Live Report from the Pavlik-Hopkins Press Conference
Published by on October 15th, 2008

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By Scoop Malinowski

Kelly Pavlik was on time as usual. Totally relaxed and open to questions from any reporter. You gotta like this guy Kelly Pavlik, he’s a real throwback fighter, a good, decent, likeable person who also happens have a special, superstar talent to be able to get in the ring and fight. Boxinginsider.com was on hand for the final New York City press conference at BB Kings and our microphone picked up some quotes from the particular involved which are very much worth reading.

Bernard Hopkins at his roundtable: “Style make fights, I agree. I love those type of fighters who’s been successful being one dimensional. Coming forward, knocking the guys they fought out. That level of guys they fought out (sic). And the sort of got this false confidence that they can do this with everybody. Now you take a car in New York City at 12 noon, lunch hour. In Manhattan. And it has only one gear. And that’s D – drive. But the reverse it not there. How do you get passed that taxi? How do you back up? That’s Saturday. How do he change his stripes in the middle of the war?”

Bob Arum: “Kelly Pavlik is going to be a superstar in boxing. The people like Kelly Pavlik. Because he’s humble. And he doesn’t forget where he came from. He’s still the same person he was when he was fighting on undercards. Kelly Pavlik is a symbol of the strength of America. You can be down, you can get knocked down, like Youngstown, but you can get up and fight. And that’s what Kelly Pavlik represents, the strength of Youngstown, the strength of the people of America.”

Iran Barkley: “Bernard’s gotta come and be the old Bernard. He’s gotta forget about all that money (a fortune estimated at between $30-40 million), all that bulljunk. He’s gotta go, I’ve got no money, I’m hungry. This is what it’s like from the beginning when we fight. I don’t think he know how to be like that. This kid is like a young guy coming up, he’s hungry. And he looks to get reputations off the older guys. Bernard has to come in like the old Bernard. He can’t win no decision. Forget about that. But I don’t know if he can do that, see. See, I got that inner feeling in my strength like that. That’s a God-given talent. You gotta be born with it. It can’t be given to you. You gotta go in with it. I still got a lot of anger in me and a lot of hurt.”

Podium speeches:

Bernard Hopkins seems to have concluded Pavlik is a one trick pony who only tries to score the KO: “Saturday night you’re gonna see something very special that you seen before. I’m gonna bring that back without no hesitation or like it’s been gone. I always said, many writers have said, that styles make fights. And you can’t teach a young or old dog new tricks. And the last time I seen or heard and especially seen is that Kelly Pavlik has been at his best. And I see him coming forward and being himself. No matter what’s been changed or added on or what is been working on, that’s great. But trust me. When you’re undefeated and never had to taste the taste of losing, it’s hard to sometimes to…I’m gonna go back to what I’m comfortable doing and that’s knocking people out. So saying that, it’s gonna be great. Gonna be a great fight. And I know my style which is many. We know his style, which is a few. I’m looking for a great show up. Thanks for supporting Bernard Hopkins. It’s been great. But I got one more for you. And that’s this Saturday.”

Kelly Pavlik disagrees here with Hopkins assessment of his boxing tactics. While Pavlik spoke at the podium, Hopkins tried to act like he didn’t care what Pavlik was saying as he was chatting and chuckling with Golden Boy’s Richard Schaeffer: “…Saying about the knockout. I haven’t had one fight ever where I predicted the KO. I’ve been training eight hard weeks with the brutal workout regimen and put my body through what I do is to knock somebody out. And I go in there to win 12 rounds and if the knockout comes, that’s great. But I’m definitely ready. This is my chance now, Bernard is a legend. He’s had a great career. He’ll go down in the books as the greatest middleweight. I have a goal to do the same thing and that’s why I train the way I do. Is to be – I want my legacy to be great also. And I’m not done yet. And by going in there and beating Hopkins, it’s an imprint right there. I’m ready to go. It’s gonna be an exciting show. I think everyone’s coming to fight. I’d like to thank everybody for attending. Take care.”

For the photo shoot of the two fighters, the stage was cleared. Hopkins actually yawned before stepping in front to stand next to Pavlik for the photographers. (In 16 years of covering press conference I have never seen a fighter yawn like that at that moment of intensity. Is Hopkins getting tired of it? Was that yawn an omen? If he makes one minute mistake vs. Pavlik, will he be knocked unconscious?) Neither acknowledged the other, there was no eye contact, not even a stare down. Photographers didn’t even ask for it. Both walked away from each other with no handshake or eye contact or acknowledging the other. Photomen wanted the staredown but didn’t ask. Just like at the roundtable of Hopkins, Tim Smith asked one question and then Hopkins just rambled on for about 15 minutes. Reporters seem to be afraid of asking or interrupting Hopkins to ask him a pertinent question. I do not get the feeling at all that Pavlik will be deferential to Hopkins in the least on Saturday night.

As we were all leaving, one of the combatants spoke on the fight, without his customary political polite correctness. His words weren’t recorded, there weren’t any other reporters around. But it was the most memorable sentence of the entire conference. “I’m gonna F*** him up on Saturday night.”

Scoop’s book “Heavyweight Armageddon: The Tyson-Lewis Championship Battle” is available at www.amazon.com