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06/02/2006 Archived Entry: "Bernard Hopkins Conference Call Transcript in Entirety!"
Bernard Hopkins Conference Call Transcript in Entirety!
Moderator: Kelly Swanson
May 31, 2006, 3:00 p.m. EST
OPERATOR: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Jeanie (ph) and I will be your conference facilitator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the Bernard Hopkins conference call. All lines have been placed on mute to prevent any background noise. After the speaker's remarks, there will be a question-and-answer period. If you would like to ask a question during this time, please press star, then the number one on your telephone keypad. If you would like to withdraw your question, press the pound key. Thank you.
It is now with great pleasure to turn the floor over to your host, Kelly Swanson, ma'am, you may begin your conference.
KELLY SWANSON, SWANSON PUBLIC RELATIONS: Thank you, operator. Hello, everyone and welcome to today's conference call with one of the greatest middle weight fighters ever, Mr. Bernard Hopkins. Before I turn the call over to Richard Schafer who will introduce Bernard, I just wanted to do a little homework here, as we always do.
As everybody is familiar, on June 10th, Bernard Hopkins will be moving up to the light heavy weight division to face Antonio Tarver. The fight is appropriately called Fight to the Finish. As most of you know, that Bernard always fights to the finish and wins those fights. And for this fight in particular, he is finishing his career. So there's several reasons to celebrate this fight.
The event is being promoted by Star Boxing in association with Golden Boy Promotions, and the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Again, the bout will take place June 10th at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and televised live on HBO, pay per view, available, to more than 56 million pay per view homes, beginning at nine o'clock eastern time, six o'clock pacific time with the suggested retail price of 49.95. We do still have tickets available. Prices are from $750 to $200. The 100 and $50 seats are sold out. And of course, they are available through Ticket Master box office.
Joining Bernard on the call today, I think some of you have already heard him mention how he has rallied the troops and put together an extraordinary team of professionals in both boxing and fitness. And so joining Bernard on the call today will be his lead trainer, Nazim Richardson, the co-trainer John David Jackson, who is new to Bernard's team, as well as legendary fitness trainer Mackey Shilstone.
At this time, I would like to introduce Richard Schafer who is the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who will make a brief statement and then we will turn it over to the champ.
So Richard, without further ado.
RICHARD SCHAEFER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GOLDEN BOY ENTERPRISES: Great. Thank you, Kelly. And welcome everybody, thank you for attending today's call. And I look forward to see all of you in a week in New York and in Atlantic City .
Fight to the finish, you know, this is the how Bernard Hopkins started this career always taking on the biggest and greatest challenges, and this is no exception. He's doing it again. And it's not only a big challenge, but it will be, certainly going down into the history of boxing as one of the biggest fights ever. And we see the early indications, you know, when we do a pay per view event, you see little bulbs go off here and there, and it sort of like gives you an indication what an event is all about. And the consumers have clearly tremendous interest for this particular show down. We see that with the media credential request, which is inline with similar like what we have for De La Hoya and Mayorga, the ticket sales $100, $50 sold out, a few $200 left, so tremendous interest on the last gate, as well.
But what is really amazing is HBO has started to do these countdown shows, which I'm sure most of you are familiar with for big pay per view events. The biggest ranking the biggest rating they ever had since they started doing that was De La Hoya versus Mayorga. But I have news for you, this one which this countdown for Fight to the Finish, Bernard Hopkins and Antonio Tarver, the countdown show which aired last Saturday following the HBO boxing after dark telecast broke all records, about 30 percent higher than what De La Hoya Mayorga did, the highest rated countdown show ever in the history of HBO. And that shows you this is the kind of fight which really not only captures the interest of boxing fan, but it actually captures the interest of the public, of the general public to see this fight. The legendary Bernard Hopkins, the biggest challenge, and literally the biggest challenge of his career.
It is a tremendous pleasure for me to introduce now legendary Bernard Hopkins to you. And Bernard, if you want to make some comments and some statements on how your training camp went. And then, we can open the floor.
BERNARD HOPKINS: We can go ahead and open it up, and ready open for questions.
KELLY SWANSON: Operator, go ahead and ask the first question, please.
OPERATOR: Thank you. At this time, if you would like to ask a question, press number one on your telephone keypad. We'll pause for just a brief moment to compile the Q&A roster.
KELLY SWANSON: And media, all participants listening in on this call, Nazim Richardson, John David Jackson and Mackey Shilstone are available for questions, of course along with Mr. Hopkins.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Your first question is coming from Bernard Fernandez with Philadelphia Daily News, please go ahead, sir.
BERNARD FERNANDEZ, "PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS": Hello, Bernard.
BERNARD HOPKINS: How are you doing, Bernard. How are you doing?
BERNARD FERNANDEZ: Look, all of this fight is a light heavyweight. I think everyone agrees that you have been the best middleweight of your era, and that era lasted over 10 years. I know that legacy is important to you, and history has a way of taking care of that. But when all is said and done, when you think of the Manzones and the Hagglers and the Ray Robinsons and, you know, Surely Burley and those guys, where do you think history is going to rate Bernard Hopkins among the all time middleweights?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I think it's going to rate Bernard Hopkins, definitely, probably in the top five. And I'll consider taking five, if that's the case, because all of the great middleweights that came before me, that don't get really talked about, to be mentioned in the top five or even top 10 is just it's a very great accomplishment. I mean will be pleased to be anywhere, five, 10 but just to be talked about from the legacy point of view, and the history point of view is just I mean look at how many fighters won't even be thought about in the next two years, let alone (INAUDIBLE). So it will be a great accomplishment.
BERNARD FERNANDEZ: One follow up on that is that the only way you could ever do this is with computers, nowadays,, you know, feed in information, but have you ever thought well, you know, if I had been there when Haggler was there, when Manzone was there, when Ray Robinson do you ever kind of like, you know, mentally, you know, do the what ifs if that had happened?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well I mean with me I don't have to do the what ifs no more because we've got the EH sports boxing game and I knock Haggler out every time I play it.
But seriously, I mean, you know, it's a thing of error. I mean I'm pretty sure that, you know, you're looking at, you know, you've been hearing a lot about the Barry Bonds and the Hank Aaron record that he's anticipating on breaking probably next year, Babe Ruth record he just broke. I mean like any other sport and any other athlete, whatever they do, the Michael Jordans, the Will Chamberlains before, I mean how many athletes and again I hope I can answer this question like you want, like you're expecting me to answer it from a boxing point of view, is that how many athletes are blessed to accomplish things in your life where writers, and story people, or story people of the Burt Sugars and yourself and of the world, will even consider having a conversation off of people's lips that, you know, what do you think you would be if you would have fought Haggler, Sugar Ray Robinson, (INAUDIBLE). To me, that's an accomplishment that you and a million other people will consider me as a guy that can hold his own and whether I can beat him or he can beat me, you know, we'll never see that.
But to have a conversation on all of the great middleweights that won't even well all of the good middleweights, and potential some great, that never accomplished what I've accomplished is all ready I guess sealed my legacy to the point where is that I am in that company to be respected enough to go down in history as one of those types of great athletes that came upon at his own time, his own space, and he dominated a full decade, and, you know, it's an accomplishment. I mean you're talking about the Ray Letters (ph), the Tommy Hearns (ph), the Roberta Doran (ph), Dawulfa Benitez (ph). I mean we can go on and on and on and on about the great middle what about the '80 era? What about the early '90 era? You know, what I mean, you know, the guys that could have easily been talked about like I'm being talked about, but I accomplished things that no one has asked me in the last 20 years, if my math is right, having accomplished.
So to me, like any other baseball, football, basketball player, boxer, to break records of Haggler and Manzone and also to seal the defense record of 21 defenses in their time of some alleged poor athlete, lazy, don't want to work hard. If they don't want to lose the four or five pounds that they normally use when they wasn't a super star, they definitely ain't going to do it now. I surpassed all of them. I survived all of that. And at the end of the day, I'm called what a throw back.
So when they was calling me a throw back years ago, that I knew what that meant, a throw back. That didn't mean today's athlete, that mean yesterday's athlete. And to be yesterday's athlete and this world today, and be considered that type of athlete, that's high honors. That's like the servicemen getting, you know, getting the highest badge or honor that he can get. That in boxing is a stamp of approval, that Bernard Hopkins, love him or hate him, like him or love him, that you cannot erase history. And you cannot erase legacy.
BERNARD FERNANDEZ: (INAUDIBLE). Thanks.
BERNARD HOPKINS: You're welcome.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Your next question is coming from Mr. Tim Smith, the New York Daily News, please go ahead.
TIM SMITH, "THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": She doesn't know me very well, she called me mister. Good afternoon everybody, how are you doing Bernard?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Hey, Tim, how are you doing, man?
TIM SMITH: Good. You're not eating donuts are you?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Gumbo and crawfish.
TIM SMITH: OK. Hey how much do you weight now?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I'm about 170.
TIM SMITH: You're under 170.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Yes.
TIM SMITH: What's your diet like? I mean what are you really eating?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I don't have a diet. I mean and Richard not Richard, Tim, you've been following me, writing me for years, and I know I'm moving up to another weight, but my diet is basically eating a little bit more than I couldn't eat when I was a middleweight.
TIM SMITH: OK.
BERNARD HOPKINS: So I mean, you know, I've been a disciplined guy all of my life. And some even question, and you might have heard this fumbling around, you know, Bernard has been what do you mean Mikey (ph) for. The man eats, he trains, he lives boxing. He don't drink. He don't smoke. He don't hang around. I mean this is stuff that you wrote about for years.
I now can if I was eating a drum stick when I was a middleweight, I'm eating two drum sticks now. If I was eating eight ounces or 10 ounces of rice, I'm eating five ounces of rice 15 ounces of rice, now or 12 ounces of rice. What I have to do is not get caught up in what an athlete in boxing is supposed to do to get bigger. And most people think that it has to do with weights. It has to do with how much you eat. It has to do with this, it has to do with that. What I have realized is that the norm is not always the right weight with most people. Certain athletes have to go that way because of they way they live.
What Bernard Hopkins have accomplished early in my own life of discipline, forget throwing punches. It's discipline outside the ring, made it easy for me to be able to do a transition from now I can relax sort of, to the point if I'm running five miles in 45 minutes as a middleweight, you reduce that to maybe three or four miles and run it, and 30 minutes or 27 minutes or half an hour. Tim, it's just the thing of now from one end to another, I can do a little bit more here, I do less there, but my diet hasn't changed or my eating habits, I call it, hasn't changed because realistically I've never been on a diet. I just know what to eat, what time to eat, and I've been master of that ever since I got out of the penitentiary over 20 years ago because I mastered that if I didn't want to go down the Chow Hun (ph) D block, because I don't like what they had on the menu that we read the day before chow, I won't go. So there's two things you do, either you have discipline to eat what you have, and wait until something comes on the menu that you want, maybe the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday menu might have something different because they give you from Mondays to Sundays a seven day menu.
So I have always been in control of my eating habits. So I'm not on a diet. I'm taking vitamins like crazy. I've always done that. I'm taking a little more than I did before. But I don't have a diet to get to the point where people saying he has to get bigger. He's been fighting middleweight. He has a two or three percent body fat. But nobody did a body fat check on Bernard Hopkins to see was that true or not. Nobody still I mean we're talking about reporters ain't doctors. They look at you, you look in shape, you look this, you look that. I've always been a middleweight by some pretty big to be a middleweight, tall. And I am who I am, but I would not let a situation become I have to be a certain weight, a certain size to compete. History has proven over, over, and over again. Aldgate (ph) Sphinx. I'm not going to use Roy Jones Jr. because no disrespect to Johnny Weiss (ph), I don't think Johnny Weiss (ph) was an overly talented heavyweight, but you've got to get Roy credit because he won the belt.
But I look at fighters that accomplish in the past, and in the future, and they was a small man, and they did the job. This fight is probably, in my opinion is going to be who's the better fighter with the better plans, period. And I believe in my heart and soul that I am that guy.
TIM SMITH: Great. So it's not necessary so you don't think it's going to be necessary for you to be over 175 pounds when you walk in the ring?
BERNARD HOPKINS: No. I don't think it's necessary, no. I don't have to be. I don't have to be because if I'm not comfortable with that, then why would I put myself and subject myself to being out of my world? Why would I give up a situation that I've been great at? If this is going to be a strategy fight then I won't (INAUDIBLE), then why would I put myself in the position where my strategy is being compromised.
I mean I watched the Aldgate (ph) Sphinx and Gerry Cooney fight. And god, did Cooney look like a lightweight Sphinx looked like a lightweight up there with Gerry Cooney. It's a scary fight for Aldgate (ph) Sphinx. And Gerry Cooney was not a guy that, you know, was a feather puncher. I mean he had a pretty decent crack winning, long reach. And I watched that fight, and I said to myself, how great. There Aldgate (ph) Sphinx (INAUDIBLE) light heavyweight for God sakes. Basic (INAUDIBLE). He didn't have anything special, but he pulled it off. It happened. As Larry Merchant said, when George Foreman fought Michael Moore, it happened. It happened.
Well hopefully he won't he'll remember those quotes when he said that come June 10th, it happened. It happened. In my corner, and myself won't be jumping up and rejoicing like something dramatic happened, and something happened. It will be the same situation with the Trinidad (ph), look at the tape. No emotion. There's no jumping up. I mean when I say no emotions, it's no shock from us. Nazim is sitting here. John David Jackson is sitting here. Mackey Shilstone is sitting here. It's (INAUDIBLE) to this camp. When he goes down and I make it looks it easy, and everyone else I won't try to be shocked. And I won't try to downplay what you right, but trust me, my corner won't be jumping up hollering, crazy, like we pulled something off that was I won't do that. Anybody in my camp won't do that, that's part of the rules of the contract. They will not act like we've done something. Because as far as I'm concerned, you all should be it happened.
TIM SMITH: OK. I'm going to let somebody else get in here. Thanks, Bernard.
BERNARD HOPKINS: You're welcome.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Once again, as a reminder, if you do have a question, press star then one on your touch-tone phone at this time. Your next question is coming from Mr. Ron Borges with "Boston Globe," please go ahead.
RON BORGES, "BOSTON GLOBE": Hey, Bernard, how are you doing?
BERNARD HOPKINS: All right, Ron.
RON BORGES: I was interested in Bernard's question to you earlier. And the one thing you didn't touch upon was how you mentioned about being probably listed in the top five middleweights, and if not at least in the top 10. You know more about the fight game than most people, how do you see yourself historically? In other words, who do you think are the top five guys or six guys?
BERNARD HOPKINS: You know what, Ron let me tell you something, and I really believe this seriously. And, you know, I watch a lot of great basketball players and hockey players, and all of the interviews, when they'd be on sports classic, because I love that stuff. It ain't got to be my sport. I'd just like to see with legends and Hall-of-Famers talk about, you know, watching Charles Barkley on TNT the other day, and all of these guys.
When you have set a blueprint of what you have accomplished, I think it would be out of character for me to say where I belong that in history when you've got people that's going to do that anyway. For me to say where I belong there, is taking away what history is about. History is about people knowing and analyzing over the years, when you're done, putting you in a place of history that they feel that you belong. And for me to prematurely say that I belong here or I belong there or I'm better than this guy, and I'm better than that guy, to me it would be disrespecting the eras that passed.
The only thing I can do is say that from June 10th until my life of enjoyment, God willing of living, family, promoting and these things, it's up to the guys like yourself who's credible of knowledge to say what he believes and understand the boxing business, where a guy is supposed to be. I want you and anybody else that's listening as time goes by, and others that's not on this call, when it's all said and done, you be at the round table. That's how the hall of fame makes its decision in Catastonia (ph) with Ed Brophy, the President on who is inducted into the Hall of Fame and who's not.
You have channels aboard of people who will say yea, or nay. It's not my job to say where I belong in the history of any era. Your job as time goes by. It's my job to give myself the best chance to do all I can do while I'm active, to have no stone unturned to give myself the best chance to get in. That's all of the burden I have. And after I accomplish that, it's all up to the jury. It's the jury issue. The jury is the fans. The jury is the boxing people who analyze fighters by fighters by fighters and then they give their account.
RON BORGES: Did you ever think that, especially now, you come out as a kid you have your first professional fight, you lose that fight. A long stretch passes before you fight again. At what point, if ever, did you start to think about yourself, that hey, I'm a special guy. I'm better than these. Was there a fight, or was there a moment, where it hit you that, you know, I'm not just another fighter.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Ron, in 1988, I fought a guy named Clinton Mitchell and it's in my head like it was yesterday, I don't have the stats in front of me, promise me I don't. In 1988 in Atlantic City, you believe in omens, I'm going right back to a place that I started my career in 1988 in light heavyweight. And now I'm going right back to Atlantic City where I started my career and where I will end it as a light heavyweight. It is profound how my life has been.
Are you talking about a script, or movie or motivation or something that says hmm, I don't believe I'm that lucky for these things just to happen. I think that it's all ready written, and always written and always been laid out before I even got here. I just had to follow the script, and believe in myself when others doubt. I always had to always say to myself, if I survive, which I have, that the life lessons of being ignorant by my doing, life, boxing to me is something that I can handle. And I always believe that if I know in my heart that I can stay out of the penitentiary at 22, with the GED, with eight felonies, when I lost my first fight it should have sent most people back to jail. But instead I had a 15 month layoff. That 15 month, that year-and-a-half, was a testimony to the positive and the negative that's the tug of war of my life was at that particular time. Look at my record, from 1988, my career starts in 1990. What happened in 1989? That was the breaking point of the tug of war amongst good and bad. And, you know, what I say to myself, what else can be worse? Back in (INAUDIBLE) or cut my chin and change what I didn't do and look forward, and go through it and make sure that I correct my mistake. And what happened when I made that decision. I went 25, 24 and zero, with 13 knockouts and lost to Roy Jones Jr. in 1993 in RFK Stadium (ph) under the Riddick Bo and Jesse Ferguson card, I didn't like the taste of that.
But I learned from that, it didn't discourage me. Why? Because I had been educated before that fight. I looked at it as another test. This is another way of trying to break my spirits and not going forward. So I go forward again. And from 1993, until last year, 12 years later, a decade and some years later, 21 defense later, Bernard Hopkins showed the world that if you knock me down and I'm not out watch out. My record says that. My demeanor says that. And that's why you have the conversation amongst most people (INAUDIBLE). You've got to respect a guy when he accomplish (INAUDIBLE) people. Anything else is your personnel opinion. I established that in boxing. I don't have to prove that any more. Right now, the motivation of Bernard Hopkins is history, not necessarily legacy. My legacy is all ready cemented. My legacy was in the middleweight division and that book, and that chapter has closed with the controversy that's good for me.
But the other one chapter has opened, and it's a chapter of history. Why? Because my great, great motivator, and who I would gladly play tenth to, second to, a hundredth to, 50 to, and that's Sugar, the great Ray Robinson. That's what I want to accomplish is that Bernard did in his ear, not Ray Robinson era, not Haggler's era, not this era, not that error. Yes, Ray Leonard beat the light heavyweight champion David Delano (ph) or whatever his name is, Donny (ph), whatever, but the history is something that I can run off of these history names and these fights to you is because that's what motivates me. I fight for history and always fought for history. That's why the (INAUDIBLE) defense was so great for me. That was to me was part to get me motivated in boxing. That kept me, you know, what keeps you motivated? The questions I kept being asked, I said 20 defenses. I've got to get to 20 defenses. Why Bernard? Why is that so important? The great Manzone, the great Argentine fighter got in a car accident. Marvelous Marvin Haggler I break (ph) his record, I'm up in the elite group. I'm in a sorority of great fighters.
What was that? The light heavyweight champion. You're not going to 68. You're not going to go from one step to another, you're going to straight for middleweight to 75? Yes. Is it mandatory I've got to be 75? No. Bernard, you can be 60 and fight 75, that's on, you know, OK. Let's do it.
And when it's all said and done, I want the fans to remember one thing, is that Bernard Hopkins, the Bernard Hopkins of the world, the Michael Jordans of the world, the Sachel Peas (ph), the Jim Browns (ph), I'm going to throw back on you for a minute, the Julius Irving (ph), Tiger Woods when he leave, Palmer, the other golf player. Enjoy me now. Enjoy me now because when I'm gone, you never know, you might not never see this again. You might not never witness this again. Take me for granted now, and pay later on. What do I mean by that? When is another Bernard Hopkins going to come? When is another De La Hoya, Haggler, certain eras, certain fighters, certain athletes, certain sports, an athlete come across come along that doesn't reproduce every five, six, seven years. You're taking a gamble if you think this thing happened every day.
RON BORGES: On last thing Bernard. You talked to me about this once before, but I'd like to get your reflections on it, one last time. At one point, you told me you would have loved to have fought Hag (ph). And you sort of described what you think that fight would have been like.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Do you want me tell you what I said, and see if I can tell you I remember you asking me that? And I'm going to tell you and you correct me if I'm right or wrong on what I said.
RON BORGES: OK.
BERNARD HOPKINS: I said, if me and Haggler fight, we'd both be in the hospital in the emergency room with straws in our mouth looking at each other.
RON BORGES: That's right.
BERNARD HOPKINS: I think that comment was over a year ago.
RON BORGES: Yes, that's right.
BERNARD HOPKINS: I mean that's the benefits of ducking instead of getting hit in the head.
RON BORGES: You still see it that way?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well yes, absolutely. It doesn't change. I mean I guess I'll think different when I'm 50 and Haggler is about 70, I'll tell you probably I can beat him if we fight now. But right now, Haggler, Manzone, Benny Bristol (ph), Sugar Ray Robinson and this is another era, this is another I mean I just pit Ray Robinson on the side, those fights will because I know where my heart is at, and I know where my spirit is at. I mean that fight, I probably couldn't fight no more after that win, lose or draw because I know that I got the same thing in this era that they had in them.
That Ron, that is the reason I said that. It ain't got nothing to do with talent. It ain't got nothing to do with this and that. I know where my heart, and I know where my soul is that, and I know how much I love the sport, to the point where I sacrifice my marriage for this. My wife played 15 plus years second. I'm married to boxing and my craft first. And then married to her second and my child. But man, they're going to move up front after June 10th, and to the rest of my natural life.
So when I mention these things, I mention these things not to say that I win or lose. I'm telling you, these individuals are special people that we'll never see in a long time, and I haven't seen yet other than myself, I must be biased to me is that I don't see in today's fighters. And I'm not I'm going to be the first one to stick my life and my neck out for a fighter. But that era has left and the '80s, man, with those guys on down to the '70s and the '60s, man. And you get spots here every now and then, but other than that, Ron, I'm telling you that's how I feel, and that's where I believe, if we ever would have fought, I know that I would have spent many future years in those particular fights. I would have had a short career. I wouldn't have been boxing at 41 years old. I mean how many fighters is boxing that should be boxing and nobody is complaining about them boxing. See there's a lot of fighters that are fighting, and you complain about why are they still fighting, Evander Holyfield and a few others, but how many people are complaining why I'm still fighting?
RON BORGES: (INAUDIBLE).
BERNARD HOPKINS: I'll be 41-and-a-half when June come in, six months from 42. Nobody is complaining, god, why is he still fighting? I mean it's going to be a tragedy to boxing. The man is 41 years old. He's embarrassing himself. I haven't heard that comment yet. Why? Because they see that if Bernard really wants to and Ron, I don't know your opinion on this, and this is before June 10th, let's just keep that in mind, if I wanted to, which I won't, and I hope everybody is listening, I could fight another two or three years if I want like Jersey Joe Walcott, like (INAUDIBLE). If I really wanted to, I could fight another two to three years, seriously. I can do that if I wanted to, but I won't.
RON BORGES: Are you sure?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I'm done. I'm done. I can't sleep with you at your house, but I've got to sleep with my wife. And if I don't, I'm going to be sleeping with somebody.
RON BORGES: Great. Thanks.
BERNARD HOPKINS: She all ready gave me, she's Ms. Execution. You've never seen her. She ain't loud. She don't get in the ring. Netty (ph) is always standing in the back, handles the boxing business stuff through the back scene, never stick their neck out. I never put her out in front of the sharks. But she really, really put up but she didn't expect me after the two (INAUDIBLE) telefights, and we did great pay per view names, I've always been a Costco guy, I never stopped going to Costco. I even updated my card to platinum, so she's like why are you doing this? But if you're going to do it she's always been behind me but she was shocked I took the fight. Not because she don't think I can beat Tarver. She thinks he's got five rounds and after that it's done, but she, you know, basically you don't have nothing to prove no more, until I brought up the history.
When I brought up with Ray Robinson, she knew how much I love Ray Robinson, she sees the statue of Ray Robinson when I one the 2001 middleweight tournament that's about five or six feet tall bronze sitting down in the rec room. So I said, no, I'm I've got shrines of Ray Robinson, pictures, articles, Netty (ph), don't you understand what this means? Don't you understand that I'd be able to accomplish something to be mentioned, when I fight? Hey HBO is doing, as Richard said earlier, got the highest ratings for showing the fights before the fight happens, getting everybody geared up for it. And, you know, even the tournament in 2001, they got the Ray Robinsons, they're talking about these old throw backs, I love that company, man. At least, why the spirit is still going, they know that somebody is holding up dignity. They know (INAUDIBLE) Bernard Hopkins who comes in, he always make weight. He always in shape. Win, lose or draw, they understand as they spared folks to boxing, that I have accepted the torch and carried it well. And that I'm hoping whether it's Jermaine (ph), whether it's Rick Wright (ph), that a division that I gave many, many, many much prideful (ph), rather, will (INAUDIBLE) at the time without a controversy or without mixed messages and take it as far as they can, then someone else catch it. That's my fate. That's what I want. I don't care who it is. That's what I want. But that don't mean I can get it. That was you Bernard that held it down. That don't mean these other guys can do it, and I understand that also.
RON BORGES: Great. Thanks, Bernard.
BERNARD HOPKINS: You're welcome. Thanks.
RON BORGES: See you.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Your next question is coming from Mr. George Willis with "New York Post," please go ahead.
GEORGE WILLIS, "NEW YORK POST": Hi, guys. How are you doing?
BERNARD HOPKINS: All right. I got everybody here. I've got Nazim. I've got Mackey Shilstone. I've got John David Jackson. They can talk. That's not in the contract. They can speak as much as they can.
GEORGE WILLIS: Yes. I actually wanted to ask Mackey a question. I wanted to know what is the basic blueprint for preparing Bernard for this fight.
MACKEY SHILSTONE, FITNESS TRAINER: Well I think if you listen to Bernard and you realize the type of people that he has working for him, if you take a look at Nazim, you take a look at John David, it is has been my pleasure to have the experience to learn from these people, so that's a blueprint on itself. But the blueprint is only as good as the fighter in the ring. And I've had the opportunity to work with 3,000 pro athletes. And I've had the opportunity to work with some of the best fighters in the world. And I can tell you without a doubt, that he has established a team and a blueprint that's as good as anyone that I've ever seen, and almost any sport.
I think it starts with the person at the top, because no matter what Bernard Hopkins has to get into the ring and he has to do the work. None of us can do it for him. He is the most disciplined, structured, well thought and purposeful athlete that I have come across. And I don't have to tell you that. I have nothing to gain from it. It's based upon my experience of working with him. And remember, I did not know Bernard Hopkins other than his reputation prior to him asking me in the camp, but the camp has been gracious and kind. They've been understanding. They've given be leeway and they've given me support.
To me, that is what a championship camp is all about. I think what Bernard Hopkins represents is the true champion. I think children can look to him as a model. I think fathers can look to him as a model. And I think that stands far greater than just what he does in the ring, but that is an extension of what he will do in the ring. So to answer your question, the blueprint is, in fact, Bernard Hopkins.
GEORGE WILLIS: Well Mackey, what exactly, or just give us some examples, of I mean he's got to go up to over 170, how have you been trying to accomplish that while maintaining all of his skills?
MACKEY SHILSTONE: Well I'm not sure why you think he has to go up over 170 because Bernard Hopkins is a seasoned veteran. And I think the best way to put it is a championship weight. I think it's what he does with what he has. So I'm not sure that when you say he has to be over 170, that may be your interpretation but I'm not sure that is the actual way it has to be.
GEORGE WILLIS: Well do you have a target weight? Or do you just I mean what kind of guidelines, goals, do you have?
MACKEY SHILSTONE: Well first of all, you have to realize that Nazim and Bernard and John have a strategic plan. And what I have to do is to try and work into that model. And when you understand that, I think what you let the body do, the human body achieve a weight that has been carrying out a plan that they have established. If you want to look at it that way, I think my response to you, and you may think I'm avoiding it because I can't give you a number, but I can tell you, it will be a championship weight. Trust me, I've been there before. I've seen it. I've done it.
GEORGE WILLIS: Great. Nazim, what have you seen from Bernard fighting this particular fight at this particular weight or whatever that weight might be? Do you see him as stronger, faster, what have you seen during training? Any differences in Bernard at all?
NAZIM RICHARDSON, LEAD TRAINER: In all honesty, and again, thank you for having me, but in all honesty I see the athlete that I've always seen, a dedicated athlete, a disciplined athlete. And the one thing I told you before, is I think we limit him when we talk about him being disciplined as an athlete. He's disciplined as a man. So when you see a throwback fighter, as the ones he's mentioned before, there's one difference in the gym, when I talk to some of the older trainer. When you see a throw back fighter like Hopkins, you're actually seeing a man who's still open to new ideals. You know, we brought in John David Jackson, one of the best south paws who's ever put on the gloves and we've implemented that into our program, where now he's getting that angle. He's getting that south paw approach from one of the best who's done it.
Mackey Shilstone, one of the best fitness guys in the game. So now what you've basically done is you've all ready built an outstanding house. You've added a few additions. And, you know, you basically have a palace and you move in.
GEORGE WILLIS: And you've been with him for a long time, what do you admire about him the most. I mean this is his last fight. This is his last national conference call, you know, before a fight, what have you admired about him and his growth not only as a fighter, but as a man?
NAZIM RICHARDSON: Well the one thing like I said is Bernard is a very disciplined human being. And in that, I've told people his gifts are primarily outside of the ring. There's not too many men who I know, there's not too many human beings that I know that could stay as focused as he can. That his eyes doesn't miss anything. He doesn't miss a single thing. And then he absorbs it and he plays it back in this database. So when you have a guy with that magnitude you have to respect him. You have to admire him. You know, but it still don't stop me and John from kicking his but when he get off course.
GEORGE WILLIS: Bernard, do you expect Tarver to have an element of question in his mind as to how you're going to be, how strong you're going to be, how heavy you're going to be. So you think there's more question in his mind about this fight, than there is in your mind?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well I think the unknown is always a problem for a person that don't know. And to answer your question, I think I just did, is that I don't think he knows what to think. And I think that's too my advantage, because I'd rather know something than not know anything. I mean give me the round pass, and it's up to me to make the decision whether that makes sense that you will go with that, or not, but I have something to work with.
GEORGE WILLIS: I think that Tarver, and I don't know what he's thinking. I think that he could be thinking A, he's going to be at a weight where he thinks I'm going to run. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that. And then he might think that A, you know, I'm not known for a guy (INAUDIBLE). I mean I'm known for a guy that to most people look like he has big, good stamina, as he get into the fight. So he might think that I'm going to make him work earlier than he expect to work and surprise him. You never know what a guy think, but I'll tell you one thing, I've got a blueprint and I've got a strategy. And I have more to fight for, I believe, than Tarver has.
And, you know, he says what is the legend killer, well that's the only thing he's fighting for, but I'm fighting for history. And to win. And I have to make sure that that doesn't his problem don't become my problem. I don't care what Tarver. I know he's limited to what he can do, but I know that I'm not limited to what I can do.
GEORGE WILLIS: Thanks.
BERNARD HOPKINS: All right.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Your next question is coming from Mr. Franklin McNeil with the "Newark Star Ledger," please go ahead.
FRANKLIN MCNEILL, "NEWARK STAR LEDGER": Hi, guys. How are you doing? My first question is for John David Jackson, can you hear me OK?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Yes.
FRANKLIN MCNEILL: OK. My first question has to do with you're being brought in the camp. Obviously, you fought Bernard. You're a south paw. And you sparred with Antonio Tarver, so you're very familiar with both guys. What and not going into details, but I'm sure you're making some adjustments, and you're making some suggestions for those guys. And has Bernard able to have you been able to make the certain adjustments that you've been asking him asking of him?
JOHN DAVID JACKSON, CO-TRAINER: Yes, he has because the adjustments are subtle adjustments. They're not very there are not may things that you have to really work on with Bernard. You know, he's had very great success with south paws in general, in his career. So the adjustments aren't huge adjustments. They're minor and he's dealt with them very well. He's adjusted very well. So, you know, as far as the camp is concerned, I'm very happy with it. And on June 10th, he'll be able to expose the weaknesses that Tarver has. And use those to offset anything that Tarver may try to bring to the ring. And in the end, he should prevail as champion.
FRANKLIN MCNEILL: OK. And my last question goes to Bernard. Bernard, you mentioned history. You mentioned Tarver calling himself the legend killer. And I've been kind of throwing in my mind like what is this fight really about, because your legacy is all ready set. You're among the top five middleweights, at least, at the very least you're among the top five, maybe the number could be smaller, it could be the top three or so.
But you also mentioned Jim Brown (ph), Julius Irving (ph), Satchel Paige and also Sugar Ray Robinson. And to me, I'm wondering is this more about immorality? This isn't about just history, but immortality. This is something that goes far beyond the sport with the win in this fight.
BERNARD HOPKINS: You're absolutely I'm sitting here smiling while you're talking. You're absolutely right. Immortality man. You're absolutely right, because when you start talking about those particular historic words, you know, you can't throw them around loosely. Some people try to do it, and they making themselves look like idiots. But you cannot do this. I mean I was watching basketball today and this guy might be the second Michael Jordon. I love LeBron James. I think he's going to be excellent as years go on, prove it.
But when you start saying ridiculous things like that, and I understand it's your opinion, but when you start saying that this guy looks like and he plays, right now, better than Michael Jordon, wow, so I mean immortality, man is a word, that if you use it in the wrong context you will make yourself look like a baffling idiot amongst the people that might be listening. So it's a word that if somebody got the slight least little bit of intelligence, will not use it loosely. You know, be careful.
So that, in sum is part of Bernard Hopkins motivation for this fight. And then, let's not forget, I want to make sure everybody more of this, which is in contract. This ain't just fighter's talk. Tarver is so confident that he's going to win this fight. Part of this deal being put together, this fight, that he put up $250,000 in contract that I won't get past five rounds. So that means that Tarver who's not known to knock anybody about but a Roy Jones, who I think should have stayed up to heavyweight. After John Weiss (ph) made the cardinal sin by going down to 175. But give him his fame, and give him his thing because I ain't trying to kill pay per view, but this man put up a quarter million dollars. So I'd pick I mean a guy that's come out of bankruptcy a year-and-a-half ago, picks up a quarter million dollars, you've got to take him seriously or he's maybe a fool. But I'll take it and I will use it well. There's a lot of kids in my Make a Way Foundation (ph) in Philadelphia that can use that money. And I will thank him after the press conference for that money. And I will go ahead about my business. And in case, you didn't notice, also everybody is listening.
When I win the fight I'm not looking to take the belt because I don't like the belt. He can have, what is it the IBA or the ZZY. I don't know, whatever IBO. I don't want the belt. So and I let people know, and I let them know, not just people. I like the (INAUDIBLE). I say I don't want I'm not fighting for the belt. I think everyone should understand that also, where my demeanor, remember that mortality you were talking about, immortality, yes, absolutely right now. Smile when you say that, because I don't even want the damn belt. I want the victory.
FRANKLIN MCNEILL: Bernard, thanks a lot man. If you win, I think the immortality is there. Take care. Good luck.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Your next question is coming from Scott Foster with Fight News, please go ahead.
SCOTT FOSTER, FIGHT NEWS: How are you doing, Bernard?
BERNARD HOPKINS: How are you doing?
SCOTT FOSTER: Yes, you indicated earlier in the call that some of your idles in middleweight were Haggler, Manzone and Ray Robinson.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Yes.
SCOTT FOSTER: Talk a little bit about how Robinson influenced your style in the ring. And did the way his career ended, does that have any effect on how you went about self managing your own career?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I'm sorry, you broke up a little bit. I'm sorry. Just repeat the last one you said.
SCOTT FOSTER: Yes, talk about how Ray influenced your style in the ring, but also, did the way that his career ended, did that influence the way you sent about self managing your own career?
BERNARD HOPKINS: As far as financially, or far as for fights?
SCOTT FOSTER: You've just given a lot you just take a lot on yourself in the promotion and in managing, you know, who you fight and who you get in the ring with.
BERNARD HOPKINS: I got you. You know, what it's a great question. I'm a hands on guy. I've always been that way. But I also have enough sense to know that if I need help I'll call my troops. One of them is Mackey Shilstone. And you know all of the names. I ain't (ph) got to run all of the names to you, because I understand that all that I might know more than the next guy, the fighter.
I know when to be an athlete, and I know when to be a promoter. And I know when to be a manager. And I know when to be a father. And I know when to be a husband. My think is this, is that you can't let those avenues cross each other. You can't let those two, or four or five topics cross each other, then you've got an accident. You've got a collision. And so other than this experience of my early boxing career, that I realized early on, the Butcher Louis (ph) era, Dan Goosen era, I understood, the America Presents era, that if I don't learn this business quickly, I'm going to pay a price that I would never recover. I'll leave it that way.
SCOTT FOSTER: That sounds good, Bernard. You know, you've mentioned earlier in the call also, that you don't expect this to be a good man a good big man versus a good little man. That you expect skills to dictate the winner. Skill wise, do you look at yourself as a much more rounded and versatile fighter than Tarver.
BERNARD HOPKINS: By hands none hands down man. I mean yes. I mean completely from A to Z. A to Z.
SCOTT FOSTER: You know, much has been made about
BERNARD HOPKINS: When it comes to all around skills, I don't think anybody on this phone, and this is my opinion, I could be wrong, and we'll find out in a minute. I don't think anybody would say that Bernard Hopkins is a better all around fighter and more experienced in a championship level than Tarver.
SCOTT FOSTER: Well, you know, much has been made about Tarver's southpaw style, and how that should benefit Antonio. But that sort of dismisses how well you've done versus south paws in your career. Describe what you do to adjust to the south pay style?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I don't do anything to adjust to the south paw style. I just punch them before they punch me.
I mean when you get into that look, look at my record, I'm knocked out by nine out of 12, and seven of them was world class fighters. And so, you know, people, you know, for some it depends on how they style of fighting is, a south paw can be a problem to them. A guy that's flat footed and walking and he's slugging, a south paw will eat a guy like that all day. Most south paws are counter puncher. What is Tarver? Tarver is a counter puncher. If you don't give him a target to counter, he will sit there and look at you like he's in a mirror.
That to me I'd rather for all of my fights to have been south paws, because I know how to fight a south pay. Because it's nothing but (INAUDIBLE). I don't think about where my feet is at when I fight a south paw. I think about that he has something that I've got to take away. And it's not the left hand, it's the right hook that comes when you're blind sided that you don't see.
Now the hand that's coming down the pike, the left hand, you're going to see that, if you know what's coming. The punches that you don't see, is the punches that get you.
SCOTT FOSTER: And one last question Bernard on Ray Robinson. You know, he retired after his bout with Maxim (ph) for the second time, but ended up coming back to the sport for over a decade. How satisfying is it for you to know that everything is said and done, you've accomplished really all you ever wanted to. And that you really have another life, after you step out of the ring on the promotional side. How satisfying is that for you?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well I miss talking, obviously. And then, it is satisfying. But, you know, most fighters come back not because they want to come back. Ray Robinson came back because he was broke.
SCOTT FOSTER: Right.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Joe Louis (ph) because he was broke. Let's not get it twisted. I'm not broke. I'm not coming back after June 10th. I'm going to do something else, and I'm doing it all ready. And ask my friend, my promoter, my partner in promotion, Richard Schafer, my advisor, CEO of Golden Boy, we are going to be the head in a promotional business of boxing in a new way, in a new era, and it's happening now. So my transition has always been plan before you go to the event. And I told myself that, and understood that long before I became Bernard Hopkins the fighter, because the last time I didn't plan, I did five years in the penitentiary. And I've been planning ever since I got out. And that planning before hand had me sitting here talking on the phone about a historic fight that I am going to accomplish, not attempt, but going to accomplish.
And to me, that is something that I would never, never underestimate or never abandon in my life. You plan. And then you execute.
SCOTT FOSTER: Well that sounds really good Bernard. We appreciate it.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Thanks.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Your next question is coming from Dan Rafael with ESPN, please go ahead.
DAN RAFAEL, ESPN: Hey, Bernard, how are you today?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Hey, Dan. How are you doing, man? Everything is good. New Orleans is hot man. I don't know if they want me to lose weight in this hot muggy sauna, or they want me to gain weight.
DAN RAFAEL: I was going to ask you about that. You know, you've spent most of your career training in either, I guess, Miami recently, training in Philadelphia. Can you tell me what it's been like to go to New Orleans? Obviously a city that's been devastated in the past year, and to I guess, really see it up close on a daily basis as you do your training, what has that been like?
BERNARD HOPKINS: It's been a humbling experience. Mackey Shilstone and his wife, Mrs. Shilstone took a tour of the ninth ward and oh my God. Sunday, we went down and we drove, and we didn't get out but we watched. We filmed it. I've got a piece of history that I will keep with me. I mean, you know, you're talking about the destruction of a 9/11. I mean this was a 9/11 of nature. And this hear was real sad. That is 400 bodies, as we speak, that was told to me by New Orleans person that's still out there in the rubble. People lost their homes. At a church, maybe a dozen people come and see me that their lost house, lost the church, watch me, had open house public workouts that are normally, never had in my camp.
I met Ray Nagin , the new mayor or New Orleans. I met the mayor well the candidate that was trying to be mayor. I met a lot of people through Mackey Shilstone in New Orleans. They're glad I was down here. You're right at the Sheraton, downtown and the part of downtown. They've got a I mean how big is that Mackey, that big poster of me?
MACKEY SHILSTONE: Twenty-four by 20 feet.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Twenty-four by 20 feet colored banner, plastered on the side of the shirts and hotels. If you can't see that, then you ought to go in and get checked for eyes, because you can see that for miles away. That's in right. New Orleans has opened their hearts out to me, and glad that I came to New Orleans and chose that town under the situation that they're under and I'm glad to be here.
Because, what it done for me personally, and it will be part, and it is part of why I train so hard, and what I'll be thinking about while (ph) I'm in the ring, if and when things get tough, you don't elaborate on them, obviously you've got to snap out anything. But things go through our minds when we're in that ring. When things get rough, when things get tough it was D block for me, for many years, that's (INAUDIBLE). And then it was this, it was my mom losing to breast cancer, four years ago, 57 years old, who told me I shouldn't fight past 37. I'm a couple of years past that. Shirley Hopkins.
It was a lot of things go through your mind when you have a slight, a little bit of doubt of why you're doing this. It ain't worth it. Others writing you off. That pulls me back together. New Orleans has sold any doubts that nothing can be accomplished that anything could be accomplished if you really want to make it happen. And let me tell you, the least problems I have of going in the ring June 10th, compared to these people down here in New Orleans. It's the least (INAUDIBLE) to me. And it was a motivational tool, part of one of the logs that went in the fireplace to keep the fire burning in Bernard Hopkins soul is that when you see people who grab me and cry, can you sign a picture. An eight year boy comes down with no hair, with leukemia, I play you on my game. His mother (INAUDIBLE) bring him to the gym. I gave him gloves. Everlast supplied me with a whole facility of rain (ph), gloves (ph), extra stuff, and things that I need. And seeing a guy a little kid, who hopefully can see past this and make it past this and you humble yourself.
And so you take all of that, and say, man that's motivation for me. And let me tell you something, I've been in New Orleans two or three times, since '99 and in between 2000 and 2001. So I'm not new to New Orleans. But they have put the red carpet out there for Bernard Hopkins. And they respected me and I respected them. And everything they needed from me was to sign an autograph, whether can we come watch you train, because we know you're going to shut it down in the next two weeks, which we have done all ready. And I have crowds, basically man, for the first two weeks, here, man, every day, cops, lawyers, doctors. I mean that to me, I appreciate them and they appreciate me.
DAN RAFAEL: Thanks, Bernard. Mackey are you there?
MACKEY SHILSTONE: Yes, I am, Dan.
DAN RAFAEL: Mackey, I'd like to ask you, you had mentioned earlier we know about your work with Ray Jones in the past when he did his thing against John Ruiz and also with Aldgate (ph) Sphinx with Larry Holmes. Could you take a second to sort of compare just the way that Bernard has adapted to the sort of things that you've asked him to do? Or that you've talked about in terms of his nutrition and conditioning, as it compares to the way those other guys who are successful in their bids to move up and win big fights?
MACKEY SHILSTONE: Well, you know, something, Dan, it's kind of funny. You know, when I had been through this several times before and so I'm learning about Bernard Hopkins before he comes in, I do my homework and I read and I read the statistics and I see the word disciplined. And he shows up on time and what have you.
And then, when I get to meet him, I felt like I was talking to myself. I looked him in the face and think I was looking at myself. We're two peas in a pod. We basically take the same vitamins. We shop at whole foods. We love to exercise. We love to train. I had to get through in my mind having gone through this so many times before. And he actually reminded me of this, I'm not your typical kind of athlete that you encounter. And sometimes when you look yourself in the face, you really have to step back a little bit to get perspective. I mean it's like seeing the forest for the trees. I didn't have to tell him anything. I didn't have to talk to him about motivation. He's the most motivated person I've come across in a long time.
The only thing I gave him was I wanted him to read one of my books I wrote, and give me his opinion on the chapters on motivation. So I don't know what more I can tell you. Basically from the fitness lifestyle, he doesn't live an athletes lifestyle. He leads a healthy lifestyle. It is textbook, out of the book. And in my opinion from a health standpoint, I heard him use the word or people have used the word throw back, I think he's probably 21st century back way back when. I think he's a throw forward. I don't think he's a throw back.
DAN RAFAEL: You mean in terms of nutrition.
MACKEY SHILSTONE: So from a health standpoint, from what I'm very interested in lifestyle he lives.
DAN RAFAEL: You mean, when you say throw forward you're talking about in terms of the way he maintains his body at age 41, and the things he, you know, the he works out and all of that.
MACKEY SHILSTONE: What makes you think he's 41.
DAN RAFAEL: That's what he's been telling us.
MACKEY SHILSTONE: Well I mean don't you have something called chronological age, health age, and performance age.
DAN RAFAEL: Sure. I mean it sounds like to me .
MACKEY SHILSTONE: I wonder whether, you know, people have always said about me when I've gone through fitness testing, that I have a health age of a 19 year old. I finally met someone that has the health age of a 15 year old with a 41 wisdom brain. I mean he was doing this as I've been able to go back, because see we run together and I tend to talk and he tends to talk to me. So he's been doing this for years, years. So that's why, I think he's a throw forward. If the rest of the country lived the way he did, my lifestyle management program which is another part of my world, unrelated to sports would be out of business.
Cardiology as we know it would change. The incidents of cancer would go down, trust me. It's the other part of my world, man. If we followed his plan for the rest of this country we wouldn't have the problems we have.
DAN RAFAEL: It sounds to me, tell me if I'm wrong, that when you guys got together, even though both of you have said you didn't know each other before the camp really started, that it was like, you know, old friends, like just easy getting together, no problem.
MACKEY SHILSTONE: Well, you know, no no matter what, no matter what you go through as fighters go through as they approach going in the way. And Dan, I'm a firm believer that, and this is my own personal opinion, I speak for myself and not for him. My own personal opinion this as close as war as you get. And I feel that I am entrusted with a responsibility to take this soldier and to provide him to Nazim and John David and to his camp at the best he can be, because he puts his life on the line.
And as I told him long ago, whether whatever you think of me, whatever we do, when this is all over, I will know that I have gained another friend.
DAN RAFAEL: Bernard, could you just address that real quick, about the way that when you first met Mackey, what it was like, those first couple of days of camp of just sort of feeling each other out.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Yes. I said this guy talks as much as I do. Me and Mackey ran
DAN RAFAEL: That's not possible, Bernard.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Yes, well trust me. This guy can go, but, you know, what it was good talk. And it was something I listened to. And we run our three-and-a-half miles, sometimes four, and, you know, we do our sprints here and we trained at Tulane, Tulane is a well known college in New Orleans, and then we'll go to the park.
But to me, I we got to sharing the things that we do, because Mackey don't know Bernard Hopkins, but only what he researched. And when he got to know what I did, what I ate, I don't hang out. I'm not in camp. I'm not sending my down here because he asked me Bernard, does your wife come to camp with you, the first day I came out here to meet him for two days of getting tested and things like that, so we can take this task on a physical make sure that he's dealing with a person that don't have no heart problems or anything wrong. And we talked, and he was picking my brain like he should. And I said, I looked at him like, I said, and I had to hold myself back because hey I'm not going to mention names, he didn't say anybody did this, but maybe someone before me rowed like that, rowed and handle this business. I don't know. The only thing I know, I looked at him, to me it was like a joke, but I didn't get offended. I said, no man my wife, I haven't seen my wife in almost seven, eight weeks. I shut down everything, nature wife. I just block that out of my mind. It's not even existing to me.
And I said (INAUDIBLE), OK. Now again, he just met me, he's hearing this, whether you believe it or not, I mean but we went forward. It isn't about judge and jury here. Then we've got to talk about what to eat, what I like to eat, because now, like I said, people want to know what's your diet, and all of that. He asked me what do you like to eat, so I can go and get it. I said, well I eat at Whole Foods. And the (INAUDIBLE). He said I eat at Whole Foods too. I said, and we like kids. I do too. So you've got people looking at us like wait a minute, these guys look like they just got the same insurance or something, you know, I mean from GEICO. So I'm sitting back, and I'm saying we've got something to talk about.
That as simple as that might sound, that led into a snowball effect of what do you think about this? What do you think about this? Mackey, what do you think about this? And Mackey is so hands on, also, where Mackey don't want to keep I mean have a stone unturned, where ever now, and then, we get in his lane, he got to push us out. Every now and then he get in our fighters lane, we push him out, but with respect. And then, he has enough and we have enough respect when to say Nazim, you're right you got this. I got that. You got this. You got that. And we've been rolling every since. And the easiest thing, I think for a trainer or a coach when you have a team, whether it's baseball, basketball or a fighter, that follow the script and want to work hard, when you've got to stop them working hard. Mackey, having said why you want (INAUDIBLE) since we've been here. (INAUDIBLE) day, except the days off about a 20, 30 I mean, two or three, four minutes here coming down from the elevator to the car, little things like that, normal stuff. But we've been on course, like I'm a soldier listening to the general.
Because I know (INAUDIBLE) also, is that I can't hire a guy and expect him not to do his job. Same with Nazim. Same with John David Jackson. They all communicate. There's no egos here. I mean we've got confident guys that have egos, but they understand when I got the assurance from Mackey, the assurance from Nazim, the assurance of John David Jackson, that you man, it ain't about us. It's about you. We're going to sit our ass down, or we're going to go down those steps, and we're going to watch you for three minutes to get back to the corner. And we're going to go ahead and we're going to do what we have to do and you've got to get back out there. This is about Bernard. So anything we got, we're going to deal with it amongst ourselves. And it's been cool. I mean it's been great. We've been doing non stop plan since I got here May first, and we're winding down with three or four days left here in New Orleans. Monday morning, I believe, I'm heading out of here.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Hey, Dan
MACKEY SHILSTONE: Dan, I just have one thing to say. I got the paid highest compliment by Nazim most recently. I'm 55 years of age, and I'm not going to be around in the boxing too much longer.
BERNARD HOPKINS: This is the last one, also, right?
MACKEY SHILSTONE: Yes, I'm not really going to do the day to day that I've been doing. I mean I'll consult, but he paid me the highest compliment that no one has ever paid me including the likes of Eddie Fudge (ph) and you name it. He said, you know, I think I can get you ready for a four rounder Mackey. And I said, Jesus, I've never been hit once. So I will always remember. I don't plan on every getting hit, but I will run in that ring. So I thank Nazim for that compliment.
DAN RAFAEL: Well if you talk to Richard Schafer, maybe he can get you a spot on the under card.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Yes.
MACKEY SHILSTONE: You may not be fond of me, OK.
DAN RAFAEL: Thank you. Good luck to you guys. I'll see you in Atlantic City.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Thanks.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Your next question is coming from Thomas Gerbasi with maxboxing.com, please go ahead.
THOMAS GERBASI, MAXBOXING.COM: Hey, Bernard. You're a guy who's coming full circle in terms of starting your career in Atlantic City and ending it here. What do you remember about that first fight in Atlantic City?
BERNARD HOPKINS: I remember that first fight in Atlantic City of going up against a guy named Clinton Mitchell that had a hell of a golden glove career. I remember Michael Katz (ph) no, no, Ryan Katz (ph), excuse me, the matchmaker, former matchmaker for top rank. It was one of those cards. Now before that, the Resort Mayor Griffin, I'll never forget it.
And I was, of course, don't know the knowledge that I have now but I was 0-0 fighting a guy that was 5-0, New York State Champion, golden gloves, bad fight, but I learned from it. I lost a split decision in that light heavyweight fight. I believe I was 23, maybe 22. I learned from that fight that A, I wasn't a light heavyweight at that time. B, had bad management. C, I didn't like losing. And I went through a 15 month withdraw to get myself together mentally if I want to go forward with this boxing or just subject myself back into the same neighborhood and the same behavior that got me in the position from 17 to 22 years old, or 23 years old.
So I remember a combination of things in that Clinton Mitchell fight that to me was like fighting 100 rounds. It was a four round fight. It wasn't televised. And that fight then that fight there had, you know, motivated me after those 15 months to look forward once I got my mind together, what I want to do in life, to never give up. To not throw the towel in.
THOMAS GERBASI: Now, Bernard, is there a sense now, obviously you're preparing for a fight, but is there a sense going through this camp that, you know, this is the last time I'm doing this?
BERNARD HOPKINS: There's a sense physically. There's no sense to the point where this is the last time I'm doing this, because I have to do it first.
THOMAS GERBASI: Right.
BERNARD HOPKINS: And once I do it first, I think the focus on me is not after the fight. The focus on me is the fight. You can't have two or three things going on in your mind at one time. Retirement on this level at 41 years old, it's a blessing to be able to do that and healthy. You talk about that when the time comes. You don't talk about that, elaborate on that, before you go to combat.
THOMAS GERBASI: Right.
BERNARD HOPKINS: It's just a mental mistake. To be able to talk about something that can play a role, surviving, or not.
THOMAS GERBASI: Bernard, I guess I shouldn't ask this question but I will anyway.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well if you shouldn't ask it, then I don't think you should because your conscious all ready gave you a warning.
THOMAS GERBASI: Well what do you think you'll miss the most?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Good question. See that ain't a bad question, man. What I'm going to miss the most? The checks. Listen come on now, now you asked me. I'm being honest with you, don't get me wrong. Because you've got to understand it's good and bad. It's (INAUDIBLE) when you're not boxing any more. Nobody is going to be handing four or $5 million because of my looks. So I mean I'm being honest. That's one of the things I'm going to miss. Now, of course, it ain't just boxing physically in the ring. I'm going to miss it but I'm going to be involved. I've got a nephew who's fighting Wednesday before our fight on ESPN, defending his USBA championship, Rock Allen. E. Shane Smith who's in camp with me was in the contenders fighting on Dimitri's (ph) under card.
You know, we've got Kasi Mumo (ph). We've got the Golden Boy situation. So really I'm going to be, you know, that with withdrawal, or what they call detox of being a fighter in the ring. Then I've got to sit there and watch it. I'm throwing punches. This is all something I'm going to it's got to fade out as years go by, and I'm sitting ring side. I will fade out of that. But for the first year or two, I want to be, you know, I'm going to be feeling good about, you know, watching this stuff happen like it's me, but it's just getting out of my system. I've done this for 20 plus years, ever since I was seven as a amateur. And you can't you've got to weed off it. You can't just go cold turkey. Nobody can.
So I realize that a lot of things that I like, that I am going to miss boxing, and also the check. The check is going to be missed because I understand that that's part of you're not doing it any more. You're not in the light boxing (INAUDIBLE) anymore. That is all the past.
THOMAS GERBASI: You know, thanks, I appreciate it. Good luck next week.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Thanks, friend.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Your next question, is coming from Anwar Richardson, with the Tampa Tribune, please go ahead.
ANWAR RICHARDSON, "THE TAMPA TRIBUNE": Good afternoon, Bernard. How are you doing?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Thanks, man. How are you doing?
ANWAR RICHARDSON: Very good. Bernard, you've answered a lot of questions that I had for you, so I only have one more left. You know, when you fought your last two fights, the first one you lost, but it was by a unanimous decision I mean split decision. The second one you followed up with a loss that was a unanimous decision. You were criticized both times, for maybe waiting a little bit too long to fight. And now you're moving up in weight to fight Antonio Tarver. So my question to you is can we see the same Bernard Hopkins that we saw for so many years, the dominant Bernard Hopkins? Can we see that same person, again, the fighter who we may not have seen in the past two fights?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well first of all, I still believe in my heart, call it denial, you have that right or whatever, I know what the scorecard says. I know what the toffee box (ph) says. And I know what Duane Ford said. But nevertheless, I believe that when I go in this ring June 10th, I don't look at myself as being an ex champion. I look at myself, and this is credibility as the people's champion. You hear it, I hear it and everybody listening to this phone call. What I'm going to do is ask people what do they personally think? There never should have been a second one, but nevertheless there was, I think he one that one also. But nevertheless, the past is never something that should be a situation where you let it blow (ph) on you in a negative way.
Bernard Hopkins, myself, will be a fighter that will fight the smart fight. Will fight the plan that was laid out by John David Jackson and Nazim Richardson. Styles make fights. Tarver's style is not like Jermaine Tulla (ph). I believe that me and Jermaine Tulla (ph) will fight, 20, 30 different times. I think it would be the same style, the same result, hard to judge, depending on what you're looking at. If you're looking at Bernard Hopkins slipping and moving, great defense, counter punching, and you know boxing, and you know what he's doing in there, as some had said, then you will see the art of what I bring to the table. And then someone will say well he's stolen punches, but he wasn't effective with them. Well he wasn't, but he still was doing something, just moving his hands. Well if I can move my hands during a fight, then I can move them if I'm not even near you. Should I get points for that?
But we're at the points of letting the guy move his hands and he's missing you right there in front of him. That's boxing that's missing today. You don't (ph) want to see blood and guts in this society. And we're learning about why things are being promoted and bought by our cards, because they're watching videos, and they want to see heads blown off. This is a blood and guts society. So the skill, the technique stuff is out the goddamn window, not only in sports, in life period. Blood and guts. Tore up (ph) daddy and make war. That's what we paid for and that's what we want. Well wait a minute. I've got a daughter, I've got a wife, that I want to be able to go to her teacher and talk to her without her thinking that I'm talking the Flintstones or Bugs Bunny of Elmer Fudd.
You will see a Bernard Hopkins that's going to carry out a fight to win. I will never, and I was taught this, don't blame it on me. Blame it on the teachers that I had over the past 20 years, you're not fighting for the fans. You're not fighting their plan. You're fighting our plan. And once you get caught up and you have to fight because the guy that's sitting ring side with the beer in his hand, who wants you to stop doing something that's working for you because he wants to see blood and guts, then you're not going with the plan. The plan is for professional guy to go in the ring and follow the plan, no matter what sport it is. The only sport that I see is boxing, that most people want the fighter to fight the way they feel he should fight. I think it's wrong. And I also think it's unfair, but I can deal with that.
You will see the Bernard Hopkins fight the fight that got him 20 defenses. You will see the fight that Bernard fought that had him undefeated over a decade, what was wrong with that? What was wrong with that? I got criticized for fights in between those fights in those years. This is bigger than just the fight. Everybody know about it. But I'm not here to talk about that, because then some will write, he's still back in the no I'm not going to play that game on me. People say, I'd rather leave the history of the middleweight division just like it was so it could be the Ray Leonard and the Manny Tagli (ph) era. There's going to be controversy. It's going to be talked about. And you know what, they're going to mention my name again. Just don't go two fights. You're dealing with a 41 year old man with a 26 year old, young strong athlete that couldn't catch the old tiger. What do that say about Jermaine Tulla (ph). Bernard you're (INAUDIBLE), now you want to give me credit. When things ain't in your favor, now they want to give me credit. Well, you know, you're experienced, well I told you that. So damn if you do, as they say, damn if you don't. And it goes back to what I just said five minutes ago, you can't please outsiders. You'll never win in that game. You'll never win. It's a lose-lose situation.
ANWAR RICHARDSON: But you also have to please the judges too, don't you Bernard?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Well to a certain extent. I mean the judges have the right to view anything that they feel that they need to view. But in this situation where you yourself, and most people listen to this phone call have questioned a lot of people's decision on anything that said, wait a minute, what are they watching?
So I don't have defend what others are all ready defending on me. And what is important to me is what the fans think. So longs as I can walk in New Orleans, they say man, you know you won that fight. You know, it was all political. You know, they wanted this guy. You're young. You told them you was leaving. And I'm looking at this guy, I don't even know this guy in New Orleans, I'm taking a walk. This guy pulled over, he's giving me the run down. I said man, it's all right, man. I said what do you believe? He said man you a champ and I like how you having your business. I like how you stood up. They've been trying to get you for years. This is a guy in New Orleans for God's sake. Hey I can go to Arkansas and somebody might say that. I can go to L.A. and somebody might say that. That's the legacy that Bernard Hopkins has left amongst people in the world, is that that guy is a damn fighter, outside the ring, just as well as in the ring.
ANWAR RICHARDSON: Thank you, Bern.
BERNARD HOPKINS: You're welcome.
KELLY SWANSON: Operator, we're going to take two more questions, and then wrap up.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Thank you, Kelly.
KELLY SWANSON: OK. Just two more Bernard.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Your next question is coming from George Diaz with "Orlando Sentinel," please go ahead.
GEORGE DIAZ, "ORLANDO SENTINEL": Yes, Bernard, how are you?
BERNARD HOPKINS: Hey, I'm doing good.
GEORGE DIAZ: You talked obviously in Tampa you talked at length, and you talked in other places about how prison and how that changed you and what not, and the path that you chose for yourself. Was there Bernard, was there though a defining moment at some point while you were incarcerated that the light went on and it clicked and you realized that you needed to get yourself together or, you know, life was going to not be end up well for you.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Yes, and it was totally the opposite of what most people watch TV, "OZ" (ph) on HBO or old prison story (ph). It wasn't that wake up call that I got. I speak at seminars, and schools and reform schools all around the world, I'm asked that question all of the time, and I don't mind answering it, because it's a great question. It's a question of the, in the know, they want to know.
And I said to them, prison didn't change Bernard Hopkins. People (INAUDIBLE), what do you mean. I said it was totally the opposite. I changed Bernard Hopkins. I rehabilitated myself. Well how did you do that, they ask. I said when I went to jail, it's like any other jail in the world. I see if they believe that they're going to keep coming back, when I say they, the people that benefit by me being incarcerated by my own ignorance and decisions. And I will not a (INAUDIBLE) to anyone.
It remind me of Ghandi or Michael Mecks (ph) or people that, Martin Luther King, that got incarcerated and somehow they found themselves and they seen that they had to be brought to a place because of their own ignorance. And I'm using me, because I don't think Ghandi (ph) or Martin Luther King was brought in because of their ignorance. They was representing what they believe. Well because of my ignorance, because I did what I did, I've seen a whole different picture. I've seen inmates with 10 to 15 years, whether they should have got it, or not got it, playing basketball, lifting weights, and realizing that they got 15 to life, 20 to life, and they had their table TV. They had their commissary once a week. They're talking about old stories when they was on the street. And at 17 years old I had the vision of an old man that say, wait a minute, you mean to tell me that part of my punishment is to get up at 5:30 in the morning, shackled to go out to a form to pick corn, because they don't have to hire private contractors, that will cost them a lot more money than they're paying me a month, which was $10 a week. And someone is making license plates for their job. Someone is making prison boots. Someone is making outside sneaks (ph) to be sold at outside venues. And I understood that every prison that I went to, it always was in a neighborhood that's somewhere miles and hours away from my house, and it's all coal township town that one time had a big booming industry of making coal, and they all sucked up and they needed industry now to generate revenue, and we generate revenue, generating plumbing and I was the blue chip (ph).
Well I said that the wake up call was Buddy (ph), is that I'm not going to be a part of this household. So that means that I, Bernard Hopkins will change my behavior once I get out, if I get out, because five years can be 20 years if you've got to defend yourself. Five years can be a death sentence if you get stabbed in the neck or the back and you get out of there, as they say if in case of an accident Mr. Hopkins, where would you like your body to be sent? Can you imagine getting an answer to that question at work? I'm only 17.
So what open and I know I sound passionate about this, but I get like that sometimes. What opened my eyes wasn't prison is so rough it scared me. I came home and I walked off nine years of parole and never got in trouble. No, I would say, the first year was rough. The first year, if you've seen some of the HBO and behind the glory segments that they did on me, they did the 70 foot (INAUDIBLE) and the toughest john in Pennsylvania, they've got 38 of them, from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, hard criminals. And the first thing I had to do, if you've seen the segment, I have it for you, or Kelly can get it to you, what did you do when you first went in? I had to find the toughest guy on the block and I had to knock him out, and that happened.
To gain respect, I had to go in D block, and find the toughest guy and find out through others who is running the show here. Why? Because you didn't want to become a soldier because most people want to be a follower, like society. There's more followers, than leaders, that's human nature. Nobody wants to stick their neck out and be sacrificed if it don't happen, if it don't work, but I always did. I did it in my career. Watch my career. I took the industry by the horns, and said I'm going to do it my way, stop me and (INAUDIBLE). I took that same mentality (INAUDIBLE), and relate it to my life (INAUDIBLE). And also, as a civilian. I found the toughest guy and he wasn't my size either. He was a big guy, like Tarver, maybe a little bigger. And he had more time than five years that I had, and I had to see him. That's where my integrity came from. And the next thing you know, I had all of this people, his flunkies, his cronies, they became my backing. Who is the crazy guy at 17 coming in there and do what he did, I want to be with him. Well that's where people are followers.
But then, I became not a negative force in prison, I box in prison they had a gym. I got (INAUDIBLE) back. They had boxing tournaments. We took on other penitentiaries. I got seniority in the gym, amongst the warden, amongst the prison guard. I became the James Scott (ph) of railways (ph) back in the '80s, and in this era, I won all of the middleweight championships in the Pennsylvania. I had lifers, guys that had serious crimes who wouldn't get in the ring with Bernard Hopkins. I gained respect. And I had the power to do negative things to people, that others did. I stopped people from getting raped. I stopped people from getting extorted. I stopped people from getting taken advantage. I mean he's a young guy. I mean leave that guy alone, man. No he owe me some money, he owe me some cigarettes. Come on now, that's part of the game. You make up a lie, saying a guy owe you something to justify why nobody else is sending him to you because you don't know if he did or didn't, but I know your reputation right. We've been on the block for eight you've been on the block for eight years, I've been for three, leave him alone. All right, man, if it wasn't for you
I took that mentality and said to myself, and to everybody I speak to, jail didn't change Bernard Hopkins. I rehabilitated myself because I had all of the luxuries of not at home. My mom couldn't afford HBO. I had it then. She had six kids and single parent. I go to jail, I'm like wait a minute, they've got HBO. I can watch the fights, they've got ESPN. This thing is structured as a business. I'm not blaming the people that's making business of it, because I blame myself for being an idiot to put myself in a position to be a 401 (k) or blue chip. Now can you imagine if 80 or 60 percent of the inmates think the way I think, a lot of people would have to find jobs. Jail became a multi billion dollar business, $50,000 to hold an inmate, one inmate and every state around the country is over populated in full. Do the math. You think that everybody wants a Bernard Hopkins coming out of prison and not going back? You must be out of your mind. You think that everybody really want the redemption of a Bernard Hopkins that never go back? It costs $50,000 plus to keep an inmate housed, just one. Can you imagine? I don't know where you live, but they've got a penitentiary there, and I guarantee you they're full. Fifty-thousand a head, add that up, do the math.
KELLY SWANSON: OK. That's it. Are you finished Bernard.
BERNARD HOPKINS: Yes. I'm ready to go to the gym and beat somebody up now.
KELLY SWANSON: OK, I can tell. My god, this is great. Oh my god, he's ready to rumble. OK, I said two questions, but I'm going to finish it here because Bernard does have to go and train and he's been gracious enough to give us much time today. So everybody, thank you for calling in. Thank you for listening. If you didn't have a chance to ask a question, immediately after the fight, you know, Mr. Hopkins will be more than happy to talk to you. In addition to that, we will have a transcript of this call to send out to everybody. If you have any other questions, feel free to call my office 202-783-5500. We look forward to seeing everyone next week at the fight. Again, I think thank Bernard Hopkins, Nazim Richardson, John David Jackson, Mackey Shilstone and Richard Schaefer for participating in today's call. OK. Thank you very much everybody. Have a good night. Bye, Bernard, thank you.
OPERATOR: Thank you. This does conclude today's Bernard Hopkins conference call. You may now disconnect and have a great evening.
