Montreal, Canada (May 19)…With American and Canadian media in attendance, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins hosted a media workout today at a local boxing gym in Montreal, Canada where the 46-year-old Two-Division World Champion and Future Hall of Famer discussed his championship rematch against World Boxing Council (WBC) and Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight World Champion Jean Pascal which takes place this Saturday, May 21 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. In a rare fight week occurrence, Hopkins even stopped to pose and speak with several amateur fighters and fans stating “I promise you this will be the only time you see me on my knee.”
Hopkins Quotes:
“The word ‘discipline’ speaks volumes about my life and my career. The magic number 46 dictates how long the fire has burned in my belly.
“I am here today because of genetics, because of talent and mostly because of my good decisions.
“I think people have started to realize in the last three years or so that this is not normal.
“Time has passed so fast and I am still here with dignity, pride and respect.
“You can’t hustle boxing or boxing will hustle you.
“When I was in my 30’s, I was considered the ‘old guy,’ which means for the last 10 years, people have been calling me old. Maybe now I should be called ‘grandpa’ [laughs].
“I never would have believed that I would be here. There are a lot of things I have overcome in my life. I am not saying that this is easy, but this is nothing compared to what I went through when I was younger.
“I have always been accused of being a 15-round fighter. I could have fought in any era. George Foreman said that last week on our teleconference [call with the media].
“I want to remind people that I am the modern day Archie Moore. He came to Canada in his 40’s and beat [Yvon] Durrelle in his own backyard. I am going to show the fans on Saturday night what déjà vu in the ring looks like in Canada.
“Winning the fight is the most important thing to me. Without the turkey, you don’t get the dressing. The win is the turkey and the history is the dressing.
“[When asked if he hates Jean Pascal] Hate is a strong word. I don’t like him. It is good that he hates me. We fight because we don’t like each other.
“The fans are going to be my friends when I mess this kid up and win on Saturday night.
“I am wearing a [Philadelphia] Flyers jersey into the ring on Saturday night, a Bobby Clarke jersey with my name on it. I am going to be just like him, I might even take out my front teeth.
“I don’t think there will be another fighter like me who will fight into their 40’s at this level. Times have changed [in boxing]. You see belts changing hands so quickly. Fighters don’t want to do the things they used to do, the things they had to do to win. It is hard for fighters to stick around now. I just don’t see this happening again in the near future.
“My opponents keep giving me reasons to stay motivated. Right now I have a guy saying that I have been cheating and at the end of the day, that is motivation.”
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“Dynasty II: Pascal vs. Hopkins” is presented by GroupeYvon Michel and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Casino de Montreal, Videotron and Coors Light. The 12-round WBC, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight World Championship fight will take place Saturday, May 21 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada and will be televised live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT in the United States and distributed live on pay-per-view in Canada on Canal Indigo, Bell TV, Shaw TV, Viewer’s Choice and Sasktel in French and English beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET. A 12-round light heavyweight bout between former World Champions Chad Dawson and Adrian Diaconu will also be featured on the telecast. Dawson vs. Diaconu is presented in association with Gary Shaw Productions and InterBox.
Tickets, priced at C$500, C$350, C$250, C$175, C$110, C$75, C$50 and C$35, are on sale now and may be purchased at the Bell Centre box office or by calling (514) 790-2525 or (877) 668-8269. Tickets are also available online at www.evenko.ca.
Hopkins-Pascal: Age gap erased
By Reni M. Valenzuela: Bernard Hopkins is forty six years old and nobody seems to howl. Because of his advanced age and “fading” career as an ex- top boxer and a former super bantamweight and super featherweight champion, a lot of people “cried wolf” out of their sincere concern for his safety and welfare when Erik “El Terrible” Morales at thirty five dared to fight the fresh hard-punching Marcos Maidana last April 9.
The same is the drama with the thirty nine year-old Shane Mosley who was unfairly lampooned for his “gut” to challenge this generation’s best boxer in Manny Pacquiao. The difference, however, is that Morales proved well the critics wrong while Mosley had only himself and his trainer to prove wrong although boxing had “bigwig pockets” to blame but Mosley in Top Rank’s highly “successful top grosser show”.
Things went right with El Terrible during the fight despite losing in the judges’ scorecards in the same vein that Sugar Shane proved everyone right on fight night except his predictions and bluffing prior to the May 7th farce against Pacman.
“The Executioner” Hopkins held the USBA Middleweight Title from 1992 to 1994 and became the legitimate World Middleweight Champion in 2002 which belt he successfully defended until 2005. He competed in the Light Heavyweight category to win the championship in 2006. Hopkins has the longest-ever reign record as World Middleweight Champion and was awarded the oldest fighter in history to capture the World Middleweight Title.
Hopkins who is supposed to be “retired” as a boxer is fighting a prime twenty eight year-old Jean Pascal for a rematch two days from now, but why a rematch? And why no experts or casual boxing fans would raise an equally loud issue against Hopkins for his old age? Don’t they care about his safety? How come no single scribe is calling the match-up a garbage?
These questions are the kind of questions that shouldn’t be asked in the case of Hopkins. The world doesn’t have many wonders to amaze us. There are only seven or eight. And boxing in this generation has thus far two wonders. One is Manny Pacquiao and the other is Bernard Hopkins. Mind boggling, but simply there are questions in life that cannot be answered. That’s why for every such question, the answer breeds more questions.
Hopkins-Pascal, the competitiveness in the match-up seems to transcend medical science and logic. The age gap is too much. But certainly not too much gap in those that truly matter in a fight – courage, speed, power, stamina and dazzle in boxing abilities. Oh the wonder of old age! And the encouragement we can get watching an old Bernard Hopkins fight like a young raging bull.
“Age is not all decay; it is the ripening, the swelling, of the fresh life within, that withers and bursts the husks.” – George Macdonald
renimvalenzuela@yahoo.com
Ryan Coyne Ready for Fight of his Life against Guillermo Jones
Undefeated cruiserweight prospect Ryan Coyne (16-0 6KOs) is working hard in training camp as he prepares to show the world what he can do when he faces World Boxing Association (WBA) cruiserweight champion Guillermo Jones (37-3 29KOs) of Panama. The 28-year-old has been patiently waiting for this opportunity and knows that Jones is a very formidable opponent. He wants the world to know they can expect to see the “Irish Outlaw” at his best come fight night.
“I didn’t start training for this fight 8 weeks ago or even 8 months ago. I knew I was going to get this fight the day I inked with Don King and I’ve been preparing for this fight since that day. Guillermo is a phenomenal fighter, an underrated fighter, probably the best champion in the division. He’s the most dangerous and least lucrative. On June 25th I have to fight an A+ fight or I’ll take my first loss,” the eloquent Coyne stated.
Coyne is a student of the game and takes his craft seriously. His training camp for this fight is no different, “I always do my homework and I’m putting in the time, getting my extra credit too. I know exactly what I have to do to win this fight and on June 25th I’m going to be world champion.”
The former Contender series alumni is excited that when he steps in the ring for the biggest fight of his career on June 25th, it will be in front of his hometown fans. The fight takes place at the Family Arena which is located just outside of St Louis, MO. The “Irish Outlaw” has a large contingent of fans that will be out in full force on fight night.
“Many fighters train their whole life for this opportunity and it never comes. I have been truly blessed. I will fight for the world title 4 miles from the house I grew up in. This is more than a great opportunity but opportunity means nothing if you can’t capitalize on it. I have the best fans in the business and I’m going to give them a performance to remember on June 25th,” Coyne said.
The championship fight takes place on the under card of fellow St. Louis native Devon Alexander’s homecoming bout versus Lucas Matthysse of Argentina which will be televised by HBO.
Tickets are priced from $25 to $300 and are available tickets will at www.Metrotix.com and at the Family Arena box office.