Bernard Hopkins insists the reason he chose to fight knockout artist Sergey Kovalev is because he only wants to take on the very best. The Philadelphian veteran, who is remarkably just two months shy of his 50th birthday, says he is from an era where the best fought the best.
The unbeaten Kovalev has been dubbed ‘Krusher’ for a reason having amassed 23 knockouts from his 25 wins. Hopkins is well aware of the threat that Kovalev possesses and has called on observers, who are tipping Kovalev to win, to not go back on their words after the fight.
“I want the best. Hagler fought the best. Ray Leonard fought the best. The Alis of the world, they fought the best. I’m from the era where I fought the best and that’s important to me.
“I’ve been in the game for almost three decades. I look for more of what a guy brings to a gunfight other than bullets. The sweet science is not based on only one thing you can do particularly well.
“There’s no fighter I wouldn’t put my record up against in this era, in any class. I put the work in to have the track record and be taken seriously. Come November 8 you get to watch artwork. You’re watching Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong with gloves on.
“I have the same thoughts on Kovalev that most people do. He’s a dangerous puncher, he has an over 90 percent knockout rate and anyone who fights this guy has the opportunity to not be the same.
“Kovalev is a threat to anybody. It won’t be an easy fight, even if it looks easy to you. I don’t just have to beat the man, but I have to beat a lot of people. They’re either going to watch me win or watch me lose, and I don’t mind playing that game.
“I don’t believe in luck, I believe in whoever brings the best of themselves and whoever sacrifices will win. We won’t take anything away from this guy because he’s real, but on Nov. 9 we don’t want anyone saying what they aren’t saying now.
“This is nothing to sneeze at, that’s the main thing, but just being able to be around as long as I’ve been and still fresh as a daisy, I believe, and I’ll prove it November 8th, there’s no definition really behind it.
“Just enjoy it, understand it, and realize that you might not be alive to see it again.”
