Kelly Swanson
Thank you, everybody, for joining us. We are going to feature both Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson on the media conference call today. Both fighters are training hard in the hot, hot sun of Florida. So I think we’re going to have a great fight.
We will have Chad Dawson with us first, and then when we’re finished with Chad, Bernard Hopkins will be calling in. So two separate calls but on the same call. And without further ado, I’m going to turn it over to Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions to make the announcement. Richard?
Richard Schaefer
Thank you very much, Kelly. Hello, everybody. Good morning, good afternoon. First I want to thank Gary Shaw, the co-promoter of this terrific event. It’s always a pleasure to work with Gary. It was very smooth, very easy, and I think the results will speak for themselves.
We will have a tremendous crowd in Atlantic City. Tickets have really been one of the best selling events in a long time, and this is just a further testament to these two great fighters, and as well that if you price tickets right, starting at $25-It’s unbelievable, for $25 to be able to see a double header like that is unheard of and the public will obviously respond accordingly.
I want to thank Caesars, as well, Ken Condon, HBO, and all the sponsors led by Corona, AT&T, and Caesars Atlantic City.
These are two great fighters. One is a legend. One wants to become one. He knows what he has to do. Both fighters will be ready. You’re absolutely right, Kelly. They worked hard. Stayed very, very focused on the training camps. They both know what’s at stake here and I’m really excited to be sitting ringside and see you all, members from the media, down in Atlantic City.
Just before I turn it over to Gary Shaw, I do want to point out again, as well, I know we had a conference call last week, about the terrific opening bout. It’s a double header on HBO World Championship Boxing with Seth Mitchell versus Chazz Witherspoon, a 12-round fight for the vacant NABO heavyweight title. So without any further ado I’d like to introduce Gary Shaw.
Gary Shaw
Thank you very much, Richard. I’m not going to go through all the thank yous. Richard already thanked everyone, but I do want to special thank to Ken Hershman for buying this fight and putting it on HBO not pay-per-view. So all the fans that watch fights all year long can watch this.
I’m just going to say that I never thought Hopkins was hurt. I still don’t believe Hopkins was ever hurt. We never heard anything about his rehabbing or anything else. My only fear is that Hopkins will not go through with the entire fight. That somewhere in this fight, after he’s getting a beating from Chad, will find a way to get out of the fight. Chad is a much superior fighter, younger, stronger, more aggressive and eager, once and for all, to put the legend where he belongs, retired and into the Hall of Fame. So that’s my feeling.
As Richard said, tickets are selling terrific. We are very short. We only have a few tickets more to sell to beat where Pavlik was. I think he had 7,000 seats and we’re almost there. And all our seats have sold.
So we want to thank for sure Ken Condon of Caesars. They’re doing a great job. Thank you very much all. Richard, thank you once again for another great co-promotion. I’d like Chad to open up and say a few words.
Chad Dawson
How’s everybody doing? I’d like to thank Gary Shaw, Golden Boy, HBO for putting on the fight. I’m just excited and I’m just happy we get to do this one more time. Hopefully this time we’ll give the fans what they want to see, a real fight.
Q
I have to tell you, that Tomasz Adamek fight, I think that was one of your best fights ever. Even though you got knocked down you came back stronger. You became focused and you kept that fight and you controlled the pace.
Hopkins has a habit, of course, of bullying fighters. He comes in there and he gets into your head mentally. He’ll punch, clench, make cute little moves. How are you going to stay-and you’ve seen that in the first fight-how are you going to stay focused on this fight? How are you going to control the fight from the beginning to the end?
C. Dawson
By just being me. I think the last fight I didn’t get a lot of credit for being the aggressor and being the one that tried to press the fight. Bernard backed up the first two rounds, even though there were only two rounds, but I was the aggressor. I was pressing the fight. I tried to get Bernard to fight, but he didn’t show any signs that he wanted to fight until the fight was over. So, I mean I plan on going out there, using my jab, using my hinge speed, my youth, and winning the fight.
Q
And kind of a follow up to that too, Bernard still at the same time is remarkable being 47 years old and doing what he does and coming there with a young man, as yourself, who’s 29. What kind of kudos do you give Bernard Hopkins for being in the game at this stage and what he’s been able to accomplish against world-class opponents?
C. Dawson
I mean like I tell everybody else, I admire everything he’s done in the sport of boxing over the last few years, you now, becoming the oldest world champion. Those are the things you can’t take away from Bernard Hopkins. You can’t take that away from him. The only thing I have to do is go out there and dethrone him. I want to become the world champion. I want the same recognition that Bernard gets. So, on the 28th that’s what I’m going out to get.
Q
Gary, I’ve got a quick question for you. I know you were dissatisfied when the WBC ordered the rematch. And the money back then, Bernard Hopkins got paid $1 million. Chad’s purse was $800,000. How is the money different this time?
G. Shaw
I worked hard to get Chad this mandatory rematch or there’s not a chance that Hopkins would’ve gotten in the ring with him. We had to take short money because that was the ruling by the WBC, but Chad knows that we may take short money this time but this is the last fight. This is the end of Hopkins.
Hopkins won’t even do a press conference with Chad. He wouldn’t do a one-on-one with Max Kellerman and Chad. He won’t do a real press conference with Chad. That tells you all that you have to know about this fight.
Q
And Richard, one question for you sir, too, as we were saying, Bernard has been an exceptional athlete fighting at 47. Do you have plans for him past this fight win or lose?
R. Schaefer
I’m going to be sitting with Bernard after the fight and see how he feels and then we’re going to go from there. For big fights you really don’t make any plans, I don’t think. You just see what happens and then you deal with it.
Q
Chad, in that first fight I know it only lasted not even two full rounds, but in those two rounds it seemed like you were beginning to establish some control of the fight. Do you think that when this fight starts that your mentality will be to sort of try to pick up exactly where you left off? Sort of taking it to him and fighting with a little bit of kind of a chip on your shoulder?
C. Dawson
Yea. I mean the way the last fight ended; I could only take as a confidence builder because I really don’t believe Bernard Hopkins was hurt. He showed that he really didn’t want to be in the ring with me that night. So it’s a confidence booster for me and I want to go in there on the 28th and I want to pick up right where we left off. Be the aggressor. I want to make him fight and hopefully we can give the fans what they came to see the last time, a real fight.
Q
Gary’s made it very clear he doesn’t believe that Bernard was injured. You’ve stated that
multiple times today during this call, many times. If that’s the case, why do you suppose
that Bernard, with his age, his stature, all the money that he’s made, his name, you know he
could’ve maybe looked elsewhere. If he really wasn’t hurt, why do you suppose then he took
this rematch with you when, even though it was mandatory because of the belt, he really didn’t
have to do that if he didn’t want to being where he is in the sport?
C. Dawson
I guess it’s all about his legacy. I mean if I was him, I wouldn’t want to go out on a bad note like that. I wouldn’t want to have anybody saying that you’re ducking this guy. So, I’m not going to say he’s scared because I don’t believe any fighter is scared. If any man gets in the ring with another man they’re not a scared person. But if you look at the last fight, he said he dislocated his shoulder but we didn’t see any weakness in his shoulder. We didn’t see any doctor’s notes or anything like that.
So like I said, my confidence is through the roof right now, you know, and I’m looking forward to going out there on the 28th. I’m looking forward to becoming a world champion once again.
G. Shaw
They didn’t want the fight. They lobbied against the fight, but I won on the floor of the WBC convention. That’s why Hopkins is taking it, because without the belt, Hopkins is just an old fighter. So he needs that belt to be someone. He’ll lose it on April 28th.
Q
I was just going to ask you, Richard, if you had anything to say.
R. Schaefer
This is ridiculous. I was recently at Bernard’s house. Bernard has more belts than all the people have to hold up their pants. And so the fact is that Bernard at this point, at 47-48 years old, doesn’t need any belts. He could have gone and fought Shumenov for the WBA belt. He could have gone and fought Clevery, a youth showdown in the U.K. with huge crowds. I mean there were so many other options, but this is what Bernard Hopkins is.
I mean this exactly shows again the kind of fighter Bernard Hopkins is. He never turns down a challenge. Everybody felt that he was going to not fight him again, and guess what? He always does the unexpected. He even surprises Gary Shaw and Chad Dawson. And if Gary thinks that the result of Bernard taking the fight is because of some silly ruling from the WBC, he is mistaken. And he knows that.
G. Shaw
Richard, I love you, but that’s not true. We chased Hopkins for three years and we only got him in because of what happened with the Pascal fight, and you know that.
R. Schaefer
Well because he was in bigger fights where he made more money, that’s why, and then he got it. Bernard Hopkins could’ve gotten a TV date whether he fights Chad Dawson or not. You know that and everybody on the line knows that.
It doesn’t really matter. The fact is you know just because the WBC rules something that doesn’t mean everybody has to follow, but Bernard wanted the fight and took the fight. He was not obligated, wasn’t forced into it.
Q
Thank you, gentlemen. Chad, Bernard’s age has been a big topic here. He’s 47. I think it was pretty clear that you were doing very well in the first couple of rounds before the aborted ending of the fight. Is the biggest statement that you can make in this fight to knock out Bernard Hopkins and end his career?
C. Dawson
That would be a big statement to make. Due to the fact that he’s never been knocked out before, I can’t say that I’m going in there looking for the knockout. I had a great training camp. We’ve been in training camp seven weeks already and everything’s been great. We’ve worked on a lot of different things.
We know Bernard is not going to come in the same fighter he was the last fight. We know he’s a little stronger than he was the last fight. I hope Bernard comes to fight. He took the fight. He wanted the fight. So hopefully we’ll be fighting on the 28th and we’ll get our fans their money’s worth.
Q
Very good. By the way, you’re still with Scully for this fight correct?
C. Dawson
Yes.
Q
The fact that Bernard is from Philadelphia and has fought in Atlantic City for like 16 or 17 times, is there any concern on your part or on your camps part that there’s some sort of hometown advantage that he might enjoy?
C. Dawson
No concern at all. No concern at all.
G. Shaw
No, his promoter was on the board of New Jersey for a lot of years.
Q
Yes, I know that.
G. Shaw
Okay, so that should answer it.
R. Schaefer
What do you mean by that, Gary? Could you elaborate?
G. Shaw
Sure. I mean that nobody has an advantage. Bernard’s from Philly and I had a relationship with the State of New Jersey. So we’re all even.
Q
I just meant as far as like-I would imagine that Bernard’s going to have fan support and whether you think that that might sway the judges refereeing, unintentionally of course, but could it be a factor? Chad or Gary?
C. Dawson
I’m not worried about that at all. We’re not worried about that at all. We’ve never even brought that up. That’s never been a topic of discussion with us. We’re just looking forward to going out there on the 28th and becoming a world champion once again. I’m confident in my abilities. I know what’s going to happen on the 28th. If Bernard comes to fight, then the fans will get a great fight.
Q
On a similar note, being from Connecticut, relatively close, why is that you’ve never fought in Atlantic City? It just didn’t work out that way?
C. Dawson
I guess it just never worked out. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve got the opportunity now and I hope a lot of my fans and family get to come and watch me laugh.
Q
My question for you, Chad, and I also have a question for Richard Schaefer as well, but Chad, Bernard Hopkins seems to have a way against younger fighters. He beat Kelly Pavlik; He beat Antonio Tarver and all those guys. How do you plan to counteract him and what types of problems does he present to say younger guys as yourself?
C. Dawson
I don’t know because I can’t compare myself to other young guys. I think I’m fully different from all the other young guys he’s beaten. I have more will. I’m definitely smarter. I know Bernard’s been around the game for a long time. I know he knows all the tricks and all of the tactics and everything, but I’m not worried about that. Like I keep saying, if Bernard comes to fight on the 28th then the fans will get a great fight and I will be the one who comes out on top.
Q
My other question is for Richard. How do you explain Bernard Hopkins’ popularity? Is it a matter of that there are no other younger fighters in the game with the kind of drawing power, the start power that he has or is it just that Bernard Hopkins is still that fascination in boxing that we have today?
R. Schaefer
Well you know I think if you look at the kind of fights and fighters Bernard fought and won, like De La Hoya, Trinidad, Tarver, Winky Wright, Kelly Pavlik, Roy Jones, and the list goes on and on, pretty much any and every big name, which was in or around his weight class over the past 20 years, he has fought and he has won against. So I think that sort of like is what built the status he has, which is a legendary status.
And the fact that he did make history to beat George Foreman’s record to become the oldest champion ever, I think you add all of these things together and people are taking notice that this is something very special, a very special athlete that we are seeing here, and I think that is what makes Bernard Hopkins so popular.
Q
Coming into your fight, Bernard had an incredible he had an incredible record against south paws. It was 10-1 with five knockouts and one no contest, but the one guy who beat him, controversially, and Hopkins still thinks that he won the fight, was Joe Calzaghe.
And I interviewed him before the fight and I asked him, “Do you believe that Hopkins is going to win?” And he said, “My heart says Hopkins will win on points but my head says Chad Dawson will beat him on points or maybe even late round stoppage. My heart wants Bernard to win on points, but my head says Dawson will beat him.” What do you think he saw that many other people didn’t see thinking that you were going to beat him, perhaps even worse than what happened with him?
C. Dawson
I mean Joe Calzaghe was a great fighter, but me and Joe Calzaghe are two different fighters. We’re both southpaws, but Calzaghe uses his hand speed. I use my hand speed too, but my punches mean something. My punches count. My punches hurt. Joe Calzaghe was more of slapper with his punches. There wasn’t that much power on his punches but he threw a lot of punches.
I mean I have every advantage. I got the fire in my eyes and people saw that at the last fight. I really wanted to go out and I really wanted to beat Bernard Hopkins. Bernard had other plans. I’m going to keep saying this; Bernard did not want to be in the ring with me that night. Maybe he undertrained and he didn’t expect to see what he saw that night. Maybe he needed more time to get in better shape. I don’t know, but I’m here and I’m for real and I’m coming to fight.
Q
I’m sure now maybe some more than others believe it, but going into the fight you were saying a lot of the things you’re saying now. That he was ducking you and that kind of thing. Do you think that regardless of what the result was the last time, do you think now that you’re getting more credit for being the fighter that you thought you were going into that fight?
C. Dawson
I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t really listen to things like that. I just know what I can do and I know what happened that night. I looked into Bernard’s eyes that night and Bernard did not want to be in the ring that night. He may tell you otherwise and Richard Schaefer may say otherwise but I’m telling you, Bernard didn’t want to be in the ring that night.
Like I said, maybe he undertrained and he underestimated me. Maybe he needed a little more time to get in a little better shape. Maybe that’s what he did by taking the rematch. He wanted to get in better shape then he came into that fight, but he didn’t have that fire that night.
Q
Was the decision to reunite with John Scully because there was a style that you liked earlier in your career and you wanted to get back to that particular style of fighting?
C. Dawson
Yes that was the main reason I switched. I wanted to become myself again. Me being with so many different trainers, I think that kind of derailed my own style and going all of these different ways. One trainer wanted me to work on this and another trainer think I’m better at this so I should be working on that.
Well Scully is different because Scully knows all of my strengths. So we add to that. I’ve known Scully since I was 12 years old. I sparred with him when I was coming up younger, earlier in my career. So Scully knows me. He knows everything about me. We’ve been in the ring together. So he knows my strengths and he knows my weaknesses. So we had the chance to work on all of those things.
And I’m also working on all of my strengths because he knows what they are but to work on my weaknesses. And I think on the 28th everybody will see a total package. And it was a good thing, not a great thing, but the fight didn’t go past the second round so I really didn’t break a sweat. So we got a chance to get back into camp and go back to work. So we got right back to work and I’m going to be in even greater shape this fight right here.
Q
And speaking of the abbreviated version of the fight, it didn’t last long, but were there any things that you picked up during the fight that you can use for the rematch or was this a situation that you feel Bernard kind of did everything that you thought he would?
C. Dawson
No. I think he did everything we thought he was going to. He started head butting early. He started all of his dirty tactics. He kept jumping on my back. Everything he did that night we expected. Even when he hit the canvas we knew he wasn’t getting back up. We knew he was going to fake it until he made it, and that’s what happened.
Q
Both of your responses kind of segue way into my questions. There was a point where-Bernard’s been called-some of his tactics have come into question in the past, and you tried to put your forearm, I guess, into his neck. I guess my question is was that forearm a response to something he did or was it just your way of sending a message that you can change tactics and fight anyway that you need to?
C. Dawson
Actually you’re the first person that point that out, but that was a little bit of both. I wanted to let him know that I wasn’t going to put up with his tactics all night and I wanted let him know I’m strong, “I’m too strong for you,” and I think he felt that.
Q
We’ve been talking a lot over here about Nathan Cleverly, and there’s obviously the potential for a unification fight if you or Bernard, whoever is the winner of this fight, takes on Nathan. Frank Warren, the promoter in the UK has promised that. Is that something; that Nathan Cleverly is on your radar?
C. Dawson
The only person on my radar right now is Bernard Hopkins.
Q
I know you don’t want to look too far ahead of yourself, I suppose, but is he a big enough name now in this division to be mentioned alongside yourself and Bernard and Beibut Shumenov and people like that?
C. Dawson
Honestly, I’ve never seen him fight. I’ve heard his name a few times, but I never seen him fight. So I don’t know much about him. But like I said, my whole focus is on Bernard Hopkins.
Wherever me and Gary Shaw come to after this fight is where we come to. So whatever we have to do, but right now it’s Bernard Hopkins.
Q
You’ve addressed this a little bit, but you know often in fights fighters start off the first couple of rounds as sort of a feeling out round. You’ve had that almost two rounds already. Are you going to be able to sort of dispense with that learning what you’ve already learned from the first fight, as short as it was?
C. Dawson
Yeah. I mean I feel like even the first round is going to be the third round because I think Bernard got to feel me out a little bit. I got to feel him out a little bit. So I think this for him makes for a great fight because we’ve been there. With only two rounds we’ve both been in there with each other and we know what to expect.
Q
If you look at even the fights that he’s officially lost, except for the first fight he had with Roy Jones and his first fight, he hasn’t really-the fights that he’s lost, by decision, have been kind of controversial. Do you want to sort of put an exclamation point on your performance and win in a very clear-cut fashion for your legacy?
C. Dawson
Yes, sir. That’s the goal. That’s my plan. I want to go out there. I want to beat him. If it goes 12 rounds, I want to win 11 or 12 of those rounds. I’m looking to go out and I’m looking to beat Bernard in a great fashion, a fashion that no one can say, “Oh but this, but that. It was a close fight.” I don’t even want a close fight. I want to beat him decisively.
K. Swanson
Okay great. That was the last question for Chad and Gary. If you guys have any final comments, and then we will get Bernard Hopkins on the line and start the second part of this call.
G. Shaw
I just want to say thank you to everybody. Thank you, Richard, for another great co-promotion. I promise you, Chad Dawson will walk out of that ring victorious. He will have the ring belt. He will have the WBC belt, and I wish Bernard Hopkins a lot of good luck on his entry into the hall of fame.
K. Swanson
Okay, we can get started. Richard, if you’d like to make the introductions, we’ll turn it over to Bernard for comments and then open it up for questions.
R. Schaefer
Okay. Great. Well, it’s a pleasure again to be on here and I have to say it was quite funny to listen to those silly comments from Gary Shaw about Bernard having to take this fight. Bernard, at this point in his career doesn’t have to do anything, and he’s certainly not going to be driven by a mandatory or a mandate at the defense of his title against Chad Dawson.
And it’s funny as well because it sort of reminds me about the whole thing that’s going on here, about October 18, 2008. That was an interesting day. It was an interesting night. All of you guys from the media didn’t really give Bernard any chance. And yes that was his fight against Kelly Pavlik, and yes it was in the same venue. I sort of compare stories and I look at all of that and I see a lot of similarities.
And again, after everything Bernard has achieved in his career, I mentioned it before, wins against pretty much anyone who was anyone in the last 20 years in our around his weight class from De La Hoya to Trinidad to Tarver to Winky to Pavlik to Jones and on and on and on, people are still doubting him. It’s amazing. I guess some people never learn. I’m just telling you guys you bet at your own risk against legendary Bernard Hopkins.
For me to, yet again, be able to introduce this legend in another significant fight is just really an honor. And it really is an honor for me, Bernard, to introduce you on this call. Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, with a record of 52-5-2, 32 KOs, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; please, Bernard Hopkins.
Bernard Hopkins
Thank you, Richard. I’m here to answer some questions.
Q
Talking to Dawson earlier he said that he would use his physical strength and kind of take control of the fight and that he really didn’t get much from the first fight, of course, because it was ended in two rounds. I was wondering are you going to approach this fight a little bit differently because you’re able to get into a fighter’s mind.
You’re able to kind of bully them around. You do clench, punch, make cute moves at times, but with Dawson being who he is with his quickness, we didn’t really see a lot of it on display in the first fight, how are you going to approach this fight? Are you going to approach it any differently from the first encounter?
B. Hopkins
I’m going to approach it the way I’ve been trained to approach it and the way I’ve been working and camping my strategy. But all that he said was what he’s going to do but let’s see your work. If he said he’s going to do what he’s going to do then I think the best thing to witness is come April 28th.
So I’m not going to get into a dog and cat fight and I ain’t the cat. I’m not going to go back and forth and say he’s going to do this and he’s going to do that.
At the end of the day, I really don’t have too much to say but this is protocol. You have to do things to bring people interest. So I understand that. But right now it’s too much for me to say. The only thing I want to do is this show. Whoever can make it, make it. Whoever don’t, don’t, but it will be on TV.
Q
And Richard Schaefer did point out that you didn’t have to take this fight, although Gary Shaw pointed out that it was mandated by the WBC. Why did you take this fight? You know you don’t have to take any fight you don’t want to take, you had other fights out there on the horizon, why did you take this fight, this rematch?
B. Hopkins
Because I’m a legend.
Q
Is this the type of fight here, of course you win, your legend gets even bigger, what do you look ahead of accomplishing? If you get this fight, do you want to unify the title? Do you want to move up? You talked about moving to heavyweight. What is there ahead of you if you win this fight?
B. Hopkins
Right now I want to beat Chad Dawson. Right now I want to beat Chad Dawson in one of the greatest places that I’ve started my career on the mat, and that’s Atlantic City.
Who knows what the future holds after I beat Chad Dawson, because if you remember when I beat Kelly Pavlik they blackballed and sat me down for 16 months after a hell of a performance that most of you all had me losing, not only by a decision, but by a knockout. So it isn’t up to me where I go when I win. Just watch what the establishment might do because there’s another person that will want to … a list of so many young fighters and we never saw them again. Some ran into the trees. Some tried to revamp their career. Some just fell off the planet earth, boxing wise.
So my plan is April 28th because I understand what I’m facing. I understand what I’m up against. And when you understand that for years and years and years of my career, I don’t think as far as you all do. I know where to think and I know where to cut it off. I know what a win would do and what a win won’t do for me, only me.
This is the only Bernard Hopkins’ rule they got for me. This isn’t anybody else’s rule in boxing, not Floyd Mayweather, not Amir Khan, not any other fighter the last 15-20 years. It’s the Bernard Hopkins rules that they made up.
So winning isn’t always a good thing in the politics of Bernard Hopkins. Trust me. Look at the track record. When you see come the 28th of April and you see me reenact what I did in October of 2008, even better performance, then I’ll think about what I’m going to do not what they want to do with me. That’s the difference.
Q
Bernard, I think those might look at this match up and see you’re the underdog, as you’ve been other times, and it’s almost like it’s where you want to be; underdog against Tarver, underdog against Trinidad, underdog against Pavlik. You pulled the rabbit out of the hat and beat all three of those guys. You didn’t just beat them; you beat them decisively.
Are you basically in a spot where you want to be? Where you thrive the best when there are not a lot of people that give you the real legitimate chance to actually win the fight against a guy that’s so much younger than you are, almost 20 years younger than you?
B. Hopkins
Well that’s being kind of mild. I was born in 1965 and a great year for segregation. I was the underdog based on being black. So being the underdog in boxing or being the underdog when others have their opinion, this is kids play.
You’ve taken it a little too deep than what it is. To be the underdog, obviously you’re blessed not to have a sun tan like me, but trust me, people like me, and I say people like me, understand underdog as the sport – whether it’s sport, whether it’s play, whether it’s corporate America, whether it’s just being the situation you are. So am I comfortable being in this situation? Maybe. Maybe I got immune to it. Maybe it grew on me over the years.
But whatever it is, it doesn’t take away the talent of Bernard Hopkins in the last 20 plus years. It doesn’t take away what I do in the ring and what I’ve done out of the ring. At the end of the day, whether it’s the underdog because they say I should be the underdog, I can say I fight and I prove that and I’m going to continue to show that you might have opinions, whoever, but that don’t mean that you have to be right. And that’s my job to prove it come April 28th.
I know what I know and I start getting kind of old in boxing because to be honest with you, I don’t really have too much to say any more the last two or three years even though I try to push myself to give people something because it’s part of the game in boxing. You do a lot of talking. Then you do a lot of backing up. Some do and some don’t, but I think I am getting kind of old in my age where right now I get agitated even doing these interviews because it seems to be the same questions and nobody else has anything different to ask me.
It’s not that people are wrong for asking me, it’s that I’ve been around so long. 24 years if my math is right, 1988. If you take half of those 24 years, what else can you ask Bernard Hopkins? The news isn’t when I win. The news is if I lose. That becomes news to you all, and I understand that because I’ve built a track record. I’ve been right more than I’ve been wrong. You all have been wrong more than you have been right. It’s nothing personal.
I just want to lay the platform out there for everybody who’s on the air listening that I understand that you have to dig in the bag of tricks or a rabbit out of the hat, because it’s what else are you going to ask me? “Are you going to stay, Bernard?” You can’t ask me that or, “Are you mentally ready, Bernard?” You damn sure aren’t going to ask me that. So you got to find these things to create what, a conversation. I’d rather talk about something else, but this is part of the protocol game so let’s play the game.
April 28th is the only thing I want to say, the only thing I want to show, and you’re going to see it. You’re going to want to come up and shake my hand and tell me how great I am. And that’s when I’m going to say, “Thank you,” and go home and sleep in my bed that I haven’t been in for nine weeks.
Q
Bernard, with this fight, you’ve made a big deal about your age for a long time. 47 years old now going into this fight, do you think about it, win, lose, draw, whatever the case may be; do you see yourself with a future in boxing beyond this fight?
B. Hopkins
I just repeated something that happened in October of 2008. Now I’ll repeat it again. The rules are different for Bernard Hopkins. The rules should be different for Bernard Hopkins because I’ve made them that way, in the ring and out of the ring.
FOX SPORTS MEDIA GROUP ENTERS BOXING RING WITH GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS
New York – April 23, 2012 – FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG), the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform U.S.-based sports assets,announced today that it has reached a multi-year, multi-media agreement with Golden Boy Promotions to provide live boxing content in the United States and internationally. Golden Boy Promotions, owned by renowned former Ten-Time World Champion Oscar de la Hoya, is the first Hispanic-owned boxing promotional company in America doing business domestically and internationally.
Domestically, Golden Boy fights will be carried on FOX Deportes, the leader in U.S. Latino sports media, on FOX Sports regional networks, the nation’s leading provider of local sports and FUEL TV, FSMG’s dynamic sports network for males and television’s fastest-growing cable network. One originally produced boxing event per month from the United States airs live on FOX Deportes, FUEL TV and FOX Sports regional networks. Additionally, live boxing events from cities throughout Mexico will be carried on FOX Deportes. The first U.S. event is scheduled for Friday, May 4 (11:00 PM ET/8:00 PM PT), live from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and features an all-Mexican battle between former World Champion Daniel Ponce De Leon of Cuauhtemoc and Juarez’s Eduardo “El Chucky” Lazcano in a 12-round main event for the vacant WBC USNBC Super Featherweight title and, in the co-feature, perennial contender and Las Vegas favorite Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith facing Derrick Ennis in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.
During the first year of the partnership, FOX Deportes is scheduled to air a total of 44 live events originating in both the United States and Mexico; for every year thereafter, the network airs 36 live events. In addition, FSMG networks gain access to classic fights from the Golden Boy fight library which features fights of past and current world champions such as Oscar de la Hoya, Bernard Hopkins, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.
“Led by the incomparable Oscar de la Hoya, Golden Boy Promotions has developed a great reputation over the last few years for putting together very exciting cards,” said Bill Wanger, Executive Vice president, Programming & Research, FOX Sports Media Group. “It’s great that we’ve been able to establish what we hope will be a fruitful relationship that benefits multiple networks within the FOX Sports Media Group for years to come.”
“We are excited about our new partnership with FOX Sports Media Group,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “This is another step in ensuring that fight fans around the world don’t miss out on any of the great boxing action we present, both in the United States and Mexico. It’s a very important move towards increasing viewership and knowledge of our great sport. We are thrilled about this new partnership.”
Internationally, FOX’s networks have exclusive rights to FOX’s U.S.-produced fights throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe and to fight cards originating in Mexico throughout most of South America, the Caribbean and Europe.
Additionally, FOX’s networks have exclusive rights to Golden Boy’s Solo Boxeo series in Mexico and Central America, while FOX Sports Brazil has rights to select Golden Boy Promotions premier events.
MASSIVE UNDERCARD SET TO SUPPORT SHEIKA – MACK USBA TITLE FIGHT THIS FRIDAY AT RESORTS IN ATLANTIC CITY
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (April 23, 2012)—This Friday night at Resorts Hotel and Casino, Omar Sheika battles Yusaf Mack for the USBA Light Heavyweight title in what is an important showdown. But before the much anticipated main event, Nedal’s Boxing Promotions and Andre Kut’s KEA Boxing has put together a massive 11 bout undercard that will feature no less than seven undefeated fighters.
The entire twelve bout card can be seen LIVE all over the world beginning at 7pm on www.gfl.tv for just $9.99 by clicking: http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Omar_Sheika_vs_Yusaf_Mack/1485
In the eight round co-feature, Super Middleweight, Derrick “Take it to bank” Webster (12-0, 7 KO’s) of Glassboro, NJ takes on Sabou Ballagou (8-4, 3 KO’s) of Paris, France
In a six round Welterweight bout, Juan Rodriguez Jr. (8-0, 3 KO’s) battles Daniel Crabtree (3-4, 3 KO’s) of Hilliard, OH
Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (7-0, 5 KO’s) of Millville, NJ will take on Keuntray Henson (4-4, 1 KO) of Albuquerque, NM in a six round Jr. Middleweight bout
Polish import Przemyslaw Opalach (9-1, 8 KO’s) of Olsztyn, Poland will face Sean Rawley Wilson (5-9, 1 KO) of La Vista, Nebraska in a six round Middleweight bout
Alando Swain (5-1, 1 KO) of Trenton, NJ will square off with Wilkins Santiago (4-0, 1 KO) of Lorain, Ohio in a six round Middleweight affair.
Tyrone Luckey (4-1-1, 4 KO’s) of Middletown, NJ will face an opponent to be named in a four round Lightweight bout.
Anthony “Juice” Young (3-0, 2 KO’s) will be fighting in front of his hometown fans will he fights Jose Javier Calderon (4-1, 4 KO’s) of Puerto Rico in a four round Welterweight fight.
Gabriel Diaz (0-1-1) of Philadelphia will look for his first pro win when he fights Herbert Quartey (7-8, 4 KO’s) of Accra, Ghana in a four round Lightweight bout.
David Roman Curiel (2-0, 1 KO) of Paterson, NJ will fight Dominique Foster (0-1) of Hilliard, Ohio will fight in a four round Jr. Middleweight bout
Stivins Bujaj (7-0, 5 KO’s) of New York will take on David Whittom (11-17-1, 7 KO’s) of Quebec, Canada in a six round Cruiserweight bout.
THERE WILL BE A FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE ON TUESDAY APRIL 24TH AT 1PM AT GLOBAL BOXING GYM WHICH IS LOCATED AT 5601-5711 Tonnelle Ave. North Bergen, NJ 07047
THE WEIGH IN WILL BE THURSDAY AT 5 PM AT RESORTS
Tickets for this championship night of boxing cost $80 and $50 and can be purchased by calling:
609-227-6959; 609-396-3005 and 609-586-3225
For more information on Nedal’s Promotions, Click: www.nedalspromotions.com
For More information on KEA Boxing, click: www.keaboxing.com