Lifestyle / Fashion : Bernard Hopkins: Roy Jones Is a Wounded Animal!
7 years is a long time to wait for anything, let alone revenge on a hated rival. Since 1993, Bernard Hopkins has brooded over his decision loss to Roy Jones, Jr. In 2002 talks of a rematch collapsed over what Hopkins viewed as financial disrespect, when Jones only offered him a 60-40 split. The ensuring years have been filled with taunts by both men, but never serious negotiations until late last year after HBO got involved. Hopkins now has his shot at revenge, but must now convince the fans the Roy Jones can still be competitive following his 1st round KO loss last December. With this be a Thrilla in Manila type battle between aged legends, or a PPV funded execution?
AllHipHop.com: This is obviously a big fight, but why Roy Jones at this stage in his career?
Bernard Hopkins: Both of us have been having this back and forth for the last 17 years. It definitely gives credibility to the fact that it’s personal [between us], even thought the title is The Rivals. When you mention Bernard Hopkins’ name and the legacy of the middleweight division, and jumping up 2 weight classes and beating the light-heavyweight champ in [Antonio] Tarver, a guy Roy Jones had some experience with good and bad, boxing has no big names fighting each other than Mayweather and Sugar Shane.Hopkins-Jones is one of those fights like Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. I’m coming in with a game plan to not let Roy Jones resurrect his career and become a hero by beating me. He would become someone of interest again. I have pride not to lose to him or anybody I fight. A young fighter watching this fight would learn just like a young basketball player could just by watching Michael Jordan shoot around. You don’t have guys 40 years old in most sports that you can say “Damn! There’s 80 years of boxing experience between these 2 guys.” That is priceless. I know Roy Jones is a wounded animal! And the last I heard you never approach one that’s wounded. I know this is dangerous for me because Roy has everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Trust me, takes this from athlete that’s been in the game 20 years and has learned a little something. A person with that mentality is the most dangerous to fight. I’m just the type of guy that doesn’t mind the danger.
AllHipHop.com: So basically the main motivation is being the man to put the final nail in the coffin of Roy Jones’ career.
Hopkins: Well I was the man who made his career when he beat me in ’93. My name means a lot of his resume in being a first ballot Hall of Famer. So yes, beating him will prove to him that I have gotten better, and let’s see if he’s gotten better at handling my style. That’s the big question. Has Roy Jones gotten better 17 plus years down the road to beat Bernard Hopkins? They say styles make fights, let’s see my style can pay off now.
Many people ask why [Roy Jones]. But let me ask you an honest question. Are you going to watch it? And the answer is yes! Human beings have curiosities. I remind you of history, I’m going to go to the 80s and 90s with you. Tommy Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard’s second fight they were around 38-39 years old, and people say they had one of the best rematches ever. Check out the archives.
Ali-Frazier, the third fight. Frazier couldn’t come out for the 15th round; they were well past their primes. And still one of the greatest fights in the heavyweight division. The great trainer Eddie Futch told Joe Frazier that “no one will ever forget what you did here tonight.” And they stopped the fight.
AllHipHop.com: Those are good examples, but we also have to look at when legends get destroyed when fighting way past prime. Who’s to say this fight doesn’t look like Muhammad Ali-Larry Holmes?
Hopkins: I think Roy Jones is a live dog [and not that far gone]. He has a lot of pride, and doesn’t want to lose to Bernard Hopkins. I look at the NBA rivalries. The Cavaliers don’t want to lose to Boston. You sound like a sports guy so you know. When the Eagles play Dallas, they suck all the other games, but there’s something about playing Dallas, man. They get up for each other. Fans always want to see that. And that’s what this fight is. When you have those types of mixtures, they athletes rise to the occasion.
People will be talking afterward, like “you mean to tell me there were some knockdowns?!” “I thought he was done?!” Knowledge and evidence can give you a maybe in sports, but there’s always an X factor. You talk to Roy Jones, he’d rather get knocked out 20 times by you then lose to me!
AllHipHop.com: [Laughs]
Hopkins: You know there’s someone in your past or even now that you absolutely refuse to lose to that guy: whether that’s in school, your block, or even at work. And guess what? Don’t feel bad, there’s someone out there that feels the same way about you!
And that’s what makes this personal and dangerous. Someone could get hurt in this fight. I ain’t backing down and neither is he. And there is the incentive. Whoever doesn’t finish the fight gets punished financially, only getting 40% of the purse. People think that’s just promotion, but you’re getting punished further for catching a beat down. Don’t miss this fight man, because this won’t be rebroadcast the next week on HBO. This is an historic, one-shot deal.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s switch gears to a young gun that called you out recently in Chad Dawson. He hasn’t looked impressive recently against some other older guys in Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson. Do you think that’s because he’s been in with crafty veterans or because he’s been overrated?
Hopkins: Listen, he’s a stock that HBO brought into. They need to go ahead and give him the infomercial, and that infomercial is Bernard Hopkins. So my thing is Chad Dawson is not a PPV hit because he’s never been on there. They need to move in up with a big win over a big name. Fine, that’s great. Financially they don’t have the money because they don’t have confidence in him and they’re afraid of me. You’ve been following me, and I can run off 3 names why they’re afraid.
Jermain Taylor where is his career at? Kelly Pavlik where is his career? And [Felix] Trinidad? So financially they can’t put together the package to entice me to come. I beat him he becomes nameless, and he beats me he becomes famous.
AllHipHop.com: Streets is watching…
Hopkins: Sound like Jay-Z doesn’t it? You pretty answered the question for me in your own way. You’re absolutely right. I already beat one of their guys up in Kelly Pavlik that was 17 years younger than me. Do that again for what, and not even get rewarded? I beat him it does nothing! I beat Roy Jones it does for me because we have history, and also from a personal standpoint. And I guarantee you more people are interested in me fighting Roy than Chad Dawson who hasn’t made a name for himself.
AllHipHop.com: About Kelly Pavlik, right after you beat him you gave him advice on how to get better by incorporating more movement. Do you think he’s done that or regressed further as a fighter?
Hopkins: No, he hasn’t [used my advice]. He hasn’t because he been in there since with a guy that’s make him have to do that. Everyone has been coming straight at him. He got exposed with me, but he doesn’t have to change until they find that athlete that can fight like me. I gave his team the advice, but they’re thinking “shit, we’re never going to fight a guy like Bernard again, so why do we have to change?” So they’d be a fool to fight Paul Williams, because he can do some damage.
AllHipHop.com: Are you still interested in moving up to heavyweight to fight David Haye?
Hopkins: Yeah, for the winner of David Haye-John Ruiz next week. I would become the 3rd middleweight in history to win a heavyweight title. Both those guys aren’t big heavyweights. In fact, David Haye was 190 about 2 years ago, and still recently the giant Nikolai Valuev. I would probably be a 5-1 underdog. I am serious about that after this fight. It’s not that I won’t clean out light-heavyweight; if Chad Dawson is still around we could fight to unify and I’ve brought more substance to it.
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