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HE BERNARD HOPKINS POST-FIGHT INTERVIEW
GL: Cong**** on a great performance. I'm sure you accomplished everything you sought out to save for the victory. Can you give us some thoughts on your performance and the outcome of the fight?
Hopkins: "First, I'd like to say Greg that the fans, starting in Canada, have made it clear that I won the fight. I don't think the referee and two of the judges, did their jobs, but it is what is. One had it right, but the fans in Canada let me know leaving out, and throughout the fight, their silence let me know what time it is. It became a somber crowd, but leaving out of there everybody wanted my autograph, and was telling me Bernard you kicked his ass. These are Canadians who were rooting for Pascal telling me I kicked his ass. And this was no less than three hours ago as I was leaving Canada for Newark, New Jersey."
"I feel great Greg, I have a little tiny swelling here and there, but that comes with the territory. I have nothing to be disappointed in this fight. I locked it down in Philadelphia, and I went all the way back to old school. I went back to the basics of old school training, seeing the neighborhood and being around people who really want the best for me, and it showed Saturday night."
GL: You did a great job of working to the body. How much did you work on that during camp? How did you know he would be so vulnerable to body shots?
Bernard Hopkins: "99% of my camp was based on working the body. One of your head writers, I can't remember his name (Stephen Edwards) right now, but he's been coming to the gym from day one in camp. I rarely give access to my camp, but for **********, you already know what time it is. He came down three or four times I believe and I told him this will be a fight where I go back to the basics. I told him I was going to kill him to the body, and that I've always been a great body puncher. I, sort of, got happy going upstairs after the De La Hoya fight, because you can see the busted noses and black eyes, but even though you don't see the result of a body shot right away, it's the inner, it's the liver, it's the kidney, it's those things that break you down. After the third round, I knew working his body would slow him tremendously, even though he slows down anyway."
"I want to say that the first knockdown wasn't legitimate, it was behind the head, and it was a push, but they called it a knockdown. One of the judges, as I got the scorecard, Richard Schaefer and David and I saw the whiteout on the judges scorecard. The same judge scored round ten even. You can see the round and I clearly dominated that round and that 10-10 gave him a draw."
GL: Let me play devil's advocate for a second and tell you something nobody has told thus far. Regardless of the nature of the first knockdown the second knockdown was clean. After three rounds you were down five points. At 45 years old, a month removed from your 46th birthday, what do you attribute such a fast Pascal start to, his ability or your eyes a few rounds to catch up to the rhythm and speed of a fight?
BH: "It took some time for my timing and for me to figure out the puzzle. I figure out guys quickly and I figured him out. In the Jermain Taylor fight it took a while, but I caught up to him and we all know what happened with that scorecard in the twelfth round. Greg, I'm that type of guy, if they start early I can finish late."
GL: I know you knew you were down 5 points after three rounds. What was going through your head at the start of round 4?
BH: "I gotta fight and I gotta fight to get knocked out or knock him out. I got to step to him. I didn't care what punishment I was going to take. I couldn't be safe or babysit a lead. I understood I was in Canada and I also understood that as long as I did my job I could leave it my hands and the hands of the fans and the world to see my performance. Being so vocal I bring a lot of attention to myself, I'm only taking off till Monday to get back on the media circuit. Golden Boy and I are protesting with the WBC and I will not be sat on the sideline like I was with the Pavlik fight."
GL: Ok, so let's get to the politics.
BH: (laughs) "Ahhhhh, you know the politics Greg, so I'm going to let you tell it."
GL: I know that you want an immediate rematch. Pascal is obligated to fight Dawson next so if the WBC grants your immediate rematch and he fights Dawson then...
BH: (cutting in) "He has to give the title up, which is why I love talking to you. So he has to do one or the other. Fight me or give the title up and if fighting me means he's going to get sued by Dawson's people that a choice he's going to have to make because I'm sitting pretty either way. I know HBO isn't geeked about doing that fight after a 45 year old man just kicked his ass, but if Gary Shaw's contract is as solid as he told you then he's going to give it up or get stripped."
GL: Assuming Pascal gets stripped who would you like to fight for the vacant WBC title?
BH: "Whoever makes the most money. That's where I will go. I want to be the first champion to beat George Foreman's record which I got robbed out of Saturday, would you agree Greg? Stop the questions and go on record. "
GL: I agree with you Bernard. You won the fight. I also feel Evander Holyfield should have broken his record but he got screwed against Valuev.
BH: "I love Evander and I have a lot of respect for him, but I look like I'm 15 years old compared to Evander. I never saw that fight."
GL: You better than anybody should know that after the Roy Jones rematch you were receiving criticism and ridiculous suggestions from within your own company. After that performance I don't imagine anybody is telling you to retire and going on 46 I'm sure that feels good.
BH: "You know me Greg and you said a mouthful. I had to fight that fight to prove a whole lot of things. People were writing me off, so I had to do what I had to do. In the Roy Jones fight, I told Richard I was seeing spots and after his son did an article on the subject he understood where I was coming from. But nobody can ever question me Greg, I've got a heart twice the size of Philadelphia."
"I proved last night that my stock is nowhere near its decline and I will not be going anywhere. I think it was a fight of the year candidate....
GL: (cutting in) "I think the fight of the year was Amir Khan-Maidana.
BH: "I agree with that. That fight there is the only fight that can beat us out, just to let you know how I am. I can say to be 45 years old to be mentioned in the fight of the year category is amazing."
GL: When can we expect the old man back in the ring?
BH: "I'm ready as soon as possible. I haven't stopped working since the fight. The people who don't know boxing are telling me to take a rest, but I can't. The sharks are working right after the fight is over. Gary Shaw is on the phone probably with Dan Rafael after the fight. I want to be in the ring no later than March or April. One thing that won't happen and I promise you, Bernard Hopkins won't sit for 16 months like I did after I schooled Kelly Pavlik."
GL: One more time as closing thoughts, in case they didn't hear the first time?
BH: "I love my fans, and I will not sit for 16 months like I did after I beat Kelly Pavlik."
GL: Cong**** on a great performance. I'm sure you accomplished everything you sought out to save for the victory. Can you give us some thoughts on your performance and the outcome of the fight?
Hopkins: "First, I'd like to say Greg that the fans, starting in Canada, have made it clear that I won the fight. I don't think the referee and two of the judges, did their jobs, but it is what is. One had it right, but the fans in Canada let me know leaving out, and throughout the fight, their silence let me know what time it is. It became a somber crowd, but leaving out of there everybody wanted my autograph, and was telling me Bernard you kicked his ass. These are Canadians who were rooting for Pascal telling me I kicked his ass. And this was no less than three hours ago as I was leaving Canada for Newark, New Jersey."
"I feel great Greg, I have a little tiny swelling here and there, but that comes with the territory. I have nothing to be disappointed in this fight. I locked it down in Philadelphia, and I went all the way back to old school. I went back to the basics of old school training, seeing the neighborhood and being around people who really want the best for me, and it showed Saturday night."
GL: You did a great job of working to the body. How much did you work on that during camp? How did you know he would be so vulnerable to body shots?
Bernard Hopkins: "99% of my camp was based on working the body. One of your head writers, I can't remember his name (Stephen Edwards) right now, but he's been coming to the gym from day one in camp. I rarely give access to my camp, but for **********, you already know what time it is. He came down three or four times I believe and I told him this will be a fight where I go back to the basics. I told him I was going to kill him to the body, and that I've always been a great body puncher. I, sort of, got happy going upstairs after the De La Hoya fight, because you can see the busted noses and black eyes, but even though you don't see the result of a body shot right away, it's the inner, it's the liver, it's the kidney, it's those things that break you down. After the third round, I knew working his body would slow him tremendously, even though he slows down anyway."
"I want to say that the first knockdown wasn't legitimate, it was behind the head, and it was a push, but they called it a knockdown. One of the judges, as I got the scorecard, Richard Schaefer and David and I saw the whiteout on the judges scorecard. The same judge scored round ten even. You can see the round and I clearly dominated that round and that 10-10 gave him a draw."
GL: Let me play devil's advocate for a second and tell you something nobody has told thus far. Regardless of the nature of the first knockdown the second knockdown was clean. After three rounds you were down five points. At 45 years old, a month removed from your 46th birthday, what do you attribute such a fast Pascal start to, his ability or your eyes a few rounds to catch up to the rhythm and speed of a fight?
BH: "It took some time for my timing and for me to figure out the puzzle. I figure out guys quickly and I figured him out. In the Jermain Taylor fight it took a while, but I caught up to him and we all know what happened with that scorecard in the twelfth round. Greg, I'm that type of guy, if they start early I can finish late."
GL: I know you knew you were down 5 points after three rounds. What was going through your head at the start of round 4?
BH: "I gotta fight and I gotta fight to get knocked out or knock him out. I got to step to him. I didn't care what punishment I was going to take. I couldn't be safe or babysit a lead. I understood I was in Canada and I also understood that as long as I did my job I could leave it my hands and the hands of the fans and the world to see my performance. Being so vocal I bring a lot of attention to myself, I'm only taking off till Monday to get back on the media circuit. Golden Boy and I are protesting with the WBC and I will not be sat on the sideline like I was with the Pavlik fight."
GL: Ok, so let's get to the politics.
BH: (laughs) "Ahhhhh, you know the politics Greg, so I'm going to let you tell it."
GL: I know that you want an immediate rematch. Pascal is obligated to fight Dawson next so if the WBC grants your immediate rematch and he fights Dawson then...
BH: (cutting in) "He has to give the title up, which is why I love talking to you. So he has to do one or the other. Fight me or give the title up and if fighting me means he's going to get sued by Dawson's people that a choice he's going to have to make because I'm sitting pretty either way. I know HBO isn't geeked about doing that fight after a 45 year old man just kicked his ass, but if Gary Shaw's contract is as solid as he told you then he's going to give it up or get stripped."
GL: Assuming Pascal gets stripped who would you like to fight for the vacant WBC title?
BH: "Whoever makes the most money. That's where I will go. I want to be the first champion to beat George Foreman's record which I got robbed out of Saturday, would you agree Greg? Stop the questions and go on record. "
GL: I agree with you Bernard. You won the fight. I also feel Evander Holyfield should have broken his record but he got screwed against Valuev.
BH: "I love Evander and I have a lot of respect for him, but I look like I'm 15 years old compared to Evander. I never saw that fight."
GL: You better than anybody should know that after the Roy Jones rematch you were receiving criticism and ridiculous suggestions from within your own company. After that performance I don't imagine anybody is telling you to retire and going on 46 I'm sure that feels good.
BH: "You know me Greg and you said a mouthful. I had to fight that fight to prove a whole lot of things. People were writing me off, so I had to do what I had to do. In the Roy Jones fight, I told Richard I was seeing spots and after his son did an article on the subject he understood where I was coming from. But nobody can ever question me Greg, I've got a heart twice the size of Philadelphia."
"I proved last night that my stock is nowhere near its decline and I will not be going anywhere. I think it was a fight of the year candidate....
GL: (cutting in) "I think the fight of the year was Amir Khan-Maidana.
BH: "I agree with that. That fight there is the only fight that can beat us out, just to let you know how I am. I can say to be 45 years old to be mentioned in the fight of the year category is amazing."
GL: When can we expect the old man back in the ring?
BH: "I'm ready as soon as possible. I haven't stopped working since the fight. The people who don't know boxing are telling me to take a rest, but I can't. The sharks are working right after the fight is over. Gary Shaw is on the phone probably with Dan Rafael after the fight. I want to be in the ring no later than March or April. One thing that won't happen and I promise you, Bernard Hopkins won't sit for 16 months like I did after I schooled Kelly Pavlik."
GL: One more time as closing thoughts, in case they didn't hear the first time?
BH: "I love my fans, and I will not sit for 16 months like I did after I beat Kelly Pavlik."
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