The final press conference for this weekend’s IBF light heavyweight title fight between history’s oldest champion, Bernard Hopkins, and his unheralded challenger, Karo Murat, was held today at the BB King Blues Club in New York City. Check out all of the photos from the Hopkins vs. Murat final press conference and everything else from the event below.
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.
“I am different. I am not you. So what do you do if you’re a smart man with your bought degrees? You sit, you listen, you learn and you change your own ignorant ways.
“I’m in an almost 10-year [knockout] drought, maybe that’s due to my age. I haven’t had a knockout since I fought De La Hoya.
“I was loyal in the streets and was loyal in the corporate world. When they come to me for that fountain of knowledge, I have an opportunity and an obligation, to give them the pure water because I’m not polluted.
“[To Peter Quillin, Gabriel Rosado, Deontay Wilder and Zachary Ochoa] You are the future. You hold the power. I’m here making historic fights when they can happen. The bigger the name, the bigger the event, obligations are obligations and I if want to stay in the race at this age, the belt seems to be the carrot that the young guys want to have.
“If you take a page out of every champion’s book, something that can help you in your career, is to learn how to be multi-talented in many things.
“If you could learn the game of chess early, so you don’t go through suffering, you’ll be advanced in your careers because your opponents only have chess boards.
“If you learn to play chess instead of checkers, and wait that 10-15 years, you’ll be mega superstars. You’ll be advanced beyond your peers, because they just have a checkerboard.”
“I am a business man, don’t get misconstrued by anything. Because I have belts lined up in the trophy case.
“I’m an alien, I don’t get old if they’re waiting for that.
“If it was a dollar to fight him, you’d see me up here promoting like I was getting 20 million. Why? Because I have a better plan.
“I’m coming to defend my title and look for bigger things next.
“Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray would be considered boring, because they’re not TV friendly. Because they’re smooth and they don’t get hit.”
Karo Murat
“It’s the first time for me to ever be in the United States. It was my dream of mine to come and actually fight one day here, particularly against someone like Bernard Hopkins.
“There’s only a few days left, and I’m well prepared. I am ready to go. I am excited. This really motivates me to be here.
“I want to thank my promoter, Wilfred Sauerland. I know I should have had that fight in July, but I had some problems with the visa. But here I am. I know that this will be an exciting fight. I have been waiting for this opportunity to fight in America and I will not let it go.
“Make sure you are all going to be there and you are going to witness a young boy from Germany who’s going to come here to Bernard’s home turf, and he’s going to take the title from him and take it home.”
Peter Quillin, WBO Middleweight World Champion
“This is a tremendous fight, you got Bernard Hopkins, the legendary guy that can inspire a lot of people that at any age you can do whatever.
“We have an American heavyweight telling you that he is the next champion. That’s the American dream right there.
“We got Rosado, who is going to come try to take my belt that I worked so hard for.
“In this training camp I learned so much about myself and who I am as a fighter.
“Nobody’s struggle is grander than the next person’s struggle, everybody’s challenge in life is to find who you are and be comfortable with that.
“Me believing in myself has gotten me where I am right now, through all of the hard times. I’m not the most talented fighter but I fight with a lot of effort. I’ve never fought in Atlantic City, but I can guarantee you if Gabe had fought me in Atlantic City he would not be undefeated.
“My bumps in the road only got me better as a man and as a fighter. Every time I step out there I fight with that pride.
“Wherever I go, I touch people in a special way.
“I’m not saying I’m going knock him out, but I’m going do me.
“No one can explain what I’m doing, I just hope you guys can support me, support Bernard.”
Gabriel Rosado
“Never did I think I’d have the opportunity to fight on the same card as Bernard. I thought by the time I had the opportunity he’d be gone, but he’s still here kicking ass. Its crazy how that played out and I’m just blessed to have been around Bernard in so many training camps and to learn old school boxing, which is a lost art now.
“I had a shot at the world title already and I fell short. I didn’t put my head down when I lost that fight. I knew I belonged. I made the best of this opportunity. Mentally this is the most prepared I’ve ever been for a fight.
“This fight is in Atlantic City. I’m undefeated in Atlantic City. This is like a hometown fight for me. I’m willing to go through whatever it takes to be victorious. I’m ready to go through hell.”
Deontay Wilder
“I’ll tell you right now, when my name is being announced in the future, everybody is in that building will stand and applause, because they will be applauding the heavyweight championship of the world.
“Everyone wants to be a heavyweight champion, and I’m going to bring it back to America.
“I’m excited to be on the East Coast, in New York, I’m super pumped I’m super excited. I’ve said many times I love my job, it’s a dangerous sport we sign up for. But I love this job, I don’t see me doing anything else but knocking people out.
“Guys don’t want to see me in the ring, but this guy Firtha took the opportunity. I heard what you said, ‘That Wilder is good he hits hard, but he has never been hit and I intend to hit him.’ I respect that, he says he’s coming to fight not lay down.
“I want to say it’s a big pleasure to be fighting on the legend Bernard Hopkins card, the things this guy has done, the thing that gets me is with the age he is to go the distance with the younger guys. That motivates me to get in the gym.”
Hopkins and Murat kept things professional during the press conference, the first time they’ve come face to face at an event. But ol’ B-Hops always has something to say, and always finds a way to get under his opponent’s skin.
Things were much more visibly tense between Peter Quillin and Gabriel Rosado. Each man is vowing an early, decisive victory against the other.
As for Deontay Wilder, the jokester was in good spirits, putting up the bunny ear’s behind his opponent Nicolai Firtha’s head. That’s about how serious he has to take the challenge, clearly. Firtha is badly, badly overmatched against the undefeated KO artist.
This weekend, Hopkins vs. Murat takes place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey which will be televised live on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing. The co-feature showcases a middleweight title fight between Peter Quillin and Gabriel Rosado, and undefeated American heavyweight Deontay Wilder is in action as well.
