citation needed]} Each shared the same economic, social, and political values. They also embodied similar entertainment rituals. Clubs such as Matranga's, Joe Segrettas, Tonti's Social Club, and Lala's Big 25 were all owned and operated by Italians but allowed Blacks and Italians to play.^[3]

Young Louis Prima paid attention to the music streaming out of clubs and watched his older brother Leon play the cornet.^[3] Once Leon caught a break in Texas for a summer, Louis practiced continuously on his worn down cornet. It was also beneficial that his mother was with Leon, so he could play as he wished. He ambitiously formed a band in 1924 with his childhood friends Irving Fazola (clarinet) and Johnny Viviano (drums).^[3] When his mother and Leon returned, they were shocked. His mother was quite upset that he had moved on from the violin, while Leon applauded his performances with his "band" on the street corners.^{[citation needed]}

Louis Prima attended Jesuit High School but transferred to Warren Easton High in the fall of 1926^[3]. At Warren Easton, he played with the "Eastonites", the school band. In 1927, he started up a gig with Frank Federico and played in "The Whip", which was a run down French Quarter Club. The two were enthusiastic musicians and played every chance they got. By the spring of 1928, Prima decided he would drop out at Warren Easton and become a professional musician.^[3]

The Search for Success[link]

After dropping out of high school, Prima desperately wanted to make it big. He had a few unsuccessful gigs including when he joined the Ellis Stratako Orchestra in 1929.^[4] Prima, Federico and saxophonist Dave Winstein drove all the way to Florida for a gig and no one showed up. Luckily they made it to a relative's house where they were given money for gas and a meal. Prima didnt give up. He joined Joseph Cherniavsky's Orchestra in 1929 at Jefferson Parish.^[4] He was quite the performer and stood out. This may have been what made Cherniavsky fire him shortly after.^{[citation needed]} Prima was upset, but knew he would be a success. He got a temporary job playing on Steamship Capital that docked on Canal Street.^[4]

Although the Steamship Capital did not provide him with a break, he met his first wife Louise Polizzi. They married on June 25, 1929.^[4] From 1931-1932 Louis occupied his time by performing in the Avalon Club owned by his brother Leon. His first break was when Lou Forbes hired him for daily afternoon and early evening shows at The Saenger.^[4] He quickly became the most popular musician in the orchestra next to Forbes himself.^{[citation needed]} With success came a very good check, enough to support his taste in fashion, his wife, and new baby

The Big Apple[link]

New York was an extreme attraction for hungry musicians during the Great Depression. It posed numerous risks, but all of the best artists in the nation made it in New York if not anywhere else. Guy Lombardo met Louis Prima while he was performing at club Shim Sham during the Mardi Gras season of 1934^[4]. Lombardo was extremely impressed with Prima's stage performance and energy. He immediately offered him to go to New York. Eager to rise to the top, Louis had made up his mind then and there. The young Prima was on his way to New York by the time he was 23, and nothing was holding him back, not even his family.

Prima’s first gig in New York was supposed to be at a club called Leon and Eddie’s, located on 33 West 52nd street. Eddie Davis, one of the owners of the club did not hire Prima because he thought he was a negro.^[3] This misconception led to Prima’s unemployment for the next six months of his career.^{[citation needed]}

Louis Prima and his New Orleans Gang[link]

In September of 1934, Prima began recording for the Brunswick label.^[4] He recorded "That’s Where the South Begins", "Long About Midnight", "Jamaica Shout", and "Star Dust".^[4] Prima and his New Orleans Gang was a band that consisted of five musicians. Frank Pinero was the pianist, Jack Ryan played bass, Garrett McAdams played guitar, while Pee Wee Russell played clarinet.^[3] The band had their first performance at a club called the “Famous Door” owned and operated by Jack Colt^[4]. Prima’s refreshing stage presence and combination of scat and swing style allowed jazz to reach a new level. His recordings from 1935 were a combination of Dixieland and swing.^[4]

Prima and Russell were a perfect musical match. In May of 1935, the duo recorded "The Lady in Red", a national jukebox hit. They also recorded "Chinatown", "Chasing Shadows" and "Gypsy Tea Room".^[4] Martha Raye also played a role in Louis’s professional and personal life. She was a comedienne with potential to become a singer. The two featured a show at the club that granted Prima his first national debut on "The Fleischman Hour".^[4]

California[link]

By 1935 Louis decided to take his gig out to Los Angeles. His reasons for leaving may have been due to increasing problems with the Italian mob as well as wanting to expand his fame. The mob posed problems because Louis was forced to pay for protection every week and found himself getting too involved in that way of life. He moved to California to get away from that lifestyle and expand his music. During this time there was a movement for big bands and orchestras. Prima hired Louis Masinter on the string bass, a New Orleans native. He also fired McAdams so that he could have Frank Federico, his childhood friend, play the guitar.^[4]

Louis looked for opportunity to open a club almost immediately after arriving in Los Angeles. He opened up “The Famous Door” nightclub at Vine Street and Willoughby. The previous club was the Blue Heaven nightclub owned by Gene Austin. Austin turned over the lease to Louis when he went in to ask him about purchasing the club. This accomplishment had him back on track in no time. Shortly after his club was stabile, he had his first movie appearance in Rhythm on the Range in 1936, which featured a performance with Bing Crosby.

With all of his success, his marriage back in New Orleans had already failed. Louise and Louis were divorced in 1936 because Prima was found cheating on Louise back in 1933, in the French Quarter.^[4] Merely a few months later, he was involved in a new fling with Alma Ross, an actress.^[4]

Louis and Alma were quite serious and after only a few months together he asked her to marry him while he started his tour out in the Midwest. The couple faced problems in Wisconsin and Chicago because they did not meet the marital requirements. Guy Lombardo helped them out by arranging a place in South Bend, Indiana. They wed on July 25th, 1936.^[4] The couple had a few problems, one of the worst was that Louis denied much about his past. He never confessed to Alma that he had a daughter until she found out from a tax return.^[4] Louis also pushed Alma into signing with Paramount in 1937. He continued to travel along the east coast with his band.

Prima stuggled to upgrade to big band style. It was not supported by his mentors in NY or LA. With the help of Guy Lombardo he traveled to Chicago to promote his new format at the Blackhawk in October 1936.^[4] The new format was not successful. The show did not bring out Prima’s performance ability and the music sounded “overly rehearsed”. He lost money and did not pay some of his musicians.^[4]

Reinvented in New York[link]

In 1937, Prima and his smaller gang (Federico, Masinter, Pinero, and Meyer Weinberg on clarinet) returned to the "Famous Door" in New York to perform.^[5] He also appeared at Billy Rose’s Casa Manana club in May of 1938.^[5] He ranked up about a quarter million dollars throughout seven weeks at Casa Manana.^[5] He was booked by William Morris Agency in late 1938. This entailed traveling throughout the east coast. Stops were made in Boston, New York, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Miami Beach, New Orleans, and St. Louis.^[5] These trips were sometimes made in the course of one night of driving. The crew always traveled by car, since it was the cheapest option.^[5]

WWII[link]

When World War II came around, many men were drafted. Prima did not have to attend the war because of a knee injury so he could continue performing.^[5] Segregation was still very much in existence during the war, but it was not supported by Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt. She heavily encouraged integration and applauded Prima for his efforts. He had grown up in a racially integrated background, and it may have been one of the primary reasons for his success.^{[citation needed]} In 1939 he was under contract to appear in black theatres in New York, Baltimore, Boston and Washington D.C.. It turns out that Mrs. Roosevelt attended his performance in D.C., and formally invited him to the President's birthday celebration.^[5] He was in pictures with the president and political powers of the country, which ultimately boosted his publicity.

By the mid 1940s, things were great for Louie Prima. People were purchasing tickets early in the morning for shows later on that evening. There was a lot of controversy in regards to the Italians, Japanese, and Germans during the middle of World War Two. Louis was extremely noble to record Italian songs, the most famous "Angelina", named after his mother. Others included “Please No Squeeza Da Banana," "Bacci Galupe (Made Love on the Stoop," and "Felicia No Capricia."^[5]

He performed the Italian songs at The Strand in New York. He brought in an incredible $440,000 in six weeks^[5]. In Detroit he could bring in about $38,000 for an afternoon performance. With all of this success, he decided to go back to Chicago to prove himself. He sold out the “Panther Room” and reinvented himself in the windy city.^[5]

Prima had some big hits in the summer of 1945 including, "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" and "Bell-Bottom Trousers".^[5] As his career was growing even more, his marriage with Alma had ultimately failed. They got a divorce when she discovered he had been cheating on her with Jean Harlow, another actress.^[5] Alma was supposed to receive 15000 a year or 7.5% of his earnings. Prima ignored the payments until they piled up to about 60,000 dollars, which forced him to write a settlement check of 45,000 dollars plus $250 per week.^[5]

He quickly met a new wife, Tracelene Barrett, who was a secretary of Prima’s^[5]. She was a sweet and simple girl and he intended to keep her that way when they got married. She would manage his spending at the race track. He even bought a horse and named it Tracelene II.^[5]

With the end of the war, the music industry changed. Most couples were getting married and moving out of the city. Most of the big bands were diminishing, but Louis was able to resist for a few months. In 1947 he played more jazzy versions of music. Under the new contract with RCA Victor, he recorded "Civilization," "You Can’t Tell the Depth of the Well," "Say it with a Slap," “Valencia," and "My Flame Went Out Last Night."^[5] A few months later in November he recorded "Thousand Islands," "Mean To Me," and "Tutti Frutti Pizzicato."^[5] In 1948 Louis and Tracelene had a baby girl.^[5] He continued to work in the northeast, but cut back his orchestra.

Personality[link]

Louis Prima’s personality varied at times. To the record companies and big corporations, he showed little sympathy and was defiant in settling for an adequate salary.^[5] He wanted as much as he could get out of these corporations. For instance, Warner Brothers offered him 60,000 dollars to be in a movie on Helen Morgan’s life. He rejected the offer, and when Warner Brothers increased to 75,000, it still was not enough. He wanted $100,000 and control of his role, which was rejected by Warner Brothers.^[5] He had further disputes with Strand Theatre in New York and Majestic Records. He also did not allow a former songwriter to advertise herself as “formerly featured with Louis Prima’s orchestra”.^[5]

To his family, friends, and fans Prima was a much different person. He was very patient with fans and always autographed or took pictures with them. He also became a fatherly figure for Barbara Belle, a songwriter and secretary for Louis.^[5] On stage, he was a natural performer. He sold himself to the audience by creating shows that were funny, happy, and extremely entertaining.

Fine Taste[link]

Louis Prima was a man with exquisite taste. He shopped at all of the best clothing stores and wore top brand suits. Along with clothing, he spent much of his extra money on horses. He enjoyed gambling because it relaxed him^[5]. He had invested six figures into the horses and all seven of them were housed in Aqueduct, New York. He enjoyed getting out and riding them early in the morning. It was one of the things that relaxed him the most outside of his busy performing life. He knew everything about each of his horses and read all about training them^[5]. Another hobby was boating. He purchased a boat for his third wife Tracelene Barrett for their honeymoon in the Hudson River. ^[5]

Keely Smith[link]

Keely Smith was seventeen years old when Louie Prima laid eyes on her. Her hometown was Norfolk, Virginia. She had a unique voice that separated her from the usual sounds of nightclub singers. In August of 1948, she made a point to stop by the Surf Club in Virginia Beach to visit one of her favorite artists, Louis Prima. To her surprise, he was looking for a new female vocalist to replace Lily Ann Carol. Keely had a bathing suit on and was not allowed into the club until she had proper attire on. Luckily, someone was able to lend her some acceptable clothing and she auditioned. She ended up landing the part and traveling with the band. ^[6]

Louis signed with Columbia records in the fall of 1951 to keep up with the rapid changes in the marketing industry.^[6] Throughout the sixteen month contract his top hits consisted of "Chop Suey, Chow Mein," "Ooh-Dahdily-Dah," and "Chili Sauce".^[6] To manage his expenses, he had to drop his big band and play in low-grade clubs to support his horses. On top of it all, he divorced his third wife Tracelene on June 18, 1953.^[6] Less than a month later he was married to Keely Smith, who was half his age. The couple was perfect, she was open to criticism and he wanted to make her a star.^[6] He had to find the style that fit her correctly, especially since rock ’n’ roll was emerging. Prima was not against rock’n’roll like some other artists such as Frank Sinatra and Jackie Gleason.^[6] He accepted that the kids had "an instinct for the kind of music that’s fun to listen to and dance to."^[6]

A New Act[link]

In 1954 Prima was offered to stay at the The Sahara in Las Vegas to open his new act with Keely Smith.^[6] At the time, Vegas was booming with business and there were endless opportunities for money to be made. The dynamic duo would perform their typical act in the hotel’s Casbar Lounge. This won them over at the lounge, but Prima wanted to impress more. He called up New Orleans legendary saxophonist, Sam Butera. With Butera came his background musicians, "The Witnesses."^[6] They were talented musicians whom Prima tweaked to his liking. The act was a hit, and ultimately led Prima to sign with Capitol records in 1955.^[6]

He released his first album with Capitol records, “The Wildest,” in September of 1956.^[6] Some of the popular songs include “Just a Gigolo” and “I Ain’t Got Nobody.”^[6] In 1957 they released “The Call of the Wildest.” Keely worked with other artists to release the album "I Wish You Love," and received a Grammy in 1958.^[6] Keely also received a Playboy Jazz Award in 1959. She got a number one female vocalist reward in 58/59 from Billboard and Variety.^[6] The duo also redid "Old Black Magic" which was a top 40 hit for two months. It earned the duo a grammy. The couple also had two daughters together.^[6]

Prima decided to relocate his acts to the Desert Inn because he would take in 3 million dollars for producing 12 weeks worth of acts a year for five years.^[6] The couple also had quick appearences on TV shows.

In 1959 Prima signed with Dot Records and they produced 8 albums.^[6]. The top albums were “Wonderland By Night” and “On Stage” in 1961.^[6] The couple was constantly performing and it definitely affected their marriage. To attempt relaxation, the couple set out on a trip on the Atlantic coast but ended up grounded in the Inland Waterway until rescued by the Coast Guard. ^[6]

In January of 1961 Prima was invited by Frank Sinatra to perform in the Inaugural Gala for President John F. Kennedy^[6] They played “Old Black Magic” one of his favorite songs. Shortly after the performance, Keely and Louis were heading closer and closer to divorce. The constant performances and Prima’s sometimes flirtacious attitude was all too much for Smith. She wanted a divorce and after finishing up their contract at the Desert Inn, she filed for divorce at the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Nevada in Las Vegas.^[6]

After Keely was out of his life and his performances, Prima tried to prove that he did not need her. In the New York Post there was a suggestion that Keely should rejoin for an act in New York’s Basin Street East nightclub. Prima said, "I have no desire whatsoever to have any dealings with Keely Smith under any conditions. ... There is nothing in the world or no one that could ever make me accept this woman in our act."^[6]

Later years[link]

Prima had a variety of family loss to deal with at the end of his career. His father died the same year as the divorce with Keely.^[6] His mother died in the winter of 1965, for which he partly blamed Keely for.^[6]

He tried making up his own recording company in 1962 called “Prima One Records.” ^[6] He tried to fill Keelys spot with Gia Maione, a waitress who was 21 years old. He did his best to make her famous by producing her first album “This Is … Gia.” It was funded entirely by him, and it was not very successful at all.^[6] This was daunting to Prima because he was always trying to advance himself and his performers. He was also in the middle of making appearances in Las Vegas and promoting the film “Twist All Night.”^[6] By this point, the band was putting out a markedly different and more contemporary sound, with electric organs and synthesizers, even dabbling in progressive rock.

In 1967 Prima's distinctive voice and jazzy delivery landed him a role in Walt Disney's animated feature The Jungle Book, as the raucous orangutan King Louie. He performed the hit song "I Wanna Be Like You" on the soundtrack, leading to the recording of two albums with Phil Harris: The Jungle Book and More Jungle Book, on Disneyland Records. He can also be heard on the soundtrack of another cartoon feature, The Man Called Flintstone.

He suffered a mild heart attack in 1973. In 1975, following headaches and episodes of memory loss, Louis Prima sought medical attention, and found out he had a brain stem tumor. He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and went into a coma following surgery to remove the tumor. He never recovered, and died three years later, having been moved back to New Orleans. He was buried in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans; his gray marble crypt is topped by a figure of Gabriel, the trumpeter-angel, sculpted in 1997 by Russian-born sculptor Alexei Kazantsev. The inscription on the crypt's door quote the lyrics from one of his hits: "When the end comes, I know, they'll all say 'just a gigolo' as life goes on without me. Lovingly, your little family..."^[1]

Legacy[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

In 2010, honoring his lifelong commitment to the music of the city of his birth, and to commemorate the 100th anniversary of that event, Prima was honored by being the annual poster subject of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, in a painting created by artist and singer Tony Bennett, under his birth name Anthony Benedetto.

On July 25, 2010 Louis Prima received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame's 50th anniversary on the year of his 100th birthday. His son, Louis Prima Jr, performed a concert in honor of his father, which included all of Louis Prima's hits.

On November 1, 2010 Chicago Review Press released That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas by Tom Clavin. The book focuses on many aspects of Prima's life, particularly his act and relationship with Keely Smith.

The Prima-Butera arrangements and recordings continued to be copied by younger musicians, including David Lee Roth, who covered his medley of "Just a Gigolo"/"I Ain't Got Nobody" in the 1980s, and Brian Setzer, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and other nouveau swing bands of the 1990s, covering such Prima standards as "Jump, Jive and Wail". The pop band Smash Mouth mentioned his name in the song "Heave-Ho" (from their album Fush Yu Mang), and covered "I Wanna Be Like You" for the soundtrack album of The Jungle Book. "I Wanna Be Like You" was also covered by Los Lobos, Phish and by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy for the soundtrack of the 1996 movie Swingers. The surviving original members of Bill Haley & His Comets have recorded and performed several of Prima's songs since the mid-1990s, most notably "Buona Sera", which they dedicate to Prima's memory. Alex Harvey and the Sensational Alex Harvey Band also came under the spell of Louis Prima.

Louis Prima wrote the swing classic "Sing Sing Sing" which was covered by Fletcher Henderson and Benny Goodman. In 1940, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra recorded "Be Happy", a song Louis Prima co-wrote. "A Sunday Kind of Love" was another Louis Prima composition that became a standard of the swing and big band era. "Jump Jive an' Wail" was a Louis Prima composition that became another standard, a song which was revived by Brian Setzer.

Prima's original recordings have also featured in many films, including Mad Dog and Glory, Big Night, Anger Management, Mickey Blue Eyes, The Sopranos, Casino, Swingers, Kicking and Screaming, Elf, Swing Kids, Analyze This and Igor, as well as the game Mafia II. Prima's character also plays an important role in the film Big Night; he is the famous celebrity who never appears.

Sam Butera and the Wildest toured with their Prima tribute, between 2000 and 2004, before Butera retired. He died from complications due to pneumonia, on June 3, 2009.

Also in 2008, Louis Prima was posthumously inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Discography[link]

• The Manuelo Tarantel (1949) Mercury 78 RPM Single 5339
• Breaking It Up! (1953)

With Sam Butera and The Witnesses:

• The Wildest! (1956)
• The Call of the Wildest (1957)
• The Wildest Show at Tahoe (1957)
• Las Vegas Prima Style (1958)
• Strictly Prima (1958)
• Hey Boy! Hey Girl! (1959)
• Louis and Keely! (1959) - First album to be released by Dot Records.
• His Greatest Hits (1960) - First album to feature multi-instrumentalist Morgan Thomas.
• Together (1960)
• Pretty Music Prima Style, Volume 1 (1960)
• On Stage (1960)
• Wonderland by Night (1960)
• Blue Moon (1961)
• Return of the Wildest (1961) - The last record to feature Keely Smith.
• Doin' the Twist (1961)
• The Wildest Comes Home (1962) - Marks Prima's return to Capitol Records.
• Lake Tahoe Prima Style (1962) - The first Capitol LP to feature Gia Maione.
• Prima Show in the Casbar (1963) - The first LP released by Prima One Records.
• Plays Pretty for the People (1964) - Released by Jazz Band, live radio broadcasts from New Year's Eve 1963 and sometime during 1964.
• King of Clubs (1964)
• Let's Fly with Mary Poppins (1965)
• Golden Hits of Louis Prima (1966) - Last recording to feature trombonist Lou Scioneaux.
• On Broadway (1967) - United Artists release, solo release by Prima without Gia Maione and the Witnesses.
• The Jungle Book (1967) - Prima and the Witnesses are featured in a duet with singer Phil Harris on "I Wanna Be Like You".
• More Jungle Book (1969) - Prima and the Witnesses are featured on one track, "Strange Behavior".
• The New Sounds of the Louis Prima Band (1969) - First album to introduce Richie Varola on electric organ, marking the first time the band produced a markedly different, modernized sound.
• Blast Off! (1970)
• The Prima Generation '72 (1972)
• Just a Gigolo (1973)
• Angelina (1973)
• Let's "Hear" it For Robin Hood (1974)- Disneyland Records release, Prima tells the story of Robin Hood through spoken word and song.
• The Wildest '75 (1975) - Prima's last album before slipping into a coma, featuring the single "I'm Leaving You'.

References[link]

• Boulard, Garry; Louis Prima (University of Illinois, 2002)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Louis Prima

• Official Louis Prima website
• Louis Prima at the Internet Movie Database
• Louis Prima Discography
• An Introduction to Louis Prima at This is Vintage Now

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2008)

Cameron Melnyk is the lead singer for Canadian rock band State of Shock.^[1] He was born in Edmonton, Alberta in 1980 and currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia along with his other bandmates. Melnyk is of Ukrainian descent.

References[link]

This article about a Canadian musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Jeff Mayweather
Statistics
Real name	Jeff Mayweather
Nickname(s)	Jazzy
Rated at	Lightweight
Nationality	American
Born	(1964-07-04) July 4, 1964 (age 47) Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	47
Wins	32
Wins by KO	10
Losses	10
Draws	5

Jeff Mayweather (born July 4, 1964 in Grand Rapids, MI) was a boxer who fought in the 1990s.

Pro career[link]

"Jazzy Jeff" had a career boxing record of 32-10-5 (10 KOs). His biggest accomplishment was winning the IBO super featherweight title from John Roby on April 21, 1994, a title which he defended two times.

On March 13, 1993, Jeff Mayweather lost to Oscar de la Hoya, who was in only his 5th pro bout, by TKO in round 4.

Boxing Trainer[link]

After a successful career in the ring, Jeff followed in the footsteps of his brothers and became a trainer. Known as the "Quiet Mayweather" Jeff has trained several champions including "Sultan" Ibragimov and Celestino "Pelenchin" Caballero. On October 14, 2011 he led Caballero down to Argentina where they captured the WBA featherweight title from Jonathon Barros after having previously lost a controversial split decision several months earlier.

Internet Ventures[link]

Jeff has also launched a website called Jeff Mayweather's Pro Boxing Insider. He says it will allow boxing fans to get an inside look at the sport, and will have several boxers serve as active contributors. The site also boasts a forum that allows fans to ask questions of the fighters.

Personal life[link]

He is a member of the Mayweather boxing family; his brothers are former welterweight contender Floyd Mayweather, Sr. and two-division world champion Roger Mayweather, and his nephew is five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr.. He is also said to be a distant cousin of famed prisoner Fleece Johnson.

Jeff attended Ottawa Hills High School, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Class of 1981.

Jeff attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the mid-80's while competing in Golden Gloves tournaments.

See also[link]

• Notable boxing families

External links[link]

• Professional boxing record for Jeff Mayweather from BoxRec
• Jeff Mayweather's Pro Boxing Insider.com
• Mayweather Boxer Site

This biographical article related to an American boxer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Bernard Hopkins
Hopkins in 2010
Statistics
Real name	Bernard Humphrey Hopkins Jr
Nickname(s)	The Executioner B-Hop
Rated at	Middleweight Super Middleweight Light Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Nationality	American
Born	(1965-01-15) January 15, 1965 (age 47) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	62
Wins	52
Wins by KO	32
Losses	6
Draws	2
No contests	2

Bernard Humphrey Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner (born January 15, 1965, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American boxer and former Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion. He became the oldest boxer to ever win a world title, when at age 46, he defeated Jean Pascal on May 21, 2011 by a unanimous decision, surpassing the record previously held by George Foreman.

Hopkins is also the former undisputed world middleweight champion, and the first fighter to retain all 4 world titles of each major boxing sanctioning body, plus The Ring belt, in the same fight. Having defended a world middleweight title a record 20 times, he is considered one of the greatest middleweight champions of all time. The Ring ranked him #3 on their list of the "10 best middleweight title holders of the last 50 years."^[1]

In addition to being an active boxer, Hopkins is also a minority partner with Golden Boy Promotions.

Background[link]

Born to Bernard Hopkins, Sr. and his wife Sue, Bernard grew up in the Raymond Rosen projects with his family. Hopkins turned to crime early in his life. By the age of thirteen he was mugging people and had been stabbed three times. At seventeen, Hopkins was sentenced to 18 years in Graterford Prison for nine felonies. While in prison he witnessed rapes and the murder of another inmate in an argument over a pack of cigarettes, but also discovered his passion for boxing. After serving almost five years, Hopkins was released from prison in 1988. He then decided to use boxing as an escape from his previous life, and converted to Islam.^[2] While leaving the prison for the final time, the warden told Hopkins he'd "see [Hopkins] again when you wind up back here," to which Hopkins replied "I ain't ever coming back here." ^[3]

Professional career[link]

He immediately joined the professional boxing ranks as a light heavyweight, losing his debut on October 11, 1988, in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Clinton Mitchell. After a sixteen-month layoff, he resumed his career as a middleweight, winning a unanimous decision over Greg Paige at the Blue Horizon on February 22, 1990.

Between February 1990 and December 1992, Hopkins scored 21 wins without a loss. He won 16 of those fights by knockout, 12 coming in the first round. This victorious sequence was halted when he lost to Roy Jones Jr. in 1993 for their first encounter.

Winning the IBF middleweight title[link]

The IBF came again knocking at Hopkins's door on December 17 of that year, matching him with Segundo Mercado in Mercado's hometown of Quito, Ecuador. Mercado knocked Hopkins down twice before Hopkins rallied late and earned a draw. It has been argued that Hopkins was also not properly acclimated to the altitude of nearly 10,000 feet.^[4]

The IBF called for an immediate rematch, and on April 29, 1995, Hopkins became a world champion with a seventh-round technical knockout victory in Landover, Maryland.

In his first title defense he defeated Steve Frank, whom he stopped in twenty-four seconds. By the end of 2000, he had defended the IBF title 12 times without a loss, while beating such standouts as John David Jackson, Glen Johnson (undefeated at the time and later went on to knock out an aging Roy Jones Jr), Simon Brown, and Antwun Echols.

2001 middleweight unification tournament[link]

The arrival of former welterweight and light middleweight champion Félix Trinidad into the middleweight ranks set off a series of unification fights between major middleweight title-holders. The boxers involved in the tournament would be reigning IBF champion Bernard Hopkins, WBC champion Keith Holmes, WBA champion William Joppy, and Félix Trinidad.

Hopkins vs Holmes[link]

On April 14, 2001, Hopkins won a unanimous decision over WBC champion Keith Holmes in New York City. Trinidad, however, knocked out Middleweight mainstay William Joppy in an impressive five rounds.^[5] This led to many to believe that Felix Trinidad was simply too much, too strong for Bernard Hopkins.^[6]

Hopkins vs Trinidad[link]

Then, on September 29, 2001, WBA champion Trinidad challenged Hopkins for middleweight unification in Madison Square Garden.

For the first time in many years, Hopkins was an underdog in the betting, which led the confident Hopkins to place a $100,000 bet on himself to win the bout. During promotion for the bout, Hopkins caused huge controversy by throwing the Puerto Rico flag on the floor in press conferences in both New York and Puerto Rico, the latter conference leading to a riot in which Hopkins had to be run to safety from the angry mob.^[7]

During the fight, Hopkins was on his way to a lopsided decision victory when, in the 12th and final round, he floored Trinidad. Referee Steve Smoger called a halt to the fight after Trinidad's father entered the ring to stop the fight. It was the first loss of Trinidad's career, and it made Hopkins the first undisputed world middleweight champion since Marvin Hagler in 1987. 'The Ring' magazine and the 'World Boxing Hall of Fame' named Hopkins as the 2001 Fighter of the Year.

Undisputed middleweight champion[link]

He defended the undisputed title six times. Hopkins bested Carl Daniels on February 2 surpassing Carlos Monzon's division record of 14 defenses, 2002, by tenth-round technical knockout; Morrade Hakkar on March 29, 2003, by eighth-round TKO; William Joppy on December 13, 2003, by unanimous decision; and Robert Allen on June 5, 2004, also by unanimous decision.

Oscar De La Hoya[link]

In the highest-paying fight of his career, Hopkins fought six-division titleholder Oscar de la Hoya, another welterweight for the undisputed middleweight championship on September 18, 2004, in Las Vegas. They fought at a catchweight of 158 lbs, two pounds below the middleweight limit of 160 lbs.^[8] Hopkins won the bout by knockout in the ninth round with a left hook to the body and thus became the first boxer ever to unify the titles of all four major sanctioning bodies. At the time of the stoppage, Hopkins was ahead on two of the scorecards, with De La Hoya ahead on the other.^[9]

In November 2004 de la Hoya invited Hopkins to join his boxing promotional firm, Golden Boy Promotions, as president of its new East Coast chapter.

Reaching number 20 - Howard Eastman[link]

At 40 years old, an age at which most boxers are retired, Hopkins reached the middleweight record of 20 title defenses on February 19, 2005, against ranked #1 WBC Middleweight contender Howard Eastman, the European middleweight champion. Hopkins dominated the fight from start to finish, winning 119-110, 117-111 and 116-112.

Hopkins vs Taylor[link]

In his next fight on July 16, 2005, Hopkins lost his undisputed middleweight championship to Jermain Taylor via controversial split decision. Hopkins started slowly but came on strong over the final four rounds. Many press row writers scored the fight for Hopkins. Many boxing observers feel that the decision wasn't booed like a disputed decision normally is because the crowd was pro-Taylor, which influenced the some of the commentators and Harold Lederman.^[10] Compubox round-by-round punch stats showed Taylor outscoring Hopkins 6-5-1 in total punches. Hopkins out landed Taylor in power punches 78-50.

Compubox statistics indicated that Hopkins landed more overall punches and significantly more power shots over the course of the fight, however these statistics may not accurately reflect the judging as rounds are scored in isolation. It should also noted that there are some unaccurate flaws in Compubox statistics and therefore may not reflect the actual outcome of the bout.

On December 3, 2005, Hopkins lost his rematch against Jermain Taylor by unanimous decision in a bout that was reminiscent of their first bout but was a decisive victory for Taylor. All three judges scored the fight 115-113 for Taylor.

Moving up to light heavyweight[link]

Tarver vs Hopkins[link]

Following his two losses to Jermain Taylor, Hopkins at 41 decided not to retire and made the decision to jump two weight divisions to face off against The Ring light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver on June 10, 2006. Going into the fight, Tarver was a 3-to-1 favorite and had been the first man ever to TKO Roy Jones Jr. Many now placed Tarver among the sports top competitors. He was constantly ranked in the P4P rankings. However, Bernard Hopkins picked up a lopsided unanimous decision, scoring 118-109 on all three judges scorecards.

Antonio Tarver also lost a $250,000 bet with Hopkins, after he failed to stop Hopkins in the first six rounds.^[11]

Hopkins vs Wright[link]

On July 21, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Hopkins defended The Ring light heavyweight championship against former undisputed junior middleweight champion Winky Wright. During the weigh-in, Hopkins shoved Wright with an open-hand to the face, igniting a brawl between both fighters' entourages.^[12] Hopkins was fined $200,000 for instigating the brawl.^[13] Hopkins prevailed with a unanimous decision victory by scores of 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112.^[14]

Hopkins vs Calzaghe[link]

On April 19, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Hopkins lost The Ring light heavyweight title to Joe Calzaghe via a highly, highly disputed split decision (116-111 and 115-112 for Calzaghe; 114-113 for Hopkins). Hopkins started the fight well, dropping Calzaghe in the first round and using his ring savvy to confuse the challenger. Calzaghe got up to showcase his blazingly fast hands and devastating combinations and despite the fact that Hopkins would smother him whenever he tried to come in and throw more than one punch, According to CompuBox, Calzaghe landed more punches on Hopkins than any of his previous opponents, however there observers again feel that there were flaws in Compubox's recorded statistics again.^[15]

Hopkins vs Pavlik[link]

On October 18, 2008, Hopkins met middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in a non-title fight at a catch-weight of 170 lbs. Fans and pundits alike felt that knockout king Kelly Pavlik would become the first man to knock Hopkins out. Pavlik was a 4-1 betting favourite heading into the contest. On the night of the fight, Hopkins turned back the clock to produce a performance he claimed to be the best of his career winning a unanimous decision (117-109, 119-106, 118-108) over the undefeated Pavlik. Hopkins prepared for this fight in the late summer heat at his second home, Danny Hawk's "World Famous" Normandy Gym in Miami Beach, FL.

Recent fights[link]

During the Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao media conferences before their fight on May 3, 2009, Bernard Hopkins stated he would be "interested" in a proposed fight with British super middleweight champion Carl Froch.

Enrique Ornelas[link]

On December 2, 2009, Bernard Hopkins fought in his home city of Philadelphia for the first time since 2003 beating Enrique Ornelas via 12-round unanimous decision (120-109, 119-109 & 118-110) in what served as a tune-up bout for the 44-year old Hopkins who had not fought since his October 18, 2008 12-round upset victory over undisputed middleweight champion, Kelly Pavlik.

The bout was supposed to be a tune-up for a scheduled March 13, 2010 rematch with Roy Jones, Jr. The rematch was later postponed as a result of Jones, Jr. falling to a first round technical knockout loss to Australian, Danny Green.

Rematch with Roy Jones[link]

Hopkins and old foe Roy Jones Jr. agreed to fight in a rematch on April 3, 2010 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The two boxers fought again 17 years after their first bout in 1993. Hopkins defeated Jones by a unanimous decision in a 12-round bout marred by illegal blows and a skirmish at the end of the sixth round involving ring entourage, the referee and security guards. Judges Don Trella and Glenn Trowbridge scored it 117-110 for Hopkins, while Dave Moretti favored him 118-109. The Associated Press had it 119-108, scoring 11 of 12 rounds for Hopkins.^[16]

He then challenged WBA Heavyweight Champion David Haye who had successfully defended his title against John Ruiz.^[17] Following Hopkins challenge, Haye ruled out the fight stating Bernard was only looking for a payday.^[18] Hopkins later stated his intentions to fight Lucian Bute following Bute's third round technical knockout victory over Edison Miranda. Golden Boy Promotions also tried to approach retired boxer Joe Calzaghe for a potential rematch in 2010, but Calzaghe, who stated he no longer had the appetite, turned the offer down.^[19]

Hopkins vs. Pascal I & II[link]

Pascal defending versus Hopkins.

At 45 years old, Hopkins fought WBC, IBO light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal on December 18, 2010 at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The bout ended in a majority draw decision. Judge Steve Morrow had it 114-112 for Hopkins, but was overruled by Claude Paquette (113-113) and Daniel Van de Wiele (114-114).^[20] Following the controversy of the fight, WBC chairman Jose Sulaiman sanctioned an immediate rematch.

On May 21, 2011, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, Hopkins defeated Pascal by unanimous decision to capture the WBC, IBO, and The Ring Light Heavyweight belts.^[21][22] The official scores were 115–113, 116–112 and 115–114.^[23] With the win, Hopkins became the oldest man in the history of the sport to win a major world title, supplanting George Foreman, who had previously held the distinction after his knockout victory over Michael Moorer.^[24] Hopkins won at 46 years, 4 months, 6 days, while Foreman was 45 years, 10 months. After the bout, ESPN columnist Dan Rafael stated: "Bernard Hopkins already had lived several boxing lifetimes, but he was born yet again in Saturday's decision over Jean Pascal, becoming the oldest champion in history."^[24]

Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson[link]

Hopkins told the world of boxing that his next fight was going to be against former champion Chad Dawson. They fought on 15 October 2011. Hopkins lost via TKO for being unable to continue after injuring his shoulder when Dawson threw him off of his back.

After an investigation by the WBC following a protest filed by Oscar De La Hoya, the WBC ruled that Dawson intentionally fouled Hopkins and returned the belt to Hopkins. ^[25] The Ring magazine also decided to continue to recognize Hopkins as their champion pending the California State Athletic Commission’s ruling on a protest filed on behalf of Hopkins.^[26] Also on December 13, California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has ruled that the decision will be overturned to a no-contest upon official review and the testimony of referee of the bout, Pat Russell.^[27]

A rematch with Dawson was set for April 28, 2012. Hopkins lost the bout via majority decision.

Professional boxing record[link]

52 Wins (34 knockouts, 18 decisions), 6 Losses, 2 Draws, 2 No Contest[28]
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	52-6-2 2 NC	Chad Dawson	Decision (majority)	12	April 28, 2012	Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA	Loses WBC, & The Ring light heavyweight titles.
NC	52-5-2 2 NC	Chad Dawson	No Contest	2 (12), 2:48	October 15, 2011	Los Angeles, California	No Contest. It was originally ruled a TKO victory for Dawson but was overturned by the CSAC since Hopkins was unable to continue after getting thrown from a clinch. The WBC ruled the fight a "technical draw" and continued to recognize Hopkins as their champion.[29][30]
Win	52-5-2 1 NC	Jean Pascal	Decision (unan.)	12	May 21, 2011	Montreal, Canada	Won The Ring and WBC Light Heavyweight titles. Awarded WBC Diamond belt.
Draw	51-5-2 1 NC	Jean Pascal	Draw (maj.)	12	December 18, 2010	Quebec City, Canada	For The Ring, WBC and WBC Diamond Light Heavyweight titles.
Win	51-5-1 1 NC	Roy Jones, Jr.	Decision (unan.)	12	April 3, 2010	Las Vegas, USA
Win	50-5-1 1 NC	Enrique Ornelas	Decision (unan.)	12	December 2, 2009	Philadelphia,PA
Win	49-5-1 1 NC	Kelly Pavlik	Decision (unan.)	12	October 18, 2008	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Loss	48-5-1 1 NC	Joe Calzaghe	Decision (split)	12	April 19, 2008	Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost The Ring Light Heavyweight title.
Win	48-4-1 1 NC	Ronald Wright	Decision (unan.)	12	July 21, 2007	Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained The Ring Light Heavyweight title.
Win	47-4-1 1 NC	Antonio Tarver	Decision (unan.)	12	June 10, 2006	Atlantic City, New Jersey	Won The Ring Light Heavyweight title.
Loss	46-4-1 1 NC	Jermain Taylor	Decision (unan.)	12	December 3, 2005	Las Vegas, Nevada	For WBC, WBA Super, WBO & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Loss	46-3-1 1 NC	Jermain Taylor	Decision (split)	12	July 16, 2005	Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost IBF, WBC, WBA Super, WBO & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	46-2-1 1 NC	Howard Eastman	Decision (unan.)	12	February 19, 2005	Los Angeles, California	Retained IBF, WBC, WBA Super, WBO & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	45-2-1 1 NC	Oscar De La Hoya	KO	9 (12), 1:38	September 18, 2004	Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained IBF, WBC, WBA Super, The Ring and won WBO Middleweight titles.
Win	44-2-1 1 NC	Robert Allen	Decision (unan.)	12	June 5, 2004	Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained IBF, WBC, WBA Super & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	43-2-1 1 NC	William Joppy	Decision (unan.)	12	December 13, 2003	Atlantic City, New Jersey	Retained IBF, WBC, WBA Super & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	42-2-1 1 NC	Morrade Hakkar	TKO	8 (12), 3:00	March 29, 2003	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Retained IBF, WBC, WBA Super & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	41-2-1 1 NC	Carl Daniels	TKO	10 (12), 3:00	February 2, 2002	Reading, Pennsylvania	Retained IBF, WBC, WBA Super & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	40-2-1 1 NC	Félix Trinidad	TKO	12 (12), 1:18	September 29, 2001	New York City, New York	Retained IBF, WBC and won WBA Super Middleweight titles. Awarded vacant The Ring Middleweight title.
Win	39-2-1 1 NC	Keith Holmes	Decision (unan.)	12	April 14, 2001	New York City, New York	Retained IBF and won WBC Middleweight titles.
Win	38-2-1 1 NC	Antwun Echols	TKO	10 (12), 1:42	December 1, 2000	Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	37-2-1 1 NC	Syd Vanderpool	Decision (unan.)	12	May 13, 2000	Indianapolis, Indiana	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	36-2-1 1 NC	Antwun Echols	Decision (unan.)	12	December 12, 1999	Miami, Florida	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	35-2-1 1 NC	Robert Allen	TKO	7 (12), 1:18	February 6, 1999	Washington, D.C.	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
NC	34-2-1 1 NC	Robert Allen	No Contest	4 (12), 2:57	August 28, 1998	Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	34-2-1	Simon Brown	TKO	6 (12), 1:00	January 31, 1998	Atlantic City, New Jersey	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	33-2-1	Andrew Council	Decision (unan.)	12	November 18, 1997	Upper Marlboro, MD	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	32-2-1	Glen Johnson	TKO	11 (12), 1:23	July 20, 1997	Indio, California	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	31-2-1	John David Jackson	TKO	7 (12), 2:22	April 19, 1997	Shreveport, Louisiana	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	30-2-1	William Bo James	TKO	11 (12), 2:02	July 16, 1996	Atlantic City, New Jersey	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	29-2-1	Joe Lipsey	KO	4 (12), 2:50	March 16, 1996	Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	28-2-1	Steve Frank	TKO	1 (12), 0:24	January 27, 1996	Phoenix, Arizona	Retained IBF Middleweight title.
Win	27-2-1	Segundo Mercado	TKO	7 (12), 1:10	April 29, 1995	Landover, MD	Won vacant IBF Middleweight title.
Draw	26-2-1	Segundo Mercado	Draw	12	December 17, 1994	Quito, Ecuador	For vacant IBF Middleweight title.
Win	26–2	Lupe Aquino	Decision (unan.)	12	May 17, 1994	Atlantic City, New Jersey	Retained USBA Middleweight title.
Win	25–2	Melvin Wynn	TKO	3, 0:48	February 26, 1994	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	24–2	Wendall Hall	TKO	3 (12), 0:28	November 23, 1993	Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained USBA Middleweight title.
Win	23–2	Roy Ritchie	TKO	7 (12), 1:47	August 3, 1993	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Retained USBA Middleweight title.
Loss	22–2	Roy Jones, Jr.	Decision (unan.)	12	May 22, 1993	Washington, D.C.	For vacant IBF Middleweight title.
Win	22–1	Gilbert Baptist	Decision (unan.)	12	February 16, 1993	Denver, Colorado	Retained USBA Middleweight title.
Win	21–1	Wayne Powell	TKO	1 (12), 0:21	December 4, 1992	Atlantic City, New Jersey	Won vacant USBA Middleweight title.
Win	20–1	Eric Rhinehart	KO	1, 1:47	September 14, 1992	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	19–1	James Stokes	KO	1	August 28, 1992	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	18–1	Anibal Miranda	Decision (unan.)	10	May 21, 1992	Paris, France
Win	17–1	Randy Smith	Decision (unan.)	10	April 3, 1992	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	16–1	Dennis Milton	TKO	4 (10)	January 31, 1992	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	15–1	Willie Kemp	Decision (unan.)	10	December 13, 1991	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	14–1	David McCluskey	TKO	7 (10)	November 26, 1991	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	13–1	Ralph Moncrief	TKO	1 (10), 1:28	September 23, 1991	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	12–1	Danny Mitchell	KO	1	July 9, 1991	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	11–1	Pedro Marquez	TKO	1	June 20, 1991	Parsippany, New Jersey
Win	10–1	Steve Langley	TKO	3 (6), 1:10	March 18, 1991	Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	9–1	Richard Quiles	KO	1 (6)	February 26, 1991	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	8–1	Mike Sapp	TKO	1	November 17, 1990	Fort Myers, Florida
Win	7–1	Darrin Oliver	TKO	1	October 20, 1990	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	6–1	Percy Harris	Decision (unan.)	6	August 5, 1990	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	5–1	Khalif Shabazz	KO	1, 0:36	June 30, 1990	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	4–1	Jouvin Mercado	TKO	2 (4), 0:43	May 31, 1990	Rochester, New York
Win	3–1	Eddie Tyler	TKO	1	May 18, 1990	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	2–1	Keith Gray	TKO	1	April 26, 1990	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	1–1	Greg Paige	Decision (unan.)	4	February 22, 1990	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Loss	0–1	Clinton Mitchell	Decision (maj.)	4	October 11, 1988	Atlantic City, New Jersey

Coaches[link]

Hopkins has been coached by Philadelphia based English "Bouie" Fisher from 1989 until their split in 2002 which resulted in Fisher taking Hopkins to court, claiming he was underpaid by $255,000. They re-united in 2003, but split again in 2005, again with Fisher claiming to be underpaid, this time to the tune of $200,000. Naazim Richardson, Fishers long-term assistant took over as Hopkins' head coach from 2005. Fisher won the Eddie Futch-John F.X. Condon Award, awarded by the Boxing Writers Association of America, for Trainer of the Year in 2001. Bouie died aged 83 in June 2011.

Controversial quotes[link]

In late 2010, Hopkins suggested that African American fighters who possessed what he described as a "slick" inner-city style of fighting would be successful against Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao. "Maybe I’m biased because I’m black, but I think that this is what is said at people’s homes and around the dinner table among black boxing fans and fighters. Most of them won’t say it [in public] because they’re not being real and they don’t have the balls to say it. But I do think that a fighter like the Ray Leonard's or anyone like that would beat a guy (like Pacquiao) if they come with their game. Listen, this ain’t a racial thing, but then again, maybe it is. But the style that is embedded in most of us black fighters, that style could be a problem to any other style of fighting."^[31][32]

On December 7, 2007, Hopkins and Calzaghe met face to face in the media room set up for the Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton fight. Hopkins and Calzaghe began shouting insults and taunting each other, with Hopkins shouting, "You're not even in my league! I would never let a white boy beat me. I would never lose to a white boy. I couldn't go back to the projects if I let a white boy beat me." Hopkins would later explain his comments, saying that it was not meant to be taken as a racial slur or a reflection of his feelings on white fighters, but simply said to create some hype for his fight with Calzaghe. On January 23, 2008, the fight was officially announced to take place on April 19, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

On May 11, 2011, Hopkins questioned Minnesota Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb's racial credentials in a Philadelphia Daily News online article. Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that according to Hopkins, McNabb had a privileged childhood in suburban Chicago and, as a result, is not black enough or tough enough, at least compared with, say, himself, Michael Vick and Terrell Owens. Hopkins saying in part, "He's got a suntan. That's all... McNabb is the guy in the house, while everybody else is on the field... He's the one who got the extra coat. The extra servings . . . He thought he was one of them."

See also[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Bernard Hopkins