PRINTER'S NO. 4246
No. 796 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY WILLIAMS, BEBKO-JONES, BEYER, BISHOP, BLACKWELL, CALTAGIRONE, CORRIGAN, CRAHALLA, CRUZ, DONATUCCI, J. EVANS, FORCIER, GEIST, GEORGE, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHART, HERMAN, HERSHEY, JAMES, LEDERER, McGILL, MILLARD, NAILOR, PALLONE, PETRARCA, ROEBUCK, SABATINA, SAINATO, SANTONI, WALKO, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK, SURRA, RAMALEY, O'NEILL, PHILLIPS, DeWEESE, TURZAI, FAIRCHILD, READSHAW AND B. SMITH, JUNE 19, 2006
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JUNE 19, 2006
A RESOLUTION 1 Congratulating Bernard Hopkins on winning the International 2 Boxing Organization world light heavyweight title and 3 recognizing his success as a professional boxer. 4 WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins was born on January 15, 1965, in 5 North Philadelphia; and 6 WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins did not allow his early life's 7 adversity, which included serving 56 months, beginning at the 8 age of 17, in Graterford State Penitentiary, to deter him from a 9 successful future; and 10 WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins learned how to box while in prison, 11 hoping to turn his life around; and 12 WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins began his career as a professional 13 boxer in 1988, losing his first professional boxing match; and 14 WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins won his first professional boxing 15 match on February 22, 1990; and
1 WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins posted an additional 19 consecutive 2 victories before winning the United States Boxing Association 3 middleweight title on December 4, 1992; and 4 WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins won his first world middleweight 5 title on April 25, 1995, by defeating Segundo Mercado; and 6 WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins has been a public spokesman for 7 boxers' rights and the fair and professional treatment of 8 boxers, testifying before Congress in support of the Muhammad 9 Ali Boxing Reform Act; and 10 WHEREAS, Boxing experts attribute Bernard Hopkins' continued 11 success at the age of 41 to a Spartan work ethic and philosophy 12 of clean living; and 13 WHEREAS, Inspired by his idol Sugar Ray Robinson, who in 1955 14 moved from the middleweight division to challenge for the world 15 light heavyweight title, Bernard Hopkins challenged Antonio 16 Tarver for the International Boxing Organization world light 17 heavyweight title; and 18 WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins won the world light heavyweight 19 title by unanimous decision on June 10, 2006; and 20 WHEREAS, Bernard Hopkins has announced his retirement from 21 professional boxing, with a 47-4-1 career record; therefore be 22 it 23 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the 24 hard work, dedication and perseverance of Bernard Hopkins in 25 winning the International Boxing Association world light 26 heavyweight title on June 10, 2006; and be it further 27 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commend Bernard 28 Hopkins for a successful professional career, for his out-of- 29 the-ring advocacy for fighters' rights and, above all, for 30 transcending mistakes and adversity early in his life to achieve 20060H0796R4246 - 2 -
1 great success and realize his dreams. F12L82BIL/20060H0796R4246 - 3 -