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Bernard
Hopkins Conference Call
July 11, 2007, 3:00 p.m. ET
Moderator: Kelly Swanson
KELLY SWANSON, HOST: OK, thank you very much, operator, and thanks
everybody for joining us today on the Bernard Hopkins conference call.
Just to go over some details, the Hopkins Wright “Coming to Fight” is
July 21st, it’s Saturday, July 21st, at the Mandalay Bay Resorts and
Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight is promoted by Golden Boy
Promotions in association with Winky Promotions, and sponsored by
Southwest Airlines, Tecate Beer and Rockstar Energy Drink. The HBO
Pay-Per-View show will be televised live at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time,
that’s the time it will start. Golden Boy will have a great under card
to compliment the Hopkins Wright fight.
Just for everybody’s information, I know you guys have received a lot of
information about the fight so far, so if you have any other questions,
please feel free to call my office. We will have transcripts provided
for both Bernard’s call and for the Winky Wright call.
So without further ado, I would like to introduce at this time certainly
one of the greatest champions I know and he is the light – current light
heavyweight champion of the world, Bernard “the Executioner” Hopkins
calling from his training camp in Los Angeles in California.
So, Bernard, if you’d like to start and give us, you know, brief calling
about how training’s going and how you’re feeling, and then we’ll open
it up to the media.
BERNARD HOPKINS, WORLD LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Firstly, I’m glad to
be here on this conference call that everybody’s listening. Training’s
going great. We’re winding down our fifth week in L.A. at the “The
Blood”, that’s the name of the gym that they named it. Freddie Roach is
really the throwback for a lushier type of gym.
But I’m ready to answer any questions, so let’s go.
DARREN MOPHANI (ph), REUTERS: Thanks very much. Quick question for you,
when you announced that you were coming out of retirement, initially you
were talking very much about two names that you wanted to fight, which
were Oleg Maskaev and Joe Calzaghe.
Obviously you’ve picked a very, very good fight. It’s still the top
elite fighters, which very rarely happens, but do you expect you’re
making history by fighting for a heavyweight belt, or breaking history
stopping Calzaghe making 21 defenses. Are you a little disappointed that
either of those folks didn’t come off?
BERNARD HOPKINS: No, not really, because I knew that winning every
championship would be – would be in the history line. And I understood
that there were some out there that didn’t want to see my make that type
of history. So, I wasn’t surprised about the, you know, the Maskaev
fight. But, you know, I tried to make it happen and Richard tried to
make it happen.
As far as the Joe Calzaghe fight, as far as I’m concerned, I made my
defenses in the middleweight division, 20, 21 defenses and Joe was
making his in the super middleweight division, whether that adds the
same as mine, because we fought two different divisions, then that’s
debatable in history I guess or whenever they feel like they need to
(INAUDIBLE) on doing it.
But I’m not chasing Joe Calzaghe or anybody else; my legacy is what it
is and I’ll just try to make the big fight for the fans, and no one was
willing to again step up to fight over here in America that bring a
name, to bring the fans out, and, of course, they have TV on board.
Winky Wright is a guy that nobody likes to fight whether it’s his style
(ph) or whatever. And so I like, you know, Bernard Hopkins has always
been a guy to take the tough road and a hard road, and, you know, here
we go. Winky Wright is the guy that I chose not because I thought it was
going to be easy, because it’s not, and I know that I have to look good
where he makes you look bad.
So, I have to really, you know, mentally and physically have my whole
work cut out for me and I will come July 21st.
DARREN MOPHANI (ph): Do you feel a little bit liberated now and you
don’t have to worry about any mandatory defenses, anything like that?
You’re in a position in your career right now where you can essentially
pick and choose in your final stages of your career who you want to
fight based on, I assume, what you consider to be an interesting and
challenging fight. Is that liberating to you?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Let me tell you, I hope that’s not the most, I guess,
great question from, you know, in the next couple of minutes or 20, or
30 minutes, because to me it’s a luxury. It’s a luxury that I never
hard, and it’s a great question and I’m going to give you the best
answer for it because, you know, you don’t have to worry about the
politics on that end of it. You don’t have to worry about being forced
to fight someone else that no one cares about because you want to hold
on as a young fighter, or a fighter that’s not as marketed as a De La
Hoya or anybody else of that high standard. Then you have to either get
punished or you have to do what they ask you to do.
And last but most important thing, last but not, definitely not, least
is that the Ring Belt is a belt that, you know, to me shows the boxing
world and people who in each division rule. And I am that guy at 175,
and I don’t have to pay a hefty sanctioning fee to echo that. So it is a
luxury. I added that piece on to add on what you said earlier, it’s a
great luxury to be in this position in my life that I work so hard for
and at the end, I get to beat the – reap the benefits of what’s
happening now. And trust me, you know, to pick and choose can get good
or bad, because I’m not picking and choosing like Ward Jones (ph) did
when he fought Rick Fraziers (ph), the firemen, the cops, school
teacher, the gym teacher. I’m picking fights that some would say, why
him? I mean, this guy here don’t, you know, you could (INAUDIBLE)
because I want to be the guy that unsolved that puzzle, that mystery
about his defense, about this and about that. That’s been Bernard
Hopkins, doing what others would not dare do, and that’s why we’re here
on July 21st.
BERNARD FERNANDEZ, PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS: I spoke to Mackie Shilstone
(ph) and I also spoke to Pat Crochy (ph) and I asked them the question,
why are guys like, and it doesn’t even have to be boxing like Jerry Rice
(ph) and Roger Clemens, Nolan Ryan, and Bernard Hopkins able to exceed –
succeed beyond their 40th birthday to the level that they do? And I
asked, is there such a thing as a physical freak of nature? And they
both agreed that hard work is a part of it, but that there are some
athletes that are just blessed with whatever, you know, certain physical
capacities that most human beings don’t have.
Have you ever considered, you know, the fact that maybe you have a
special gift, you know, that has enabled you to be as good as you are at
42 years of age?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Yes, in a way, but also really thinking about seriously
taking a test on my DNA. I think that, you know, in the course of
Bernard Hopkins being native born (ph), something split inside my system
that, you know, that I guess extended where I’m at. I’m saying it’s like
when you’re young, you know, you ate the bad foods, the candy bars, and
stuff like that. I figured this is genetics; I figure it comes all the
way back to genetics, and also taking care of yourself, and also being a
guy that, you know, understands the sport, the physical part of the
sport.
To be able to understand it, you must give yourself a chance to win, and
that means training, live right. That means everything that you can give
yourself, and you still can come up rolling snake eyes when you step in
that ring. There’s no guarantee when you step in that ring. You can have
a sure bet but not a guaranteed bet, because things happen. You can win
and suffer a detached retina. You can win and just suffer a blood clot.
That’s what I mean by no guarantees.
And I look at all that, earlier in my career and to everyone that’s
listening now, I said, Bernard, to myself that I’m never going to do
anything to not give myself a chance to win. That’s a real powerful
statement. You got to understand between the lines of that statement.
That means I take nothing, even running, even getting up 4:30 a.m. West
Coast time, 6:30 a.m. East Coast time, to be able to run – well, 7:30
a.m. East Coast time, that means running, train, and run these mountains
and get up without no alarm clock, without nobody knocking on my door.
That is a profound discipline that I’ve followed over 20 – well, over 15
to 20 years of my career.
BERNARD FERNANDEZ: I know that you’ve also, you know, you’ve admired
Philadelphia fighters like, you know, the Benny Brisco’s (ph) and the
George Benton’s (ph), but, you know, you’re a guy who hasn’t, you know,
I mean you used to say that you hadn’t eaten a donut in 20 years. That
requires a tremendous amount of discipline.
When you look at athletes like, you know, the Jerry Rice’s (ph), and the
Nolan Ryan’s (ph) and Roger Clemens (ph) and stuff like that, I mean,
you know, do you take anything from them? How much do you admire those
guys for being able to succeed in their field like you have in yours at
an age where you’re not supposed to?
BERNARD HOPKINS: You know, Bernard, you missed one name, and it’s one
important name that I mentioned over the 14 years you’ve been writing
about – writing about boxing, and I might be cheating you out of a year
or two, but it goes back – I’m going to name a fighter. You named some
important people, don’t get me wrong, especially J. Rice (ph), but I’m
going to name a fighter that I always mentioned to you. When I took a
page out of his book of discipline, of always coming in shape, never
having an excuse, no one ever expected any guy like him to not be in
shape whether he won or lost a fight, and that’s the great marvelous
Marvin Hagler. The most disciplined fighter of my era; the most profound
work habits that this guy had.
When I watched Marvin Hagler in my era – Ray Robinson, of course, but in
my era. That was history of old. But Marvin Hagler, I come out watching
guys like him, I come out watching Marvin Hagler take on a young strong
John “the Beast” Mugambi from 11 hard rounds, conditioned, experienced,
and who wanted it the most won that fight. And that’s the page that I
took my work habit from 15 plus years ago, Mr. Great Marvin Hagler.
ADAM SENZER, LAS VEGAS REVIEW: Hey, Bernard, quick question, yesterday
in a conference call, Winky Wright said you were a “dirty fighter”. What
kind of response do you have to that?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I mean, what am I going to do? – what I’m going to do,
argue and plead that I’m not or that I am? I mean, to me anything that I
do to a person that he feels that he got the right to do it bet, I mean,
we are fighting and boxing. We are doing anything that fans want to see,
a clear fight, and that’s what they’re going to do.
To me, this is an excuse to try to, I guess, send a subliminal message
out there that if things get rough and if things get tough, that he’s
going to be a bitch that and he’s going to start crying and he’s going
to want to touch gloves, and he’s going to want to act like this is a
friendly outing. But, you understand?
The thing is this, I don’t get into it when people say things about
Bernard Hopkins till a point where it becomes something I have to really
like defend. Because I’m a dirty fighter, and you mean to tell me that
my history is based on filth? That my history and what I’ve established
in boxing is based on being a dirty fighter? It’s an excuse that he
wants to put out there so when he start doing what I say he was going to
do, that the word I used, the four-letter word, then he wants to be able
to say to everybody that because I beat his body up, because he has a
four-inch waist band, the hottest ribs in his – like he’s wearing a
girdle, then that’s all Winky Wright.
I’m not going to say anything about Winky. I think Winky does a lot of
things that he shouldn’t do, but it ain’t my job to say what he’s doing.
It’s the referee job and its people who watch it. I mean, I’ve been
called worse names than “dirty”. I take – I take it as a compliment.
ADAM SENZER: Well, that’s obviously one way to look at that. I
appreciate that. And then also, you’ve admitted that you think Winky is
a talented fighter and he’s a unique …
BERNARD HOPKINS: And he is.
ADAM SENZER: a good fighter. Have you been doing anything different to
train for this fight?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I’ve done things differently based on Bernard Hopkins
being in L.A., Bernard Hopkins training with Freddie Roach for this
particular fight and John David Jackson. I’ve done things different as,
you know, being in L.A., knowing that the three-hour difference won’t be
a factor now because I’m on the same time that Vegas is on.
But as far as Winky style and what do I have to do different, he’s not
the slickest soft pole (ph) that I fought – I fought many of them. I
think I got nine knockouts out of 10. I had one of the most oldest
slickest soft poles (ph) in my camp who’s the second trainer, John David
Jackson. I’ve seen every soft pole (ph) that I could imagine on tape or
even in the ring, and Winky Wright is not one of the slickest ones. He’s
one of the adorable ones. Oh, he’s takes a licking and he keeps on
ticking. Winky Wright has the ability to absorb a lot of punishment, and
that’s where you’ll see a reincarnation (ph) of Bernard Hopkins and
William Joppy, because I will never stop punching, but his face will
change from round one, to round two, to round three or whenever his
corner (ph) and the referee feels that he had enough .
EDDIE GOLDMAN (ph), SECOND VAULT RADIO: You know there are a lot of
critics of this fight who were saying that even though you and Winky
Wright are two of the greatest fighters still active today, they don’t
expect it to be much of an exciting fight. I know you think differently.
Could you answer those critics of that?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well, I mean, what are you going to do? You can never
please the critics. They say that me and Tarver (ph) fight. These are
the same people that say that me and Tarver fight was going to be
boring. But I guess they could say that it’s going to be boring because
Bernard Hopkins worked hard every round and I almost knocked him out,
and I guess, you know, then you would see it’s not being adrenaline.
It’s taking it a little further than beyond that.
I think that, you know, people have opinions and they’re entitled to it.
You know, they always say that everybody has you know what, so everybody
has that opinion. Critics of mine have been doubting me for years, but
if they want to do themselves a disservice and their cable’s bill is
paid up, and they show up July 21st and see what the fight’s going to
pan out to be – pan out to be, I think it’s going to be, as a matter of
fact on my end – on my end I’m bringing heat in the light heavyweight
division like I said, in this new body, repeat myself, in this new body.
I’m going to show that Bernard Hopkins is going to be very missed when
he leaves, and that’s the statement I’m going to make.
I’m definitely going to outdo June 10th of 2006, and I don’t have to
tell who name that was because you’re only good as your last fight. But
you thought you seen something last summer. This guy got the best beef
into the world, right.
Remember, everybody, I want you all to write that. I want you to
understand what you all – believe what you all write, but then you’ve
got the day after. And I’ve been – I’ve been always on my game of
reminding you all, you know, that last press conference after the fact.
Remember what you all said, and he has this. The best defense in the
last 10 plus years of boxing, Winky Wright, I agree. Remember you all
said that and then look at his face.
EDDIE GOLDMAN: And in this face, I believe he’s going in as the betting
favorite at this point, any comments on that?
BERNARD HOPKINS: OK.
EDDIE GOLDMAN: Which Tarver (ph) was also and Felix Trinidad was also.
BERNARD HOPKINS: So what do you want me to answer?
EDDIE GOLDMAN: What’s your comment on that?
BERNARD HOPKINS: That’s the way it supposed to be written, ain’t it? I
mean, you want me to comment on something that I – I mean, you want me
to – maybe I had something to do with the underdog. I operate off that.
I mean – I mean, that’s what – I mean, I think – I think – well, I know
what the question was but I think it would be a situation would be like,
well, Bernard, you’re the favorite this time. How do you take this one?
I mean, come on, man, you know my history, Eddie. You’ve wrote about me
for many years. You’ve been doing this …
EDDIE GOLDMAN: Right.
BERNARD HOPKINS: for 10 plus years. Come on, man. I was the underdog – I
was the underdog in my personal life. I mean, what else is new? Don’t
you think you should know me by now to say well, damn (ph), this time
he’s not the underdog? I’m that cartoon – I’m that cartoon character
that had the cape on with the glasses, that little mouse that runs
around and say he’s the underdog, he come to save the day.
EDDIE GOLDMAN: Right.
BERNARD HOPKINS: What else is new? This is what I like. I mean, I
wouldn’t be comfortable if I wasn’t the underdog. This is where I need
to be. I need to be the underdog. I need for you to remember what
everybody wrote, and this ain’t, you know, to get on anybody. I want you
all to write this. This man has the best key sense in boxing. No one can
figure it out. His elbows is low, he keeps his hands up, he has to be –
those jabs like 100 times a round. Remember you all said that. Remember
what you wrote and I’m going to remind you of it come July 22nd – 21st,
the day after because it’ll be 12:00 a.m., so the fight would be gone.
It would be Sunday.
KELLY SWANSON: Operator, before we take the next question, I just want
to mention to everybody, which I was supposed to mention earlier in the
call, that this Saturday, July 14th, is the premiere of “The Countdown
to Hopkins-Wright”, an excellent show that will come on right after the
Margarita-Williams fight on HBO. So again, it’s this Saturday, July
14th, immediately following the HBO live telecast of Margarita-Williams.
Thank you and I’m going to turn it back to the call.
JOHN COTY (ph), ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, FLORIDA: I wanted to ask, there’s
been a lot of talk about Winky’s style and how he’s been coming forward
lately, and then his camp has said that they’re going to come forward
and they’re going to press the action. Do you – have you seen a change
in his style over the years? And, of that coming forward, do you want
him to do that? Does that suit you? Is it – if you had – if you had it
your way is that what you’d want in this fight anyway?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well, they say he’s coming forward, but he’s doing the
opposite. You know, you can never believe (ph) the enemy at war so he’s
going to come right to you. They normally come the other way. But I’m
prepared for it – I’m prepared for anything that they’re going to do.
They got to be prepared for what I’m going to do.
You see, the Winky Wright style has changed, but that’s the question you
asked me. See, I know Winky from the DC days. St. Peters (ph) his second
home, but he’s a DC guy. And so, let me – let me tell you something
about short – real short – it ain’t going to be long.
JOHN COTY: OK.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Winky Wright used to be a boxer. Winky Wright used to
move from side to side, box you, box you, box you. The days (INAUDIBLE)
before that – a little bit out of the amateurs. Winky Wright in the last
say five plus years or whatever, Winky Wright has adopted a style
because of his balance, which is terrible. Two people in boxing has the
worse balance and the worse stance in boxing where they want to just hit
you but not hurt you, and that’s why their knockout rates are so low, is
Jermain Taylor and Winky Wright. They like to hold (ph) pogo sticks.
They’re never in position to hurt you but to peck you and that’s why you
see the Winky Wright ratio when it comes to knockouts, because he don’t
want – because he don’t want to do that – he don’t want to do that. He
don’t want to do that. He wants to be comfortable on his own.
What everybody got to be aware of, because I’m letting you all know this
early so you all can’t say I played Monday morning quarterback, is that
I’m going to make him get out of character and force him to drive a
different way, to spear a different way, to fight a different way. I’m
going to force him to run. That means he got to be coming after me,
because when he come after you got to go back, you got to retreat. And
if you haven’t done that in so long, forget the five, six weeks of
trying to do because you know the heat’s coming. That’s what he’s
working on. Running because he’s so used to coming forward, that means
the opposite.
So you want to see Bernard Hopkins bring the old Winky Wright back to
you all. The old Winky Wright is going to be right in front of your face
and that’s not going to help, but he’s going to relate – he’s going to –
he’s going to go – he’s not relating, he’s going to go back to what he
used to do years ago and that was a more boxer, puncher, and not a guy
standing straight up trying to block everybody, wait for you to stop and
counter you while you’re standing right in front of him.
So that’s not a plan that I’m giving up. That is the facts. It doesn’t
take a rocket scientist to look at Winky and see what he do. Some have
called him bored, some have called a guy that, you know, why fight him,
he’s a bad style. That don’t come from him being the opposite. It comes
from being what he do – do what he do. It’s Bernard Hopkins who’s going
to bring the show on, who makes the show what it is, and that’s what
people is going to come to watch, and that’s why people are interested.
The ones that are interested in the fight is going to be coming to see
what I do more or less than what Winky do. They know what Winky do.
Winky going to be Winky. Nothing changed, why should it change now, but
I’m going to make it change and that’s when you’re going to see the
change of the fight, and that’s when you’re going to see the domination
of the fight and that when the fight becomes over.
JOHN COTY: Now I’ll ask you quickly about, you know, the build up to
this fight, did you know (ph) that most Winky fights are generally it’s
very passive conference calls, everybody’s complimentary and this and
that, and you’ve kind of taken it to Winky a little bit.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well, Winky’s a passive guy.
JOHN COTY: Right. But I mean, is there – is there an art to that? I
mean, do you think that has an effect? Are you trying to have an effect
or is that just the way it is and you then, you know …
BERNARD HOPKINS: Listen, it’s called personality. My personality is not
like Winky, my upbringing is not like Winky, Winky upbringing is not
like Bernard Hopkins. I think I’ve been through a little bit more than
Winky. Whether it’s self-inflicted or not, I think that when you talk
about Winky and the press conference that you’ve been on with Winky
since you’re the same news guy that Winky is more passive and he’s more
this, I’m not in a passive game.
JOHN COTY (ph): No, I’m talking about the guys he fights being more
passive.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Whatever, but Winky’s not – I’m not in the passive – I
don’t have a passive job. And so, I fight the way I talk and I talk the
way I fight, and I mean what I say, and I go in that ring and I give
myself that thousand and million percent chance of doing what I say. I
don’t like being wrong. I don’t like being on a stage and telling you
what happened and what didn’t happen. I like to tell you what I said I
told you prior to it happening – premeditated. That’s how I like to take
things. Some people ain’t comfortable on telling you what they’re going
to do and live and guide (ph) by that. Some people just don’t have it.
I’m not saying they’re bad people, it’s just not in them.
They want to have – they feed off – their foot on first and try to get
second at the same time. I would run off second, first to try to get
second and risk – and risk being counted – being counted out for glory,
for victory. So, you know, you’re dealing with two different – I’m
making this show here. You don’t – Winky Wright tries to be out of
character and I want him to be out of character because I want to let
people know that I’m fighting a person that’s a fighter and not some guy
that’s home that nobody knows about. I mean, he got to put his voice out
there, so we need that, but then when it comes to proving what you say,
July 21st, the date they’ll tune in or they’ll come to Mandalay Bay in
Vegas and watch.
ROBERT MORALES, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS: Hey, listen, at your retirement
party, I believe it was back in September, there were a group of us
sitting around the table, you know, having things that whole thing
before it started, and one of them was a certain HBO announcer. And we
were all in agreement that none of us could remember a more impressive
final act than your victor over Tarver, you know, going into retirement
with something like that. Why did you decide to not let that stand and
come back for another fight against a very difficult opponent?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I do remember the party, and don’t think – I haven’t –
they won’t give me another one. It was a – it was a great time because I
think, you know, you have a retirement party for one time; nobody’s
going to go for it the second time. So, no more parties for Bernard
Hopkins.
But, I say this to you, when you, you know, you go through the winter, I
mean you go through the rest of the summer, you go through the winter
and you go through the top of the new year, which was 2007 and, you
know, you’re in the boxing game and you’re promoting, and you’re
traveling, and you’re meeting fans, and you’re greeting fans, and you’re
doing other stuff outside of that. You know, people are asking, are you
coming back? And they’re asking, won’t you come back? And then you
realize that I’m not trying to save the world and I’m not trying to say
I can fight, and I know I can’t physically or whatever reason, you
analyze all these things and then the most important thing, you go to
your siblings, you go to your wife, you go to the people who you know
will tell you the truth not for a buck, not just to have the ride again,
not just to go through the, you know, the fame and fortune of being at
this elite level.
I think when you analyze all that and then the most important thing,
which is important just as well as asking the people that you love
whether they sanctioned it, that’s listen (ph). How do I feel, how do I
look, how do I feel, and what do I have left?
At this stage of my life in my career, and this new body that’s not
(INAUDIBLE) little package where it can’t come out because you’re making
history at 160. You made that happen with flying colors. That record
would stand for a very long time, and to realize that I can go on at
this weight class, I cannot – I don’t have to deprive myself for all
these years anymore. Why tease myself and leave? Yes, for others it was
a great outing. Yes, for others it was perfect, it was the perfect
ending, but I have to be comfortable and I have to be in a position
where I say to myself, five years from now, when I won’t be back, three
years from now, when I won’t be back. I have to be able to sit back and
say to myself, well into my 40’s, and say that I was satisfied
completely with my career to the end. And if you have a fight in you, if
you have fight in you and you’re not in denial of what’s there in front
of everybody’s eyes that you can fight on; no one is saying you
shouldn’t fight. They’re saying, why are you coming back when you ended
so brilliantly.
A lot of athletes cannot have that type of dialog when they leave the
sport that they’ve been in for so many years. Most of the time we’re
saying, for your health, the way you look, you don’t – you’ve done
everything and physically you don’t have it anymore, so enjoy me while
I’m here. More or less, why didn’t you stay in retirement? Because I
think I don’t save boxing by coming back. I think that I give boxing a
new look when it comes to the promotional end of it, the business side
of it, the athleticism when it comes to taking care of yourself and
being at 42 going on 43 just six month ahead, I think that it shows that
you get those type of athletes in any sport. Instead of you saying, why,
say, wow, that this man can do this. Based on June 10th, 2006 we’ll see
this week – next week. We’re going to see what every pool gives.
If you have anything to go by, as you said when you sighed and said,
wow, to yourself, mentally or facial wise or however you said it, be
prepared to realize. Be careful when you ask for because when I do go,
this must be a time when you say, we wish Bernard Hopkins was around at
least for a sound byte, because if you can do it and you can do it with
pride and you can do it with dignity and not embarrass yourself, your
family and your sport, fight on, fight on, fight on because everybody
don’t get the luxury of doing that.
And I’m blessed – I’m blessed, man. I’m blessed. No one can make me
think and feel physically that I’m 40 because they got a constantly
remind me of it. Trust me, continue to keep reminding me of it. I’m
going to keep reminding everyone else how unique, how rare and how
special I am.
ROBERT MORALES: Very good. I appreciate that.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Just keep – just keep reminding me.
ROBERT MORALES: Hey, considering Freddie Roach’s medical condition, are
you amazed at him?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Oh, man.
ROBERT MORALES: He works hard, I mean, that dude works hard. I’ve seen
you work…
BERNARD HOPKINS: Let me – let me – let me tell you something, I work
with a lot of guys with mitts, including John David Jackson, I think
boxing and being on top of your game, mitts, sinking, strategy, that
keeps Freddie Roach intact, man. I think that, you know, all that he do
in that gym in that ring, not only with me but with all of (INAUDIBLE)
fighters and all the fighters you got in there, I mean, this guy, he
sleeps on top of the gym. He’s got his own place. That man never leaves.
Hey, man, I – he, you know, he make me at this stage of my career, want
to win even bigger for him. The man ain’t two-time Trainer of the Year
for nothing. When an athlete wants to impress and wants show that the
teacher is the boss and the guy that they want to do all they can to
make everybody shine what makes it all great for me.
DAN RAFAEL, ESPN: Hey, Bernard, how are you? Just to follow up what
Robert said, remember you’re 42.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Got to routinely remember that.
DAN RAFAEL: Yesterday we were on a conference call with Winky Wright to
talk about the fight and one of the things that he mentioned, you know,
he wasn’t too corny about it either. He flat said, “Bernard Hopkins is a
dirty fighter”. I know you’ve heard those sorts of things in the past.
You know …
BERNARD HOPKINS: He didn’t say good fighter, he didn’t say …
DAN RAFAEL: Oh, no, he gave you credit – he gave you credit.
BERNARD HOPKINS: So I’m a good fighter and a dirty fighter?
DAN RAFAEL: I don’t remember exactly how he phrased how good you are. He
clearly gave you credit for your abilities and what you’ve accomplished
and all that. But he did also say he thought you were a dirty fighter.
And I just you’ve heard …
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well, what do people think? I can’t, I mean – I mean,
is he saying that because he’s afraid now? I mean, you know, Winky
Wright, you know, he comes out saying things later on but when he’s in
front of me he’s totally different.
I mean, I don’t – that’s his opinion. I mean, no matter what, I’m going
to kick his ass. So, I mean, whether I’m a dirty fighter, whether I’m a
clean fighter, a nice fighter, a passionate fighter, I mean to me it’s
not his job to worry about nothing but fighting. That’s why we have –
that’s why you have people. I mean, what does he want, to tie my hands
up? What does he expecting to get gained out of telling people what he
thinks that I am? I mean, what does he try to put you on notice? What
does he – people have been watching me for years. You’ve watched me for
years.
DAN RAFAEL: Sure.
BERNARD HOPKINS: People that’s listening on the phone have watched –
they’ve watched me for years. Hey, you know, they watch fights in the
50’s and the 60’s. I mean, if you think I’m dirty for whatever reason,
then I think you should – you should throw in a Rocky Marciano (ph), or
throw in a Benny Brisco tape, or go back in the 40’s and 50’s when they
was fighting real fighting.
I think that some boxers, and I’m not going to say all, have became
wussies (ph), and I didn’t mess the word up. I put a “W” on there
because I know kids might be listening, they became passionate to the
point where they think this is like golf or something. I mean, you know,
this is not golf. Boxing is – boxing is a rough sport – boxing is a
rough sport. People do think that they feel – they feel that they need
to say to, I guess, you know, to make another guy look like he’s not
worthy of his position and in a stoic (ph) way of boxing.
And so if he feels that I’m that, then fine. Then Winky has the right to
defend himself any means necessary if he feels that I’m doing something
and I think he’s just trying to put people on notice for him to start
crying when things don’t go his way.
You know, his people they complain and I’ve noticed something that Winky
has that I’m not – I have no concerns about. Look at his waistband. He
wear his waistband extremely – four to five inches. I’ve never seen a
fighter that have a waistband that long and that wide like a girdle
(ph).
So – but I know why fighters do that because when you – when you got the
defense that Winky has with the long elbows, you sit your elbows on top
of that. It’s in your mind, it’s in your brain. You’ve been program to
have that style so you keep your elbows on top of your high waistband so
anytime it comes around, a body punch or anything, around that waistband
where normally your name be at, you can always complain or act like
you’ve been hit low. And if a referee or somebody got, not bad vision,
but if they don’t see, see, see it to where they might have questions,
then it could become a nagging problem.
So I know why Winky wears those high waistbands. I know why he keeps his
elbows slow close to them so you want to take the body away from the
fighter. I’m old school. I know all the tricks of the trade, and so when
he tells you all this, he’s telling you this in a way of knowing that
the execution time is over. It’s time for him to meet his maker, and
that is Bernard Hopkins on July 21st.
So, he right now, he right now wants to plead his case.
DAN RAFAEL: That’s all he wants to do. Thank you for that answer. I have
another question for you.
Obviously everybody who has watched you fight or Winky fight, knows
you’re outstanding defensive fighters, you’re great counter punchers,
have won many fights using that style. I wondered when the two styles
match up with each other, who takes the lead in this fight?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Whoever wants to win takes the lead.
DAN RAFAEL: Well, I assume both of you want to win the fight.
BERNARD HOPKINS: I can’t assume what he wants to do. I can assume what I
want to do. Whoever wants to win take the lead. I tried to answer the
question quick. I didn’t want to give you a long one.
DAN RAFAEL: I like that, I appreciate that.
BERNARD HOPKINS: When I do make a quickie, you don’t like it. Sorry.
DAN RAFAEL: Well, I’ll remind you again, you’re 42?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I’ll be – 42-and-a-half come July.
DAN RAFAEL: OK, we’ll give you the extra couple of months. Are you – you
know, you had a lot of the experience in the world, you’ve fought so
many top level fighters. You obviously won like the vast majority of
your fights. I wondered though, at your age even in great physical
condition, are you still equipped to fight three minutes of every round
or do you have to use your smarts and take your spots (ph) win to
actually mix it up.
BERNARD HOPKINS: I think it’s the opposite when I was in middleweight
compared to light heavyweight. When I was in middleweight, I had to
reserve certain things because of certain things that I couldn’t – had
to deprive myself for, for so many years. Now that I don’t have to do
that, the blueprint is June 10, 2006, I came out blazing, came out boxed
and fought every round and I didn’t have to do this. This is one of the
reasons I’m back.
One of the reasons I’m back because, I just found a new body. Somehow I
just realized that, you know, that man, I feel so strong. And, you know,
six-foot-one, you know, light heavyweight, you know, I gained a couple
of inches around the waist, only two. It was 28 and now it’s 30, 31,
sometimes it’s 31. I felt so – I mean, it feels so great that now that I
can step back on a gas pedal and not have to worry about, you know, I’m
going to take him in deep water, I’m going to get him here and I’ll pick
my spots here. I can go full blaze, I can go full blazing, and if you
believe what Winky says he’s coming right after Bernard Hopkins, then
trust me, you will see come July 21st that I’ll have a high ox (ph)
punching out – punching what they call it, computer box (ph) whatever
the figure out every round how many rounds …
BERNARD HOPKINS: … that’s what they’re going to see.
DAN RAFAEL: Bernard, do you think, you know, before you fought Antonio
Tarver, I mean, we found this out later, you had told us, I think your
training camp, that the way to do it was to go and get, you know, a good
amount above 175 and then bring yourself down to 175 as opposed to just
eat your way and make 175 when you were training to get ready. This
fight is at 170. Is it actually going to be difficult for you to make
170?
BERNARD HOPKINS: No, man. Truthfully, I believe I’m a 168-pounder
naturally. I mean, you got to understand, I fought – in 1988, I fought
at light heavyweight, believe it or not, Clinton Mitchell (ph).
DAN RAFAEL: And lost.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Right – at light heavyweight, right. In between those
years, I floated with super middleweight and middleweight, and then I
took myself down to middleweight because that’s where it had to happen
at and been there for over many years.
So, to me faster, quicker, more explosive at 68. At 75, my talent and my
ability and my speed that never leaves me will make me compete and win
against any light heavyweight and some slower cruiser weights. So I had
the luxury, man, of not destroying what I have by five, or four, or
three pounds. I’m not going to go higher than that because you’re in a
danger zone. I think it’s one of Roy Jones biggest mistakes.
But with me is that you got to understand, the body that I have between
68 and 75 and in some cases in cruiser weight and my ability behind that
is a unique thing. Don’t even try to figure it out. Just sit back and
enjoy. Sit back and enjoy. Don’t even try to figure it out because it
ain’t normal. I’ll just let you see it and enjoy.
RAMONE RODRIGUEZ, BOXINGTALK.COM: Average sport fans believe boxing is a
dying sport. What does this fight mean to it, the fact that the two
smartest fighters in the game are facing each other? Would you say it’s
reminiscent of the 80’s when smart fighters like Hagler and Hearns or
Duran were facing each other?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I think – I think absolutely. I think that great
fights, great matches brings attention to the sport of boxing. As far as
boxing dying, if they mean boxing don’t go away or they mean that boxing
is not being looked at, or boxing is not being taken seriously, I think
that boxing is always going to be here no matter what we think or what
we say. As long as you have ghettos in America, as long as you have poor
people that lives in ghetto in America, you’re going to have boxing, and
that’s just the way it is. So, boxing will be here way after me and you
are gone.
And then, third – second or third, but is the thing where – that matches
– boxing matches, fighters fighting fighters, that the fighters fighting
fights that means something to people in the world brings the fight.
Perfect example, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Golden Boy –
again, this is a bias statement but it’s a true statement. Golden Boy
Promotions have put on in the last – conservatively last year-and-a-half
to two, some big major fights, whether it was fighters fighting the same
fights from the same company or fighting other fighters, the matches of
two individuals makes the big fight. And I’m glad to be a part of a
situation where we’re putting a big fight together, and this is another
one.
And so as long as other promoters understand that it’s a race for time
to make great matches, then you’re going to see the Guererro. You’re
going to see these fights now. You’re going to see great fights, and
that will bring back that fanfare, that excitement of big fights. And
then you have also the 24/7, that episode, or that sitcom, or that
documentary. And also the one that’s coming up this Saturday, the
Margarita fight, you will see, you know, things from my end personally
behind the scenes and you’ll see personal behind the scenes of Winky
Wright.
You understand, we only get what we put out. So, this is everybody’s
calling. This is everybody from promoters, TV networks, from everybody.
If they want to bring boxing like the good old days, if we really want
that, then these are the things that is being done right now. And I see
boxing staying here for a long time, not going anywhere and getting back
to the big fights, and I think that is right now happening at least with
Golden Boy and other matches that’s being made outside of Golden Boy
Promotions that’s going to be made in the next six months to a year.
RAMONE RODRIGUEZ: All right, Bernard, and I have one last question, just
been thinking about this fight, you have nothing left to prove. You’ve
submitted your legacy by making history in different ways throughout
your career.
BERNARD HOPKINS: I always have something to prove. I wouldn’t be taking
this fight if I didn’t have anything to prove. Shit, I wouldn’t be on
this phone if I didn’t have nothing to prove because that’s what keeps
me going is that I’ll always have something. Where there’s a personal –
where there’s a personal agenda or goal, I’ll always have something – to
you all it may seem like that I’ve done everything that I don’t have
nothing to prove. But every time I step in the ring, I fight off of
something to prove.
RAMONE RODRIGUEZ: What does beating Winky Wright at this point of your
career mean to you and what does it do for your legacy?
BERNARD HOPKINS: First, it means – it means to me beating Winky Wright
who hasn’t been beaten since, you know, if you want to debate the Vargas
fight, I’ll say eight years, 10 years or whatever. Beating a guy that,
you know, no one else seems to be able to beat legitimately, if you want
to count the Jermain Taylor fight. Beating a Winky Wright to me is like
at this age of 42 that I still continue to do it my way and beat the top
fighters no matter what my age is at the time of July 21st. To be able
to still do it at the level and go away when I feel there is need to go
away, and challenge Winky Wright and whatever comes after that if
anything comes after that.
If they want me to leave, they got to make me leave, beat me there –
beat me to the point where no one wants to see Bernard Hopkins. That’s
the challenge. That’s the challenge I have on myself. I have something
to prove. If Bernard Hopkins don’t have anything left, then prove it.
And so I think – I think I don’t want it to become an embarrassment
beating up the young guys and then make boxing look like, you know, so
dead where you got a 42-year-old senior citizen, you know, beating up
guys that shouldn’t be beaten, and I’ll leave if it – if it embarrass
boxing, but I doubt it. I think it will show something real unique, and
I think it would be really a great accomplishment for me and a lot of
other people that say 40 years old is not a death sentence no matter
what you do if you’re Bernard Hopkins.
KELLY SWANSON: OK, the champ’s been on the line with us for one hour, so
we are going to take one more call and we are going to let him go train.
So, operator …
JOSE SANCHEZ, PUERTO RICO: Alongside your (INAUDIBLE) your other
nickname you share with, of course, Winky is Tito Trinidad, who recently
announced his return to the sport, have you been contacted by his
representatives about a possible rematch or has Duncan spoken to De La
Hoya about it?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Rematch for you?
JOSE SANCHEZ: With Trinidad (ph) who’s saying he’s going to fight Roy
Jones in January.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Listen, man, what do I have to gain fighting Trinidad
(ph)? I mean honestly, what do I have possibly to gain? I’m not trying
to – I’m not trying to have nobody’s life on my hands, am I like that?
What do I gain fighting Tito Trinidad? Honestly? I mean, seriously, I
know, you know, you’re from Puerto Rico and I have a lot of fans there.
JOSE SANCHEZ: No, I understand perfectly.
BERNARD HOPKINS: But trust me, what do – did you see his fight with
Winky Wright?
JOSE SANCHEZ: Yes.
BERNARD HOPKINS: It doesn’t help boxing and it doesn’t help my legacy or
my career. It doesn’t do anything for me – it doesn’t do anything for me
but make me look like a bully.
JOSE SANCHEZ: How about – do you think, if you – you’re saying – you
commented his career has been – seem like the opposite of yours. I mean,
you’ve matured with age. One of your best fights came after your – you
were 30 years old. Whereabouts, these last couple of years he’s seem to
be taking more punches. He wasn’t as small (INAUDIBLE) do you think
(INAUDIBLE) a comeback now at thirty-somewhat years is ill-advised for
Tito (ph)?
BERNARD HOPKINS: You talking about Tito (ph) has been taking more
punches?
JOSE SANCHEZ: I mean, it would seem that in the …
BERNARD HOPKINS: Listen, let me ask you a question, how long have you
been on the phone?
JOSE SANCHEZ: For about an hour.
BERNARD HOPKINS: You’ve been on the phone for a whole hour to ask me
about Tito (ph) and I got to fight Winky Wright on July 21st. I’m trying
to promote my fight, man. I don’t care nothing about Tito, I don’t care
nothing about where his future is in boxing. I think – I think he’s a
great legend of his people and of boxing itself. He made his history.
His time was a longevity time in boxing. This is my time. I’m not going
to cheat it with Tito conversation.
July 21st you will see Bernard Hopkins destroying Winky Wright to school
and this is not about Tito (ph). This is my time. It’s unfair for you to
sit on the phone for an your to talk about Tito Trinidad (ph) who I
destroyed a year 911 (ph). It profound of me, you know, I know you
probably didn’t mean by it, but I don’t know. To me it’s just ludicrous.
I mean, you know, forget Tito. Tito right now is history. He’s one of
the great victims of “the executionist”, period. We want to talk about
Winky Wright. We’re can talk about Winky Wright and we can talk about
July 21st.
JOSE SANCHEZ: Well, thanks for your answer, Bernard, and good luck on
the 21st.
KELLY SWANSON: Yes, we’re done and just, please as a reminder, the
Countdown Show for Hopkins-Wright will air immediately following the
Margarita fight this Saturday live on HBO.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Bye.
OPERATOR: Thank you. This concludes today’s Bernard Hopkins conference
call. You may now disconnect.
END
Hopkins vs. Wright “Coming to Fight” is for Hopkins’ Ring Magazine Light
Heavyweight belt and will take place Saturday, July 21st at Mandalay Bay
Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. “Coming to Fight” is promoted by
Golden Boy Promotions in association with Winky Promotions, and
sponsored by Southwest Airlines, Tecate Beer and Rockstar Energy Drink.
The Hopkins vs. Wright pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 pm ET/6 pm
PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be distributed by HBO
Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 61 million pay-per-view
homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can
receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event
programming to the pay-per-view industry. For your Hopkins vs. Wright
fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.
CONTACTS: Ramiro Gonzalez/Monica Sears, Golden Boy Promotions, (213)
489-5631
Kelly Swanson/Erin Labbe, Swanson Communications, (202) 783-5500
Debbie Caplan, Golden Boy Promotions, (818) 831-4151
Scott Ghertner, MGM MIRAGE Public Relations, (702) 891-7272
Patrick Byrne, HBO Pay-Per-View, (212) 512-1361
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