Pavlik
and Bernard Hopkins Set to Faceoff in Light Heavyweight Bout
NEW YORK (August 7, 2008). . . When a powerful young champion and
devastating knock-out artist meets a future Hall of Fame boxing legend and
two-division world champion who has never been knocked out, there will be
plenty of debate and speculation as to who will win. That will definitely be
the case when Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik faces Bernard “The Executioner”
Hopkins in a light heavyweight battle at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on
Saturday October 18 in a bout presented by Top Rank and Golden Boy
Promotions, in association with Caesars Atlantic City. The fight will be
produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6
p.m. PT.
Pavlik, the current undefeated middleweight world champion, who is moving up
in weight to face Hopkins at 170 pounds, has been compared to an express
train as he continues to thrill boxing fans with his aggressive ring style,
devastating power and 90% knock-out ratio. Will the Pavlik express train be
derailed when he faces the formidable Hopkins, already comfortable at light
heavyweight and whose gritty, defensive brilliance usually frustrates
opponents? Ranked number five and six consecutively on ESPN.com’s boxing
pound-for-pound list, this intriguing match-up pits a young lion against a
polished veteran, a devastating offense against an impenetrable defense and
current world champion against a legendary former world champion in what
looks to be an epic battle of grit and determination.
“I am preparing to fight a legend and take him down in his own backyard,”
said Pavlik. “Even though I am younger, I know Hopkins is a slick veteran
with a bunch of boxing tricks in his bag. I refuse to underestimate him and
I know on October 18, he will be ready to fight. I am treating this as if it
were a championship match with my plan being to remain undefeated and show
the world that I am able to take on any fighter regardless of age, weight or
record.”
“Kelly Pavlik has a heart of a lion but he has no idea what he is in for on
October 18,” said Hopkins. “Pavlik might be the latest thing on a fast track
to fame, but I am a sure thing and will take this kid to school that night
and teach him a lesson he will never forget.”
Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank said: “There is no doubt that Bernard Hopkins is a
great fighter and was virtually unstoppable in his prime, but Kelly Pavlik
is recognizably one of the best fighters in boxing today and he will
continue to prove his himself against a legendary fighter like Bernard. This
is a tremendous challenge for Kelly on October 18” .
“The match-up between Kelly Pavlik and Bernard Hopkins will be one for the
record books,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions.
“Hopkins has the experience and Pavlik has the desire to prove himself. I am
looking forward to seeing Pavlik defend his undefeated record but I know
Bernard can rise to the occasion and take down one of boxing’s brightest
stars.”
“It doesn't get any better than this”, said Ken Condon, Atlantic City boxing
expert for Caesars Atlantic City. “Kelly Pavlik, Atlantic City's most recent
boxing hero and world champion takes on the cagey veteran Bernard Hopkins
from Philadelphia in his own back yard. Caesars Atlantic City is proud to
continue its tradition of bringing World Class events to Atlantic City.”
“Fight fans know that Kelly and Bernard will bring everything in their
arsenals when they enter the ring on October 18,” said Mark Taffet Senior
Vice President of HBO PPV. “This battle of wills between two such
accomplished fighters makes Pavlik-Hopkins a very intriguing match-up.”
The undefeated star from Youngstown, Ohio, Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik (34-0,
30 KOs), the reigning WBC, WBO and Ring Magazine middleweight world
champion, has already proved to the boxing world why he is one of the most
popular stars in the sport today. Pavlik had a stellar year in 2007 when he
truly arrived on the championship scene, scoring devastating wins over
Edison Miranda in a title eliminator and Jermain Taylor, in which he was
stunned badly before coming back and annihilating Taylor in the seventh
round, to capture the first middleweight title of his career. He’s been
unstoppable since with a dominating performance over Taylor in their rematch
and most recently, a third round knock-out over the then undefeated Gary
Lockett. Those performances, along with a 90% knock-out ratio, have cemented
his place among the middleweight division. He will now move up 10 pounds to
make his light heavyweight debut in what will be a meaningful and
career-defining fight against the much heralded Hopkins.
Known as one of the greatest middleweights of all time, future Hall of Famer
Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (48-5-1, 32 KOs) held a world title as a
middleweight or light heavyweight every year since 1995. In 2006,
Philadelphia’s Hopkins moved up to light heavyweight for the first time in
his career to defeat Antonio Tarver winning The Ring Magazine World
Championship and then dominated Winky Wright at 170 pounds to continue to
prove his ring supremacy. This year, on April 19, Hopkins fought the
undefeated Welshman Joe Calzaghe, knocking him down in the first round
before losing his light heavyweight title by a narrow split decision that
left many boxing fans dissatisfied with the verdict. Never shunning stiff
opposition, Hopkins now prepares to meet Pavlik and prove to boxing fans
around the world that it is not over yet for one of the greatest
pound-for-pound fighters in the history of sport.
The historic Boardwalk Hall, which first opened in 1929, underwent a three
year, $90 million renovation to transform the building into a modern special
events arena capable of variable seating for up to 14,500 people. Upon it’s
reopening in 2001, it has been recognized as the destination’s premier
entertainment venue, known for high profile concerts, family shows, and
sporting events. Leading trade publications Billboard and Venues Today
ranked Boardwalk Hall as the highest grossing mid-sized arena in North
America in 2003, 2004, and 2007. The Hall was ranked the highest grossing
mid-sized arena in the world in 2005 and 2006. Boardwalk Hall is owned by
the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and managed by the Atlantic
City Convention & Visitors Authority. SMG operates the Atlantic City
Convention Center and Boardwalk Hall on behalf of its clients, the Atlantic
City Convention & Visitors Authority and the New Jersey Sports & Exposition
Authority.
The Pavlik vs. Hopkins pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6
p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and
distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71
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.
