by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) – This week’s 156th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured an exclusive interview with reigning WBC light heavyweight champion Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KOs) who recently just turned 47 years old. The ageless warrior spoke about his future plans and boxing, which include a return to the ring in 2012. Possible opponents include a rematch with Chad Dawson, a fight with Canadian belt holder Lucian Bute, or possibly a unification match at 175 pounds. Hopkins also shared his views on a variety of other topics pertaining to the current boxing landscape. Here is part 1 of 2 from the complete transcript of that interview:
JENNA J: Let’s move to our special guest for this week’s show, and he is a returning one making his ninth appearance to On the Ropes Boxing Radio. He is the former undisputed middleweight champion of the world, and he is currently the reigning WBC and Ring Magazine light heavyweight champion of the world. We’re once again joined by Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins. Bernard, how are things going today?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Everything is fine. Everything is good. You caught me at a good time so I’m fine.
JENNA: Awesome! That’s what we like to hear Bernard. So a lot of interesting things have certainly happened with you since your fight with Chad Dawson. You had a little bit of controversy involved in that, and you managed to not only get the loss overturned but also keep your Ring belt and your WBC belt. Now everyone is wondering what’s next for you, and that’s what I got to ask you: What’s next?
HOPKINS: Well I’m definitely not retiring. I will defend those belts because they need to be defended. I think belts should be won and lost in the ring, not given to anyone or taken from anyone. But things happen in this sport with the politics of boxing. In my case things worked out the way most people expected. At least I did. In 2012 as I turn the second chapter of my career, I also turn the second page of my age. January 15 came, Martin Luther King Day, and that to me is another milestone and another profound statement that I’m still going strong with dignity and respect. That to me is something to look forward to in 2012.
JENNA: Okay well Bernard, people have been talking about who would be your next opponent. The WBC ordered a rematch between you and Chad Dawson. Do you want that fight?
HOPKINS: I want the fight. The TV people, the radio people, the people that talk regularly about sports—they seem to be talking different. Do I want the fight to prove that I can beat Chad Dawson? Absolutely, but is it economically going to satisfy his side and my side? I don’t think we both want to be pretty upset about that. The first fight was basically according to the report numbers, the lowest ever in pay-per-view history. At the end of the day I don’t believe in fighting for nothing, but in this case if I have to go in there and prove that I am the light heavyweight champion and the best light heavyweight in the division, then let’s do it! Let’s get ready to go!
For anyone who doesn’t know what a loss is, that’s God to me. So by saying that, by saying that I fear no one, and I’ve proven that over and over and over again—so whoever it is, whether it’s Chad Dawson, or whether it’s unification in the light heavyweight division, or whether it’s something significant, not only TV friendly, not only fan friendly, but also economically beneficial, that is important right now. Right now I don’t fight because somebody says that I’m scared of him. I don’t go in the ring and get motivated because someone said he’s too tall, or he’s too short, or he’s too this, or he’s too that. I’ve been through those stages in my career. Fortunately I’ve been through that. Been there, done that. So whoever steps up or whoever it is, if it’s mandated to do it and nothing else can be done—buckle up! You’re either going to see an exciting fight or you’re going to see a boring fight. But if you go by the first fight, and you go by what the response was TV-wise—and don’t take my word, take their word—then that should tell you that it’s not a fan friendly and TV-friendly fight.
JENNA: Okay now Bernard, what do you think would be that type of fight for you that’s both fan friendly and economically wise for you to take at this point in time?
HOPKINS: I don’t know. I got Richard Schaefer. He’s pounding. The landscape right now, he’s doing what he does best and just try to figure out the best way to maximize these golden years with the golden fights I have remaining. Who knows, it could be from 68 to 70 to 75. To me, I feel that it’s not about who I want to fight. It’s about who wants to fight Bernard Hopkins. Whoever beats Bernard Hopkins becomes an instant star. We both agree to that. At least I do, and whoever hears this or reads this, nine out of ten will probably agree too. So beating me is not only beating a living legend, it’s beating one of the guys that no one has come close to beating up in 24 years—if the math is right from 1988. Name a fight I’ve been beaten up? So I have more to make a guy an overnight success, then Bernard Hopkins proving what he’s been doing over and over and over. Beat another one as they would say. See when I beat somebody, unless it’s in the heavyweight division or something in between that, then there might be more of a surprise. But I don’t think people will be surprised with whoever I fight and beat in the light heavyweight division. I really think that because I’ve been there and done that so many times, but if the opposite happens to Bernard Hopkins they become an instant star.
So I have a lot to give up and I have a lot there on the table. I’m not going to give these guys commercials and say I want to fight this guy, I want to fight that guy. That’s Richard Schaefer’s job of looking at which numbers can bring in the best and which numbers don’t. As far as me saying I want to fight this guy, that’s putting him up like he’s somebody to beat or he’s somebody I need to fight. I’m a 47 year old man! They should be calling me out. With star power and with credibility, you beat me you become an instant star. I think there is no one on this phone, or even reading this interview or hearing this interview live, that they could not deny that piece of conversation. So I just take care of my body, take care of myself, join my family and just wait, and hopefully by spring or mid-spring, you will be seeing B-Hop back in there doing what I have to do, whether it’s on HBO or Showtime. I still got a date that’s owed to me on HBO. I still have an open date on my four fight deal. I guess some people are probably surprised that I ran through that, but I still have a date on HBO—well HBO pay-per-view, but depending on who it is I’ll do HBO live. I think more people could see it that can’t afford it because of the recession.
Either way you will see me this year and you will see me in something big. I just really don’t know the names. I really don’t! It doesn’t matter to me as long as I get a chance to defend my title, especially in this new chapter at age 47. I mean I’m 47 years old! I mean can you all imagine? 47 years old and I’m kicking these guys’ ass! Take away the Chad Dawson round and a half bullsh*t. I’m 47 years old whopping these 28 and 29 year old guys’ ass! If ya’ll ain’t going to say it, I got to say it! There’s a reason people don’t like saying it, but I got to say it! I got to blow my own horn!
JENNA: Okay well Bernard, you mentioned before in previous interviews that we had with you that you wanted to fight Lucian Bute. Beating Jean Pascal wasn’t enough for you, you wanted to get the other Canadian fighter. It appears at 175 those big names aren’t really out there for you. The biggest names are at 168. Do you see yourself having to go down in weight to meet those fighters, or do you think they should go up and meet you?
HOPKINS: No. I’m not going down in weight to fight anybody for the light heavyweight championship. A couple of times I have done that. I’ve done that with Kelly Pavlik, an undefeated fighter. I met him at 170. I’ve done that with Winky Wright if you remember at 170. Why should I have to lose? You have to remember I’m an old man. I’m three years from being 50. Why would I have to do that? So my thing is that these guys at 68 are walking around at 190 anyway. Bute will tell you. You think Bute walks around at 168? Are you kidding me? So 68 pounders has only been in existence for about 15 years. The 68 pounders is nothing but really light heavyweights who sweat down to be 68. That’s a division like a junior middleweight. I think these junior divisions need to be wiped out of boxing period, but it is what it is, junior this and junior that. 168! Either your middleweight or you’re a light heavyweight. You know, I mean I’m old school. That’s the way I think. You can’t be in between. You can be in between because of the politics of what we live in, but let’s keep it real. You know what I mean?
Either you or a light heavyweight or you are a middleweight, and Bute with his height, his weight, the way he walks around when the fight is over with four months or three months later, he easily walks around at 180-something-plus. So let’s not play games about sweating down. He’s fighting at 68 because that’s where the competition of his comfort level, and that’s where the money’s at, and that’s where he has an advantage that he thinks over certain people that he fights. You understand? So at the end of the day, you put on five pounds! That’s all! If he puts on five, six, seven pounds, then he’s got all of the advantage in the world. You got an old man in the ring who’s still got some credibility to not be laughed at if he beats me, especially if he knocks me out or smacks me around and embarrasses me like Terry Norris did to Sugar Ray Leonard. Yeah, I remember that. So at the end of the day, I shouldn’t have to lose a quarter pound for anyone who wants to fight me from 68 or middleweight. At the end of the day I ain’t a gatekeeper. That’s a different title. I’m not that. But I am the guy that, if you want to be a superstar overnight then whop my ass and you will be a superstar overnight!
JENNA: Okay well Bernard, one thing I didn’t touch on earlier was the aftermath of that fight with Chad Dawson. You actually got a lot of hits in the press from other fighters who said you laid down in that fight. We actually had Antonio Tarver on who was very vocal to that fight. What do you have to say to those people now that the fight’s been reversed, and is there anything you want to clear the air out on that?
HOPKINS: No because they’re haters. I mean when you start talking about people who said things about me, obviously people probably said something about me that I didn’t fight, but most of those people have either been in the ring with me, or had a chance but didn’t take or whatever happened it didn’t work out. I’m pretty sure Winky Wright is on your list of one of those people that said that, because he was helping Chad Dawson I guess in camp. You said Antonio Tarver, who’s a bitter man, who I easily beat after being a six-to-one underdog and he lost a quarter million that day when he didn’t knock me out in four rounds. So he has a reason to be envious and biased towards me, but if you see me when I did that first Jean Pascal fight with Showtime, he wants to take pictures and hug at the media sit-down roundtable.
So listen ya’ll! I come from an era in boxing where talking really gets you punched in the mouth in the streets. You can’t do too much talking. In D-Block if you talk you’ll probably get raped at night if you don’t back it up. I mean this is kid games to me. I mean this is like a young rapper trying to go against Jay-Z right now. That’s what I feel like in boxing. Like yo, are you kidding me? Do you want me to spit out a rap? Okay let me dust off and spit out a rap. Alright go back in your hut and finish working on your project, and then I’ll go out and see you later on. I mean I don’t worry about what people say about Bernard Hopkins. One thing they can’t say, lay down, fall down, or whatever—I had an injury. Doctors don’t lie if they don’t know you, they don’t have a reason to lie, and their license is on the line. So the injury that I’m still finishing up on my extensive nine/ten weeks of rehab, and building muscle, and making it feel great like it does now.
My whole thing is this. You’re going to find a lot of haters that just want me to go away. Just go away Bernard! But haven’t they been saying that for 10 years now? If you do the math, I’m 47. I was supposed to be old and beat up when I fought Tito. I was 35 if ya’ll remember. So you know, Tarver’s got to be bitter. I mean he has to be bitter! Probably most of them, except for Keith Holmes who I met in DC when Amir Khan was fighting, we had a long great conversation—he’s a great guy. You know I mean we fought in the tournament, and I respect him, and he’s still trying to do what he does to get back on the map, and if I can do something to help him like I told him I will. So this is a former rival, but he understands that you did what you had to do in the ring and out of the ring. You spoke your mind. You did what you had to do. I thought you were crazy, but it played out that you weren’t. I respect when a man says that, especially when he was in the ring. But with Antonio Tarver, it’s envy and jealousy. I’m still fighting. He’s known more for the Rocky movies than anything else, because the Roy Jones fight with the one punch—he was a one punch wonder! What did he do since then? Nothing! Think about it. No, don’t give me that crap about that guy down there in Australia! The Green Machine! Come on! That’s a joke. Are you kidding me? So let them guys do what they got to do. I guess he needs a buck. He wants me to fight him. He wants a rematch.
JENNA: Alright well Bernard I’m also on the line with my Co-Host Geoff.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hey Bernard. It’s a pleasure to have you back on the show.
HOPKINS: No problem.
CIANI: Bernard we were talking about 168 before. A guy that you’ve been big on in the past on our show is Andre Ward. I wanted to get your assessment on his victor in the Super Six Final against Carl Froch?
HOPKINS: I’m glad you mentioned Andre Ward, because first as I watched the fight at ringside with Jay Prince, who I highly respect and is a good friend of mine. I said to him and a couple of people right beside me, the styles! Froch’s style, the European, there is only a couple of things that he can actually do and always do, and he’s not going to do anything different. That’s the European. I said as far as Ward, he’s all around—all around Philadelphia gym, Claifornia gym, Vegas gym, Houston, Louisiana. You see any of those gyms where you see that all around athlete, it’s things that a European can never do because the genetics is not there. When one tries to copy and come close, they build him up like he’s special, and he is because it’s not normal. But Andre Ward whopped that ass and made it look so easy, that they were frustrated that it looked so easy, and they is on Froch’s side, his people. Was I surprised? No. Can anything happen in boxing? Yes. But I wasn’t surprised.
I remember Andre Ward rocking high at a young age in the Olympics with Nazim Richardson and all of them. So I’m not surprised of his ability. As a matter of fact he reminds me of somebody. (laughs) I ain’t going to say the name, but he reminds me of somebody. I said oh you’ve been studying, I told him in the dressing room when he was hugging with his kids and stuff. I said man I see you have been studying. He said yep, and we just looked at each other and that was it. I said enjoy yourself man and I left out of there. Take care of your eye, take care of your hand, and take care of your face. That’s why I last so long, because instead of going on the party floor after the fights, instead of going hoo-ha, hoo-ha, hoo-ha, take care of your body. Soak your hand. Soak your eyes. He’ll tell you what I said to him. Let everybody else celebrate. Sit back and look around and worry about your face, because your eye will stay like that if you don’t put the ice on there and you’ll look like Iran Barkley. No disrespect to Iran Barkley! That’s my man, but it is what it is. You got to use examples to make a clear point.
So when you look at Andre Ward and you look at that 68 division, if Bute don’t fight Bernard Hopkins after Andre dusts off Kessler, he should go ahead and fight Andre Ward. How can a guy that claims he is “the great white hope”, even though he’s in Canada, and you fight a Froch who got his ass whopped royally, viciously! I mean is this what boxing has come down to ya’ll? Is that what boxing has come to where the losers get the best fights at 168 pounds? (laughs) Hey man! I can’t knock the hustle, though. But you’re all going to buy that?! Every media in boxing, including ya’ll, East Side Boxing should be slaying that fight! Are you kidding me?!
See that’s what they did in the 70s and 80s! You couldn’t force garbage down people’s mouths and expect them to be tricked and bamboozled to think this is something they should watch! I’m telling the people that come to me, why isn’t he fighting Andre Ward? They’re in the same weight class! Why is he fighting Froch?! A guy who got his ass whopped?! I said hey man. You know how ya’ll do it? You don’t watch it! You don’t buy it! I think every fan, and I’m going to say this on other sites because I’m going to respect East Side Boxing. So I’m just going to say this on every interview I do with every boxing website that talks to me. With any garbage that’s trying to be thrown down people’s throats when it’s being promoted like it’s going to be something great, they should boycott it and ban it! Because of people, like if you’re voting for a Congressman, or a President, or a Senator, you all got the power to say we ain’t buying that junk! Trust me! With the promoters if you hit them in the pocket, it opens their eyes because that’s their God! Their God is being compromised! They don’t like you messing with their God! That’s their money! In God we trust! They got to go ahead and reroute it! They got to reroute it! That’s my call for 2012. Any junk, even if it’s me in there—I’m not excluded from that, because then I’d be a hypocrite. Any junk, any report of boxing, internet, whatever, satellite, UFO disc, I don’t care. Ban that bullsh*t! Don’t watch it! Don’t pay for it! If you pay for it you’re a sucker!
CIANI: They’re actually talking a two fight deal for that too, Bernard.
HOPKINS: Listen man. I ain’t got to say no more. You see I got emotional about it! But I’m in control. I got emotional but not reckless. I’m just speaking my mind. You’re probably shocked, but I’m coming from a fan’s point of view. People come to me! I’m in the gym everyday with these young guys! Man I’m in the gym with every young guy in the gym! I stay in Philadelphia. I’m in Delaware now, I live here but I don’t stay here. I just sleep here! Why isn’t he fighting Andre Ward? I said hey man! These are clean, raw, no agenda, no internet, no newspaper, no boxing business powered suit on! These are people who have more common sense because they have no agenda to promote A, B, C, or D, or to promote this guy, or to talk about that guy! Let’s stop playing games here ya’ll. I don’t care if it’s a one fight deal, two fight deal, three fight deal—at the end of the day nobody wants to see the best guy at 168 fight the worst guy at 168! You know who Froch should fight? You know who he should fight?
CIANI: Who?
HOPKINS: He should fight Andre Dirrell.
CIANI: Yeah, they had a close fight the first time around that was a little controversial. Those two guys have some unfinished business.
HOPKINS: Exactly! Exactly! Exactly! I’ve been punched in my head for 23 years! Do I got all of the sense and everyone else is stupid?! Man listen, again, I’m not the smartest person in the world. I’m not trying to be sarcastic. I’m just trying to tell you. That’s why I’m putting the call out to the fans. Yes, a promoter/boxer, I’m telling you all fans in 2012 should be committing to the world that they can’t be bamboozled to the bullsh*t that’s being shoved down their throats man!
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For those interested in listening to the Bernard Hopkins interview in its entirety, it begins approximately twenty-one minutes into the program.
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