Think of boxing hotbeds in Yorkshire and Wincobank in Sheffield immediately springs to mind, hardened youths living their lives overlooking the steelworks whose potential was harnessed by the infectious wisdom of Brendan Ingle.
Then finally in early 2020, just before the pandemic, Hopley opened a club in Ripon and introduced the sport of boxing to his home city.
"I was training amateurs at Henry's gym but it was a long way to go so we just opened one for the few lads we had,” he says. "We only had four lads to start with, just wanted to get them off the street, give them an outlet for their aggression and get them fit.” Now Ripon Amateur Boxing Club is open to amateurs of all ages and experience, boys and girls, and on Friday breaks new ground with a first ever boxing show in the city, to be held at Ripon Bowling Club on Bondgate Green.