Hoppa on the walk of fame
Hoppa on the walk of fameDaily Telegraph, AustraliaBy David Riccio JOHN Hopoate's journey to prove himself as a boxer has taken him from the unforgiving
Cronulla sandhills to Hollywood. The ex-
NRL player landed in Los Angeles last Sunday in the countdown to his IBA world heavyweight fight next Saturday
...
Source: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25493417-5001023,00.html
Hoppa on the walk of fame
By David Riccio
May 17, 2009 12:00am
JOHN Hopoate's journey to prove himself as a boxer has taken him from the unforgiving Cronulla sandhills to Hollywood.
The ex-NRL player landed in Los Angeles last Sunday in the countdown to his IBA world heavyweight fight next Saturday (AEST) against Oliver McCall.
Declaring he was more focused on business than pleasure, Hopoate allowed himself just three hours on his first trip to the US to sample the sights.
Promising his eight kids back home an album of happy snaps, Hopoate strolled Hollywood's famous Walk of Fame, posing and smiling for the camera.
He joked with the bemused locals, telling them he wasn't a tourist but had arrived to take the world title back to Australia.
But as he watched screaming teenagers wait for the premiere of Terminator 4, the former Test winger had more pressing things on his mind.
"It's probably a good thing, but I'm not a big sightseeing man,'' Hopoate told The Sunday Telegraph from Los Angeles.
"What I really want to go see is where all the black Americans live. I want to go to the ghettos, I'd rather see that than what other people come over to see. It's the different stuff I want to see. Like, I walked past a barber shop the other day ... I've never seen a proper barber shop.
"It was exactly like you see on the movies with guys outside and all the guys inside talking and cussing away. I stood there watching them and listening, I was amazed how good it was.
"But I came here to do a job and that's what I want to do.''
But much of the work for Hopoate's toughest test was done before he left Australia.
He was regularly dragged out of bed at 3.30am by his trainer Dave Millward to transform his body and mind on the sandhills of Cronulla.
Then, 24 hours later, he would be at it again, this time with Millward beating him with kicks and punches as he rolled around the canvas.
Hopoate arrived in the US determined to go where the likes of fellow former rugby league stars Anthony Mundine and Solomon Haumono have failed to go in their boxing careers.
"I'm doing this as much for myself and my family as it is for Australia,'' Hopoate said. "I still struggle with getting my head around that, but I want to put Australia on the map.
"For a heavyweight to do what I am trying to achieve is one thing, but for me, personally, considering where I've come from and being so early in my career, this is massive.''
Unwilling to break his routine of church on Sundays, Hopoate will arrive at a gospel church in Anaheim this morning with a spring in his step.
He had a sparring session against former WBO heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster yesterday.
"I'm shaking with adrenalin after watching Hoppa against Brewster,'' Millward said.
"It was eight rounds of quality. I hate being over-confident, but even Brewster said to him, `Hey boy, you've got some power'.''