IBF light-heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins has partnered with the Barclays Center to serve as the “Goodwill Ambassador” for all boxing cards held at the Brooklyn venue.
Hopkins will be the “visible” spokesperson for Brooklyn boxing at press conferences, fan meet and greets, business development meetings and local community boxing clinics. In addition, Hopkins hopes to expand his role to Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum. The Barclays has already placed a renovation and operating bid with Nassau County.
Hopkins, who last fought on March 9 in his Barclays debut, made history (again) by defeating Tavoris Cloud by unanimous decision and becoming the oldest boxer (48) to win a major title. While his Barclays follow-up this month was cancelled due to his opponent’s visa issues, plans have not changed for Hopkins to make the Barclays the first option to host his remaining fights.
“Brooklyn is fast becoming the place for major boxing on the East Coast,” said Hopkins in an official statement. “The events at Barclays Center have been outstanding and I’m excited to be part of its flourishing boxing program. I’m also thrilled that Barclays Center is planning to bring regular boxing events to Nassau Coliseum, which would be terrific for the fans of Long Island and great for boxing.”
“Everyone who was at Barclays Center on March 9 will always remember the night Bernard made history and became one of Brooklyn’s own,” added Barclays CEO Brett Yormark. “We are looking forward to working with Golden Boy in having Bernard defend his title soon at Barclays Center. After four championship events, Barclays Center has become the heart of boxing on the East Coast and we are excited to join with Bernard to expand our fan base even further.”
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Watch out Philly — Brooklyn is looking to steal your legend. In all seriousness, this is a good move for all involved. Hopkins loves to talk and he lends instant credibility to any event. And with the announcement yesterday of the Barclays being #1 in the US when it comes to ticket sales, Golden Boy is smart in trying to build a strong NYC audience. We’ll see what they cook up for the next Brooklyn show.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 