Bernard Hopkins vs. Karo Murat New York City press conference quotes

004 Hopkins and Murat faceoff IMG_0156 Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

“I’m coming to show you all that not only am I different and I don’t get tired of doing what I do. I love winning opportunities and situations to win.

“Saying ‘I’m getting old,’ is getting old.

“[Gabriel] Rosado and “Kid Chocolate” [Quillin] have the opportunity to steal the show. The undercard is so great. The co-main event is the middleweight belt and it is in good hands.

“I’m only doing what some of the greats have done before me in any sport. Hit and not get hit. Doesn’t mean to run.

Brandon Rios’s Fire Is Burning Hot

Boxing has a very diverse collection of characters willing to speak their mind, letting the boxing fans as well as the media know exactly what they think about the state of affairs around them. Brandon Rios has dedicated his time and efforts to progress in the sport of boxing, and he sure has gone far. With an impressive record of (31-1-1) with a 70% knockout rate, his only loss came in March of this year, when Rios had lost a close unanimous decision to Mike Alvarado.

Rios has a big heart and his commitment inside the ring is unquestioned. Still, most of the boxing community has already decided that Rios will add yet another loss to his record when he faces Manny Pacquiao on November 23, 2013.

Bernard Hopkins aims to prove he’s not old at 48

IBF light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (53-6-2, 32 KO’s) will be turning 49-years-old on January 15th, and he’s a proven that he’s a unique fighter with his incredible longevity in the sport. Hopkins is still fighting at a high level at 48 in a sport where most fighters are pretty much over-the-hill by the time they’re 35.

Hopkins will be defending his IBF title for the first time this Saturday night against the much younger 30-year-old Karo Murat (25-1-1, 15 KO’s) at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. This is Hopkins’ mandatory challenger and there wasn’t any way for him to get around not taking the fight, so you can’t blame Hop for facing a less than spectacular opponent.

Blame it on the International Boxing Federation for ranking Murat at #2 off a wins against opposition like this: Sandro Siproshvili, Otis Griffin and Christian Cruz. Beating those fighters got Murat installed as Hopkins’ mandatory.

It’s not going 12! Quillin and Rosado vow to knock one another out in world title clash live on BoxNation

LONDON (23 Oct) – Peter ‘Kid Chocolate’ Quillin has hit back at ‘King’ Gabriel Rosado vowing to knock him out before conquering middleweight marvel Sergio Martinez. The undefeated WBO middleweight world champion faces the hardened Philadelphian Rosado on the undercard of the Bernard Hopkins-Karo Murat clash this weekend at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Bellew will need a miracle to beat Stevenson

British fighter Tony Bellew (20-1-1, 12 KO’s) is going to need a miracle knockout to beat WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson (22-1, 19 KO’s) on November 30th because he’s out of his league in every way you can imagine in this one. Bellew has wanted this fight for ages, and now that he’s got it he doesn’t look nearly ready.

While Bellew talks like he’s got the skills to beat Stevenson, the fact is Bellew doesn’t look like he’s in the same class as him. In the last two years of Bellew’s career, he hasn’t shown improvement from his defeat to former WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly.

Koncz says Pacquiao training harder than he’s ever seen him

Michael Koncz, the adviser for Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s), is very impressed with the way that Manny is training for his bout next month against Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) on November 23 at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China.

Koncz sees intensity in Pacquiao’s workouts that he’s never spotted before in the years that he’s been with him. Pacquiao, 34, is coming off of a bad knockout loss in his last fight against Juan Manuel Marquez last December and a lot of boxing fans think it’s not a good idea for him to be continuing his career after such a devastating KO.

Joe Calzaghe debuts BoxNation’s hit new ‘Fighting Back’ series ahead of Hopkins-Murat clash

LONDON (22 Oct) – Undefeated boxing great Joe Calzaghe will kick off ‘Fighting Back’, a hit new series debuting on BoxNation this Friday, ahead of Bernard Hopkins’ world title showdown with German contender Karo Murat. The first instalment of the series features the Welsh pugilist as he looks back over his historical victory over the eternal Hopkins, who became the oldest world champion ever at 48 when he beat Tavoris Cloud for the IBF title last March.

Thabiso Mchunu signs with Main Events

745 TOTOWA, NJ – Main Events announced today that they have signed up-and-coming cruiserweight sensation Thabiso Mchunu, 14-1, 10 KOs, to an exclusive promotional contract. The southpaw from South Africa made his American debut on August 3rd with a surprise 10-round unanimous decision over Eddie Chambers, 36-4, 18 KOs, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT, in a bout that was nationally televised by NBC Sports Network. Mchunu’s performance in the fight served as a terrific introduction and made it clear that his impressive record and collection of African titles were no fluke.

Mchunu turned professional in 2007, and started winning regional titles almost immediately. He earned the vacant South African cruiserweight title in just his fourth bout, with a 9th round stoppage of Patrick Madzinga. Two fights later, he won the vacant WBA Pan African cruiserweight crown with a 32-second KO of Marciano Commey. Then in 2012, Mchunu knocked out Danie Venter in round five to take the vacant African Boxing Union cruiserweight title.