JRE MMA Show #148 with Bernard Hopkins

Joe Rogan podcast check it out The Joe. Rogan Experience Train by day Joe Rogan. podcast by night all. day we're here what's up pleasure to. meet you man I've been a gigantic fan of. yours for a long time so it's a real. pleasure that's what I've been hearing. uh um Joe but you know I'm also become a. fan last couple of years before you came. to Austin um uh I go out La a lot uh to.

do boxing promoting in west coast East. Coast with the Golden Boy promotion I'm. partner Asad Del La Hoya so um good to. be met and good to meet you also what is. it like transitioning from being a. fighter to being a promoter cuz uh Oscar. yourself Floyd only a few Fighters have. have managed to do that successfully. like you have well first of all it's not. just walking into it uh I sort of got. groomed in my career um based on.

um I'll say the last eight nine years of. my 30-year career um I took on the. ownership and responsibility of making. the last decisions I hire people that. can give me the right information um not. a lot but just a few people that can. give me the right information about this. particular fight for instance Kelly. pavick in Atlantic City um Oscar De La. Hoya fight and ' 06 0607.

um and and I groom myself for this. moment to be able to be independent but. also learn the business and let me tell. you it is difficult it's difficult not. doing a job per se but it's difficult in. the business in the structure of of of. the business of boxing. um the small family in boxing whether. they here there in a promotional setting. or commissioner setting uh they would.

definitely try to discourage you by any. means necessary yeah I can imagine. especially yourself cuz you had had so. many issues with promoters over the. years and you were so vocal about it. unlike a lot of other Fighters yeah um I. mean because I was one a one forced to. do it uh to to to fight back and then. second uh I looked at it as um I really. didn't have a choice even though I could. have laid down.

but or got down uh to to their uh. demands but I understood one. thing uh my instincts of survival but. also not just. being um in the game I wanted different. for myself and I had one bad experience. well I had a couple of bad experience. but I had one the first bad experience I. had early in my career um and I W up. getting out of that deal um with butcher. leis and I can mention names not because.

he's deceased but I can mention it. because I want up being actually sued. based on keeping me in check but I fired. back and I W up you know uh counter. punching and got out of that situation. and spoke boldly about it and moved on. to try to wake others up not actually. preach but just bring it up about my. situation if anybody recognized and. experienced it any fighter or anybody. else they can grab some knowledge but.

but that was the start of it that was. the start of it my first professional. fight not first but my first. championship fight was Roy Jones Jr and. that fight was a parody fight it was a. split 1.4 split between me and Roy Jones. I have the contract I kept all the stuff. even to the day I can go back and. reflect and bring not only con uh. contact uh uh for what I'm speaking. about but I kept it because I paid for. it it's called litigation and so I said.

to myself how can it be a number 750 725. split parody uh the word. parody and I get 880,000 when it's all. said and done now remind you I'm fresh. out of the penitentiary 88 889 9090 I. rebooted my career after you know losing. my first. fight didn't box for 15 months so now we. in the what early 90s and I rebooted.

myself back into uh reaching a goal that. I eventually uh. reached but the business. part it it it it had me thinking in. between those those moments. of clamming the ladder of being a. contender that this is more than just. going in the ring and winning and not. winning this was something that I had to.

learn quick on a job learning there's a. lot of Shenanigans in. boxing um yes you you I mean you got a. sport Jo you got a sport that's. unregulated right whether that means. anything to people or not but there's no. checks and balances there the people. that setting the rules Break The Rules. I'm going say that again the people that. set the rules Break The. Rules I mean you know you you you where. where can you is that that thing.

I figured this is the. is make sure it's not a real problem. okay National test I just got my to this. is a national test all right let know. the bombs are Dr see I was thinking. maybe again that was somebody you know. through boxing they know it's ready to. come out they they th the business you. know these people man you know you got. to understand that it's possibility but. but the possibility of of of of getting. ousted black balled yeah and in in. boxing such a small.

circle of separate. entities that will come. together to out that enemy to out that. that that and so you you got understand. bull the Bullard is still on my back in. certain reasons because now even though. I'm in a different position of of of of. not only power but for my career what I. stood up for. um is not like the past.

so as a promoter. today and Oscar De La Hoya Golden Boy. promotion the day we signed the day we. became. Partners we don't become those who we. despise now that's deep that was 20. something years ago you can find that. anywhere out there in social media. that's there we suited up and booted. with contracts after signing.

and that was one of the. statements that I continue to bring up. 20 plus years later and be consistent. about it now that doesn't mean that. every fighter is going to agree to the. business side that you have to represent. as a. promoter but one thing for. sure if your. talent brings what you asking and your. representation whether they name. themselves which boxing does manager.

consultant uh advisor I. mean I just named three. entities that's sucking the blood out of. the ignorance of the lack of knowledge. of of especially young ones and the ones. that don't want to learn I'm not a. savior I'm not running and trying to. save. anyone but trying to understand my job. and my role before my lights go out is.

that I love the sweet. science but I also understand. that boxing gave me a way not to be. rotten in the penitentiary or in the. graveyard that's what boxing did for me. it gave me that opportunity that I that. I had to walk the walk eventually. absolutely that I had to make sure that. even though things can happen where you. come up short in the square circle that.

I don't give up and so having that. mentality and being consistent over the. years and still be able to talk in 2023. still know my name my Social Security. all the numbers that matters all the. things that attach to me is a blessing. I'm not bragging I'm. different let them argue let them on the. side whoever fans or no. fans one thing for sure most will agree. that that I'm Different whatever that.

difference is I take. it but I'm different and keeping the. course of being that as time move on. Fast approaching 59 January 15th 1965. I'm knocking on the door 60 you look. [ __ ] great well ducking help ducking. [Laughter]. helps come on man come on one thing for. sure if you duck more than you take yeah.

you can be able to express yourself as. time go on and you be able to be some. worthy to your family now you're gonna. be worthy if you're there but that's not. fun to me I want to be there like I am. now I got a 12y old son you know Bernard. right three generations with him right. so I I want to be there he's play. football right don't like boxing right. threw gloves at him I guess when he was. eight months he thrw him back so my my.

my whole thing is my whole thing is. like not save or not preach as I been. accused of a couple of times but it just. in me the spirit's in me the Muhammad. Ali Spirits is in me January 17 January. 15th I I know that I'm here for more. than a purpose that I I took that road I. came through that road some things in my. life that I felt that it was needed that. I had to do I had to be that cuz that. was that that mindset but once again not.

changing course on the. conversation once I understood my value. and boy you can appreciate this when I. understood my value in that Penitentiary. at 17 when I got certified at. 17 5 to. 15 subtract five out of 15 in state. prison that leades you to back time the. walk off called parole. they had a boxing gym there and all of.

the Pennsylvania prisons which was 30. plus had boxing in a Penitentiary that. was part of baseball flag. football handball on the. wall that. spark that flame came back from little. short amateur career I had that's how I. built my reputation up in my. neighborhood. I always fight fight fighting in the.

streets fighting in school how old were. you when you first boxed as an amateur. like when did you first walk 9 years old. my uncle took me to the gym my mother's. brother cuz my father had a brother that. box too and they always was my weight. while I was all their weight when I. started. middleweight my uncle's on both sides of. the tree mother and father uh boxed at. middleweight in the 60s 7s early' 70s so. it's I'm like DNA right can't help. myself is who I who I am and who I.

became but I got back to it when I went. to the penitentiary so when you were an. amateur did did you were you taking it. seriously or were you were no I wasn't. taking it seriously you weren't fully. committed I was eating everything. everybody else was eating at that age in. in the neighborhood and what was there I. mean I remember fighting and getting a. trophy about this big it's always the. same stance right plastic trophy but you. know to me that was like a gold medal. you know they got trophy shown in. everybody in your neighborhood and the.

elementary school I was. at and then you know they take you to uh. you know I want to get no free. commercials but they take you to this. this you know this still around you know. to get a hamburger and french fries and. you probably know you know to take you. there we happy that was it right uh. amateur program but it was like the pal. right I I don't know if they have it. here in Texas the P called the police. athletic lead it's big over there in. East Coast so the pal lead was uh. structure to get.

young black urban men that's on the. corner or young boys right to go to Pal. anybody can go there but m mostly was in. our neighborhood they would you know. come to the gym and you know you can. sign up for amateur boxing you can be. Olympic gold medal you can do this and. do that but I I had you know family. members I was in my DNA once I was taken. to the gym by Arty. McLoud we call him Ry was author McLoud.

called him moose my mother's brother. middleweight badass look him up Ry. McLoud uh the streets um took his career. obviously based on what. Lifestyle the Streets of Philadelphia. the blue cge Town work uh Philadelphia. can make you or break you when it comes. to um making it out of there right not. only Sports any Entertainer any success. that you might have on your back in the.

in the community again pH there love. there. but a lot of us don't make it out even. though the talent was better than. mine just strong strong right the Trap. of the streets the the the the Trap of. the the streets but the also um what. you're used to doing and what you're. used to thinking listen until I traveled. through boxing tell you how much boxing. did for me.

to travel around the world multiple. times meet multiple people from every. class of life that I that I I believe. you know I'm pretty sure it's people I. haven't. met but from here to there to to. to uh status or power or influence. influencers I said. man the world ain't just nor Philly. the war the world is not just Raymond.

Rosen. projects so I start understanding now. like even sitting there watching at that. time how the fork in the spoon and a. butter knife is on one side of the. table and I'm looking at F this guy's. taking an act and pting on the floor I. think he's putting on his his lap I mean. this might sounds ignor ignorant but you. got to understand from that mindset of.

what I'm saying not understand my. experience because some. haven't but I start paying. attention that was the key just like in. the boxing business I start paying. attention and then once I. got to the point where I had a voice. means I had to do something in. boxing nobody cares if you consider. nobody. uh 10 and one cuz I lost my first fight.

Atlantic City to Clinton. Mitchell I was out for nine months out. of penitentiary I want to get right back. in the ring before I grab a kilo of. cocaine like everybody was selling in. the 80s and. 90s that was the plan I had a choice to. do one or the. other right eight everybody listen. anybody on the west coast and East Coast. know the 80 and the 90. era right the 80 and 90 era in urban.

city. was get down or lay down are you in or. you out that's all across the. board and and growing up being the guy. named. heads yeah my nickname that was heads. straight heads. yeah when you see me coming I had the. same energy I had the same discipline.

and it's going to sound weird the same. discipline that people might think they. know me over the years fans non fans and. people that do know me is the same. discipline I had in a negative. way that's that really again not trying. to paint my the the work is there I'm. pretty sure if they're go to The. Archives of any Police District or. whatever or or archives in City Hall. down in Philadelphia they can or. Harrisburg don't never go away they.

might they think they might have to. bring them up one day but I won't let it. happen not on my watch. so I took all. that. experience and it seemed like a long. time. ago but it feel like to me I lived three. different. times on this Earth and I ain't even. bring up the two stabbings that I wear. the scar today from the the back and one.

underneath my left uh uh. chest so there's a lot of times never. been. shot that. I could have done something be the lamb. or be the wolf and I recognize to be the. wolf is much better than being a. lamb that the person I took stuff. from that I went up and looked through. on why they looking at.

me could have had a gun and blew my. brains. out which I've lost the brother and a. year under me. Michael I'm 58 he been. 57 his birthday was January 29th 1966 M. January 15th 1965 got a older sister. she's only a year older February 14th. 1964 my mother been in labor for 3 years. in a row wow with six.

kids when it's all said and done my. mother raised six kids but I was raised. I was like raising three maybe four if. you ask her if she was here got rest of. soul but she got a. chance and I'm thank you for letting me. ramble on she got a chance to see in. person my talents that she always knew I. had since I was a.

angry bad boy in elementary school. because she been up there A lot of times. teachers meetings she got a chance to. see me beat philx Trinidad 911 in New. York City just had anniversary months. ago well last. month she got a chance to. fly in the air for the first. time whether it's commercial or jet both. she got a chance to visit.

places that she didn't have any dream of. doing I gave that. tour and she passed in 50 believe 59 58. I lost might be off a year but my mother. passed before 60 she was young here I. feel. great knocking on 59 she was already. gone but. every.

time I've done something and she know I. did. it never even asked me she showed. up whether it's a visit whether it's $10. on the. books she never gave up on me she never. turned her back even though she always. threatened me with the. this is the last.

time now she might have waited two or. three days but eventually she. came and did all she can whether it's. taking a second or third mortgage out on. the house to bail me out with a three or. $400 or $1,000 bill. bondsman come on. y'. like until it's. over when I mean by that. is the breath in your.

body then it's never really over now you. let somebody tell you it's over if you. let them plan. your. funo based on what you can and cannot do. I'm sitting here in front of Joe Rogan. how many people told you is. nuts question to do it came yeah as a. question what came to fruition in your.

life I'm pretty sure you had a lot of. smart so-called and some of them. were they didn't see what I seen they. didn't see what you seen question on. both sides I know I'm a testimony to. it and I'm pretty sure because I've done. some research I'll always like to know. who I'm talking to once I got some. knowledge of who I am and who I need to. be uh affiliated with business or n. business it just give me an upper hand.

to know uh what I'm facing and what I'm. not facing I'm always in a fight mode. but I don't have to fight it's. here and then it's the. physical the auto War. sunzo uh I challenge everybody to get. one of those uh teaching books and go. through it every now and then The Art of. War. has always.

been a guideline for me when I say. always most of my Adult. Career I say from. 23 to. now I started pro at. 25 when I told you how people try to. write your own destiny where you going. to the Grave or to success because you. said it I get in the middle finger I. gave him the middle finger not. physically I give him the middle finger. in action In Deed. which holds a lot more.

weight it does hold a lot more weight. and I wanted to let them know that so. when you you got to prison at 17 yes. Certification did you get serious about. boxing then did you was that like your. outlet no the first year I ran around. the the jail when I mean run around the. jail I was basically an inmate W. 4145 I basically I knew people I didn't. know certain people and you literally. you you you you you team up with the.

people you know in your neighborhood uh. that's important that's important to. have what. backup right you must have that. right the agents was. there the Caucasians was there the. Muslims was there the Christians was. there everybody had sets so you need. that now once you get. there somebody knows. you and somebody would know why you're.

there and what you're there. for now you could say you there for one. thing but the same people that checks. you in basically with the guard watching. over them know your whole. case they basically do the. work that inmates n out of 10 lifers. who's been there and they moved up in. the ranks because of they clean record. in the institution and they'll look at. oh he say you got a robbery but he got a.

rape he's saying he got a homicide but. he got a auto. theft so The. credibility crazy as might sound The. credibility of what you there. for lays not all said and done but it. lays a. foundation how they approach. you and and and and yo listen even in. the county before you get State.

time you got to be in the county you go. back and forth to court and over 12. months it's considered State. time one and a half to five State time. that's that half that got you to. State it's a different ball game at gr. Four State. Penitentiary maximum. security it's a ball game knowing.

somebody whether they know your uncles. or my dad Bernard senior or anybody else. in the neighborhood I know your father. that I remember used to figh in the. projects okay do you really like like is. this scholar really legit you got to. find that out whenever you ain't gonna. find out there you got to find out. later these are the and it could be. legit but these these are the things. that I've.

learned and and and most of them the. stuff that I. know that in time it will help me once I. got out and once I've reached certain. level in. life that I need to know certain things. and I got to schooling in that situation. Penitentiary because to me I'm in a. Penitentiary Society just don't have a. wall. I don't have a wall.

here and my when I'm pointing here I. mean mentally and I don't have a wall. physically where I can see it but I know. for a. fact that being in this. position that I've been in for 28 years. this rounded off three decades based on. the sweet science in the. ring when I started and when I. retired six seven years ago. as I witness and as I.

experience that first half of that first. part of life I just said I feel like I. lived three two or three lives is. helping me. now because when you're in a position. where. people think they can go on the internet. and think they can find out how much. you're worth which you're not worth and. your CPA. you're certifying accountant know who.

you worth know who you are that's your. DNA when it comes to. business especially if you got a a good. one the right. one so you get approached with all kinds. of. agendas and also you get the. ones sometimes you get the spirit that. come in people that comes thinking that. you. know no matter how you sound and all. that I'm not trying to sound smart how. you sound smart what that mean certain.

words you say tell me the definition of. It Boxing always will have a stigma and. I hate to say it but it's. true 90% of. it we trust as fighter too many people. that. say that they are who they. are and we give them a pass that they. are what they say they are.

because of that. experience that I just broke down to you. just. now it prepared me without having any. knowledge it will until I recognized it. being awareness having. awareness if I didn't have that. experience that I just spoke. about 20 plus minutes I would have be. swallowed up like most of.

them I hear the Tyson stories even when. he was on the show been around him foot. on undercard many times in Vegas at the. MGM no manderlay Bay MGM would even. there when I fought under. undercard and I hear and a lot of other. names and I say to. myself they say game recognize game how. you going to how you going to con an.

ex-convict don't you know I had to talk. to get off the block I am not going to. where I say I'm going I just want to get. off the block now if I get off the block. based on that guard letting me off. because I say I'm going somewhere that. I'm not really. going you build up a skill setting on. how to deal with people that you need to. deal with the danger come in is when you. do it to. everybody the benefits of it when. you in front of somebody that you know.

is full of [ __ ] that you know it's. looking right at you lying and you. saying to. yourself how long this conversation. going to. take to be. over but being in a position that I've. put myself through nobody gave me. anything I have to have patience even. though I don't have to to or I don't. want to at that.

moment. because Society of which you done it. becomes such great entertainment and. historic you get the stamp that you are. a celebrity and you bigger than. God I'm a. Believer I don't shy I don't push it on. nobody I don't bring it up. just to bring it up in the conversation.

to say would I agree to disagree so I. believe in checks and. balances I believe in all these. things that deal. with my situation to balance out things. that need to be. balanced that keeps me on point to know. who I. am a lot of things I won't forget and a. lot of things I will on.

purpose on purpose so I I realize one. thing y I realized. this all I do. now is been written or going to be. written down as I. go but when it's. over that story no longer be written by. me. it be written by somebody else I don't.

want. that no you know what I. want why I have this. time to write it myself and have the. awareness to keep me not just in check. but mindful that every step I make every. accomplishment every failure every. obstacle every challenge. whatever it.

is I'm must stand 10 toes down on it at. all. times that shows again the consistency. of Bernard Hopkins. Jr because anybody that understands and. know or follow or know anything about me. because most people don't have the. patience to do. research they want somebody to tell them. who Joe Rogan is they want somebody to.

tell them most people who Bernard. Hopkins is I learn not to be in that. world of. thinking I learned to do my due. diligence before I stepped up to my. opponent or adversary or any other. person that breathe the same air of life. that I breathe so did you learn this. focus and determination and discipline. did you learn this because of prison. because you wanted to make sure this.

never happened to you again. absolutely so that that experience when. you were 17 being locked up that was in. even though it was a horrible situation. pivotal to you what do you mean horrible. situation being in prison no it wasn't. it wasn't horrible no how so because. most of my friends I said was there. second I wanted to get out obviously. when I got caught you know when you get. caught by the police or you get locked. up obviously you trying to do everything.

to get out whether you give a Ellas name. whether you try to I didn't do. it but when I got. there and I seen that it wasn't like. it's promoted on TV per. se case in. point I had more friends there than I. had in the neighborhood that's locked. up of course they glad to see you. because you're locked up with them right. the mindset Joe when you're there you're.

not you know you're not thinking damn. you're thinking every you got people. that's for good reasons looking out for. you which means I got this you need this. you got this you got a stinger you make. you can heat some hot water up and eat. some soup whatever you learn to survive. in that. situation because I don't believe and I. said this in multiple. interviews multiple interviews I did a. lot of EXP ressing myself over the 28. years of boxing trust me it's not hard.

to find my. voice I un well I got to. understand that without that. experience I wouldn't be here having. this conversation with you or anyone. else before. you let alone Hall of. Fame L alone today the oldest athlete. yeah got bred a couple years they win a.

major world. title surpassing George. Foreman yeah you were World Class into. your 50s there's only a couple guys I. was defending my title with 25 30y olds. in my 40s yep well I remember when they. wrote you off before the Kelly pavick. fight I wrote a Blog on my website about. that fight cuz I was so blown away cuz I. remember leading into that fight. everybody wrote you off first of all in.

the Felix Trinidad fight they thought. you were too old then 35 correct they. thought you were over the hill Felix. trained as as young incredible fighter. there's so much emotions of va when you. went to Puerto Rico and threw the flag. on the ground everybody's chasing you I. mean you sold the [ __ ] out of that fight. it was wild it sell I know but it did. happened it did yeah it did but it's so. like crazy and they were riding you off. and you put on a master class I remember.

that fight I remember that fight like it. was yesterday just had the anniversary. last month. woo CU I was always a big fan and I was. a big fan also of the fact that you were. standing up to the promoters because I. remember the people like the HBO boxing. people they didn't like it they didn't. like when you talked about all that. stuff they thought you were wasting. their time but you had an important. message and so people were kind of. looking to write you off so by the time. you fought Felix Trinidad it was one of. those Crossroads fights where many. people thought Felix Trinidad is going.

to become an all-time great Bernard. Hopkins is 35 you know this would be a. good win for Felix Trad and you just. [ __ ] boxed masterfully it was a. beautiful fight it was a it was a. beautiful fight because it showed all. the things I love about your style first. of all the intelligence the defensive. responsibility you never put yourself in. bad positions never your defense was. always tight as Fort Knox and you start. picking them apart and I was and I. remember watching going oh.

[ __ ] oh [ __ ] it was just one of those. fights where it was just so exciting it. was so because you know even though I. was a fan of yours and I was a fan of. Felix Trinidad as well it was watching. it happen and wa you when you watching. something special right and that's the. thing that Athletics does for us and. particularly fighting because it's so. raw what it does to us is it shows us. the potential that human beings have. beyond what we expect you did that with. Felix train dad and you were you were in.

your 40s when you fought Kelly right yes. how old were you I've done that multiple. times in my career Kelly P i' say 44 45. which is another one I wrote that's when. I wrote a Blog about it like do you. understand how crazy they predict that I. get knocked out on this one this one and. I'm saying that was after the Jermaine. Taylor fight right yes so people thought. oh my God this kid I'm glad you said. that stop right there yes the two. Germaine Tel fights right now I accept. my. losses but those two not losing sleep in.

2023 over. it but I met him regret the LIE what I. mean by that. is that Jermaine tella. Heist lud de bella used to work for HBO. started lud de bella entertainment so he. had Jermaine teller under the. entertainment of L de bella so they. wanted to use Jermaine teller to get me. out of boxing because. of I I generate a lot of.

enemies they've been my biggest. supporters being my enemies to not go to. fall asleep at the whe or to. underestimate uh anybody that comes in. front of me whether they worthy or not. number one Contender number one two. Contender that's another politics story. that sometimes they put people there. just because of they can put people. there Jermaine T fight. Split Decision win to Jermaine teller.

the second fight which I believe was. just as close as the first fight so. Jermaine teller went 24. rounds with Bernard Hopkins. correct lost his mind haven't been right. since they feed him they the the powers. to be want the fans to believe the lie. which it was a lot of rumbling about who.

won that first fight a split decision. the champion doesn't get the split. decision and not a favor Bernard beain. teller but three four days in boxing it. goes away who. cares we fight the second fight because. as a champion I could put in the. contract hey Spence and Crawford. Crawford wants to exercise that that. that that you know that Clause.

correct so we got that second fight uh. decision loss they think it's going to. make a little better not a split. decision a decision okay they wanted me. to pack up and. run basically get the [ __ ] out of here. we got. you they fed him to Kelly pavick because. they wanted the fans they wanted you at. that time but you're a little smarter. not patrion in being keeping keeping a.

100 they put Kelly pavic in there with. Jermain teller and Kelly pavick did what. knocks him out after avoiding to knock. out himself correct yeah real close to. going. out yeah so now they said. hey we want to they want to clean up the. mess been around this game 30 side Joe. trust me on this one they want to clean.

up the mess they still. getting they're getting hammered with. the fight with me and Germaine now they. P him there with Kelly thought he was. going to walk him over Kelly stops. him we're going to now try to make. things up on it back in now we got to. still make that thing up with Bernard. Hopkins because Tom is not going to Buri. it because Bernard got a big mouth and. Bernard's going to keep Bernard's going. to keep talking so let's Pi Kelly pavin. hold up let's Pi Kelly pav in there with.

him in Atlantic City. Joe he's going to get Bernard this is. the first time Larry Merchant who I had. a lot of fun beating him up on on on the. mic hey this is the first time we might. to see Bernard gets he gonna get knocked. out this fight because they wanted you. to think that the Germain tele fight. remember I said earlier they wanted you. to believe the lie they got to promote. the LIE yeah and hoping they look like a. genius when it happens.

yeah one of my best performance not just. in the ring but one of my best. performance or who I am how. um I wouldn't let them write my death. warrant or my exit warrant or who I am. and they see the thing is they know who. I am oh your enemy know who you are. that's why they threatened by that they. seen you come in Joe long time. ago.

but it's a time that that comes and goes. when they know they can't stop. you right. now at 2023 right now fast approaching. 2024 and I'm sitting up there having a. conversation articulating articulating. everything I said and know what I'm. saying dates and time they didn't expect. that they didn't expect that they expect. a voice recorder will me sitting up here.

like the movie Bernie dead but. alive I'm here bigger than just who I. became I'mma say that again yeah I'm. here this when it comes not overly. spiritual but this what I. believe I'm. here to prove through me can't speak for. anybody. else that that that historic.

chapter is is is the is the second layer. of foundation was to. come that they better be aware. of that they better be aware of because. now this this that statement brings me. to this conversation that need to be. that need to be said and this is the. best platform to spill it out on you. the boxing game the business of.

boxing has to be met with a. personality and a. discipline no matter what the wind is. blowing which way it is blowing that I'm. not going to give up and that's what the. threat is and that's what the fear is. and it's not feir me personally it's. fairing what I know and what I can do. and my consistency to bring the people. together. whether they the ones that really mean.

it the good. politicians the people that's in the. game of boxing some Commissioners not. all to understand that we need checks. and balances in this business to at. least to have. law there to as a structure to honor and. go by and if there's any violation like. anything else you get chastised for it. you got to pay you got to get punished.

in so many ways to do it so boxing like. any other sport in. America is the only sport that's not. regulated by any entity other than. itself. H you know Joel I used to always say to. myself back. then there are so many when they hear. this they going to be oh my. god there there's so.

many nonactive. nonactive active excuse me lawyers in. boxing there's a lot of lawyers or or. or can be. lawyers they have they went to law. school they got the law license but they. don't. practice but they have knowledge of what. they can do and what they can't do do. you understand what I'm saying yeah so. already. most of.

us are at a. disadvantage not at advantage to. know to dos and don'ts right so so yes. yes whether or not we're getting. [ __ ] and most of the time. 99.9% you're getting. [ __ ] when you were saying that the Roy. Jones Jr fight there was a 1.4 split and. you made seven 50 or whatever it was. after all that you you only brought home.

80 yeah how's that possible I had a I. had a contract again this was the. ignorance coming lack of knowledge I had. a contract with a management team that. sold me out with the promoter and the. promoter uh again Butch. Lewis got rest of. Soul uh he uh. somehow um convinced my managers at that. time Aris in boxing. uh that uh he uh can do better for them.

in the long term Fighters come and. go managers and advisor stay around. whatever name they put themselves. under and so I had a 6040 remember I. said ignorance early I had a. 6040 manager contract I have it to the. day framed in my office that's pretty. crazy. 6040 manager contract I kept that. contract I framed it. so these things because it shows how far.

I evolved what's a standard contract. what's a fair contract what you. negotiate what is what is like what like. what is a good professional cat and in. in boxing yeah like Jamal Charlo for the. can I'll I'll say a manager shouldn't. get no more no more than. 15% at that level of of of Charlo 10%. most of the time but no more than 15. because he might be doing other stuff. and he might got investments in you.

leading up to that moment right right. that you know leading up to that moment. he had you right out of Olympics or he. had you straight up fighting at a club. fight and you build yourself up to a. contender then you're a championship. yeah right so I would say no more than. 15% and and and a lot of feedback and a. lot of response going to be really on. that point that I just said when it. comes to number no more than 25 25 30. you got. advisors right now they call themselves.

advisers working at working as a. promoter which means that part of the. change of. boxing part of the fight that I know. that's going to be a. rumble going into the next Generations. and we in that Golden Boy promotion top. ranked Bob Aram been around 50 plus. years just as long as Don. King right time is very very short and. limited right not saying they going to. go out of business but the brand is.

there but the energy and the strength. it's a new game now so New World Order. Curtis Mayfield right I'm old school guy. Curtis Mayfield New World Order right. it's happening now in certain situations. and it's going to happen in boxing. everything is been flipped and turned. around the survive surviv and then the. dead. dies boxing. have no guidelines on what you can do.

how much you can. take other. than the commissions not all but most of. them is governing the rules that they. set and that's where the problem come. the. manager job is to manage and look out by. enemies necessary for for the fighter. the. promoter.

[Music]. promotes the. event get sponsors get the money get the. support and he and the manager go to the. table and they have a conversation about. what is there the minimum Canelo 30. million 25 million the other. night that was negotiated. by a.

consultant that's really a promoter. hiding in the. closet. boxing is a great sport the business red. light. district in any red light district that. I know of. is not a good place to. be if you gonna be preaching at church.

on Sunday well boxing has always been. controlled by crime figures mob crooked. lawyers but that was then now it's a. different. time and way to do. it those days with the envelope. underneath the table. no that Ben sto. the way it's being done now is based.

on. favoritism who they want in who they. want out when I come when it comes to. who. they can. exploit who they can make more money. with and who they can and cannot. influence how how deep does it go like. how he as far as like judges cuz there's. been some fights where like uh Timothy.

Bradley versus Manny Pacquiao where the. decision gets announced and everybody. just. goes what there's a few of those. decisions where people go what is the. line what's the betting line who's. financially tied to this who's the. promotion I a recent one lumo. Lum yo yeah like like. the the the answer to that.

question is who they want to win and. move to the next level cuz that's where. they can make the most money and that's. where they have the most control hello. yeah so this is something that you a. have to be a Harvard graduate to. understand right like this is like in. your face is like so what like I'm. taking it to the point that deep like. like I know y'all see H AR you know this. is sou the bo this is boxing.

no what do you mean this is boxing you. hear reporters that been around just as. long as the promoters right because they. can get a free meal at the press. conference or they can get somewhere. they they they got their little perks. right they get little free credential to. wearing around your neck and they silly. Soul yeah so so when you in that. environment that's so tight when it. comes to the community of it mhm. they could smell your. fart you like that right it's just crazy.

I mean is that is that is that serious. and I'm saying to to to you know my. small circle it's like yo you telling me. that this. judge along with the other two judges. right three ring sides three judges. right six. six ey. balls that's watching this.

fight nobody's drooling from the mouth. right nobody got a oxygen tank right. judging so we we assume that the. commission of that state Vegas here. there whatever La. whatever they assign these judges they. screen these judges did anybody do a. background check and see anybody. mortgagees l or they car car payments. are late right8 n months due like we.

need to. understand the qualifications of being a. judge because lives of. careers is at stake at that high. level where not only you taking. something from that particular. fighter but his family is wrapped up in. that too they don't look at that right. they don't care and so when it happens.

every now and then and not every 10 15. 20 years whether it makes it right or. not this is a consistency and. also from the previous. decades and moments in history boxing. still has that. question is boxing rigged before it goes. down is boxing.

controlled by the underworld or or or. the new underw world or the world of. influence or the world of power or the. world who they want to make more money. off of is about who they can make more. money off of and. look I'm not going to say understand. because if I say. understand then I feel that I am not. going to do nothing about it then I feel. I'm part of the problem because a a lot. of guys and a lot of people in boxing. business know when I'm talking is.

genuine and is straight up the. truth but they would never do what I'm. doing right now they just accept it well. or they just deal with it they don't. talk out again they keep their mouth. shut keep their mouth shut they they and. and not all but there's some have things. to. lose. payday. payday so. or positions of where they at or what.

they. do they don't want to lose whatever it. is big or small to you to. them is their God or next to it that's. how deep that is I witnessed it I'm. there on the front. row and I'm not having no nonsense and. the thing of not having that is is one. thing of saying it. Joe I don't need a job from them to pay.

my. bills I don't need them to do something. for me based on a. threat or based of of. of Silence. you. see that's the power I was talking about. early not the other power some could be. great some can be not great but the. power of do for self and a power of. being.

consistent and got there in spite of the. black balling to never giving up as you. witness with the Tito fight that was the. beginning of their demise who I became. today in. 2023 and he still can talk and. speak and he haven't forgot. nothing only if he chose. to that's when I say power yeah but. that's your discipline that's your drive.

and that's so extraordinary that you. were able to maintain that at you know. the Kelly pavic flight again you're 44. in that fight 44 45 yes that's crazy. compete at a world class level against. one of the top guys in the sport who's a. knockout artist at 44 45 and just put on. a clinic that that put on a clinic that. moment there was around the time I. became the alien when you bought for was. three decades you.

got alien listen I understood the time I. hung around and I had to recreate myself. I had to bring something to the press. conference Joe I know you want to ask. the question but I'm going let you. answered but I had to come up with. something why why Joe is because what. every reporter that been covering. me they got tired of covering me. eventually not based on what I've done. and didn't do I'm making history they. know it every time I fight they remind.

me every fight I win now he just did. this you just did that Ray Robinson. couldn't do it and you you did it the. Tara fight jumping up two weight classes. now the Char Brothers right you see what. he tried to make history went up to jump. 2A class and fight. Canelo I set record that's still there. to be chased that's a blessing for me to. sit back and have fun and and and and. and and have conversation but that but I.

understood. again every moment every historic moment. every time that I can stay in the. game not because I needed the money they. was paying me very well to. leave they was paying me very well to. leave because of what but I wanted to. make sure that I establish a historic.

record that it would take decades to. break them and that's what's happening. today or an attempt to happen and so. that to. me gave me more drive to say h I'mma. stay around one more I'mma chase this. dream I'mma chase that gold I'm going. make this history cuz Ray Robinson. didn't do it I'mma jump up two weight. classes and fight Tarver how how old. when you fought. tar 58 48 49 you know how crazy that is.

yeah in Atlantic. City again how are you able to do that. what what separates you physically from. all those Fighters that deteriorated. young in their career is it your defense. like is it just technique like what it. was a combination as a recipe it was all. above break them down to you I'm gonna. break them down to you okay it was two. of those that you mentioned discipline. of course um you.

know protecting yourself at all times in. that ring even though you still going to. get hit but you want to hit more than. you get hit obviously the wear and tear. lifestyle Joe the. lifestyle outside the. ring is impeccable you got to you got to. understand the lifestyle and the. discipline go back to de. block let's go back to d block let's go.

back to running that yard yard out yard. in let's go back and winning. championships in the grer for. Penitentiary before I came home I was a. championship in. prison you go to my Instagram I know. they're going to go now I put. up a sparring session with all the. inmates outside the ropes watching me. Spar in the same Penitentiary I got. paroled from. I have more video that I kept just for. my own safekeep not knowing it gold.

today what kept me in the business of. boxing. physically was not just my talent I'm. not downplaying it by no. means Roy Jones was talented. me Oscar de la Hoyer Trinidad was. talented than Bernard oh Bernard come on. now you had to no I I ain't talking I'm. talking about far all around skills but. one thing I did. have I had the room and ability to do.

what to reinvent myself to make sure. that I don't be one way all the time I. learned styles that Roy possess I. learned styles that that that Trinidad. possess I learned the Street. Philadelphia mentality of the history of. Philadelphia come and wham bam thank you. ma'am I learned all that stuff and. wrapped it up a recipe and now the main. course was. served I learned so many things through.

time and. experience up or down bad or good like. or dislike I learned all these things. and put them together in a proper space. and I said guess what if I'm in there. with a guy that's strong the first. couple of rounds I'm going to know it. without showing him I'm being Larry of. him and once I identify that takes about. two or three rounds why you think they. said he's a slow starter he's boring the.

first four or five fights Joe you watch. me you heard him say all the. commentators H they snoring around the. fourth round they snoring but. then I understand what I have to do turn. up the gas not only yep turn up the gas. but disarm them disarm them mentally. which control from my perspective. everything you do tomorrow everything. you do the next round everything you. think about doing if I put doubt in your. mind and come to the ring prepared.

physically to take you to that task of. whether you believe what you. say that's the. block and then you take that experience. which I've had not bragging and boasting. about it but it's my history it's part. of my story without that I'm not. here one of the enjoyable things I would. love doing before the fight start is. when a referee Bernard come out Jermaine.

tell any and then we in the middle of. the. ring and he giving you last rights. right last instructions of the rules he. gave you in the dressing room I call it. the last rights because you don't have. to be alive when you leave out of. there when that b ring your life could. be in that in. Jeopardy so I wanted to say last rights. so when they give us the last rights you.

heard the rules you heard this it's too. low this too high if you hit there and. I'm looking at my opponent like me and. you looking at each. other he looking at me I'm looking. through him I said it. earlier and whatever he see he won't. speak but he can't run. now and as his bottom lip shiver as we. stare at each other for at least two. seconds before he give us the. instruction to go to the corner and then. the bell ring first round is.

on it ain't how fast and how good I. start it's how I. finish that's how I beat my. opponents in and out of the. ring they Front. Runners they run in 880s and they like. oh I I got a great.

time I'm like. okay we're not done. though that's the. patient that is knowing who you are and. understanding that in doing that you. might have to taste some. defeat but you always hear the sound. bite especially in boxing they love to. use words because other people say it. dare to be.

great their actions don't speak the. words they come out of their mouth most. of the time and that's what separate the. dos and the don'ts the dare to be great. correct and to belief in yourself at 44. 45 years old to still be not just world. class but one of the best in the. world thank you that was was just it was. just extraordinary that you were able to. keep that level of skill I just want to.

talk to you about your lifestyle and. your training and what was it about your. preparation the way you lived that gave. you this incredibly long career my. mother and. father Bernard Senor and Shirley Hopkins. my mother they lived they lived they had. a. different uh way of of of of but that. that time the way they lived I I come up. I told you again you know a big family.

four sisters and the rest boys I'm the. second. oldest. and they both my mother and father was. dead before 60 not because of an. accident not because of some you know. violent crime or anything like that. lifestyle I grew up around a lot of. stuff I've seen a lot of stuff. I used to watch my father take syringes. and hide them up at the woodwork of the.

front of the door up top and I used to. climb up there with the chair and get it. and hand it to my mom and she said where. you get that from and I used to say it. and I stopped I realized I was starting. something I had to be about maybe six. maybe. seven and I realized I was starting. something so I no longer used. to see him put it up there or go up. there and get it and so I is the. lifestyle I seen a lot of lifestyle that.

I. knew and the history too of Philadelphia. any little success you get you think. you're world champion you know you're a. regional Champion you're a Pennsylvania. Champion a lot of guys actually wasn't. disciplined to take it to the next level. um they became stars in their own. neighborhood they became stars in their. own City I wanted to be bigger than that. and so and and and knowing it and saying. it it's one. thing but just as I as I speak now as.

that conviction that I've continue to. walk that walk and talk to talk uh that. drove me to be able to never give up and. never never waver from what I believe so. that there helped me stay away from the. things that is right in front of your. face in most of the time when when you. win they have After parties with Bernard. with champ he pop up upstairs he getting.

in a hot. tub I go right to my room I want a monk. but I go right to my room cuz 90% of. people that's at that party maybe half. of them was rooting against me and then. second they either smoking drinking. snorting or anything else I wasn't about. that life I wasn't about that when I was. Hood them in the. streets I was about having things that I.

felt that my parents didn't have enough. to give us that life that we just seen. right three blocks from where we. lived and sometimes especially in. California you can make two turns and. you in somewhere where you be like hold. up who hit the. lottery so I wanted that. life in a different way and got a chance. to now have it and. some through the.

travels and in the in the the time that. I've been on this. Earth. where those two life experience that I. look at three lives that I lived this. the third. one that any of those times could have. been. over that kept me disciplined in between. fights the years that I got gotta have. some credit gotta give credit to that.

thinking and that. experience of saying my mother and. father died before 60 because of. Lifestyle my father had shot out kid. liver shot his liver out at. 57 I feel the best you look great I know. I feel great I know I look. great and it was already. gone I reflect every now and then about. that when I see pictures by getting. certain things together about my life. story I'm looking and reading I'm. looking and grabbing things that I kept.

that's given to me by siblings we all. grown. now all my siblings except for my. brother cuz he got killed the year I. went to prison in. 84 my mother-in losts two sons speaking. of that Michael Derek Hopkins I told you. January 29th he'd have been 57. 1966 the year 84 I remember it was the.

beginning of 84 cuz the. Sixers last championship was in 1983 if. you're a basketball. fan 84 I was. booked 84 my brother got. killed sherley May Hopkins lost two sons. in 84. talking about.

trauma that was a key key. key push and. experience that I had to do something to. make her. proud to make her proud once I get out. still got years to do how many years did. you wind up doing five. five out to 15 subtract five out of 15. the way the Pennsylvania parole board.

works if you get. out on your minimum is five you can do. the 15 you get into a stabbing you get. writeups you do something in. there that can be a crime. too the five is the minimum the 15th is. the. max so I had to walk a straight line. amongst. chaos no. confusion everybody 90% of people there.

they know why they. there [ __ ] what they. say they know why they. there that. moment after that first. year of of establishing. myself filling out the.

environment of who you deal with who you. stay away from who the. snitch what guard what Co is good what. Co is. not most of the cosos live in the same. neighborhood you grew up at it was the. brother of your uncle friend. who never had a felony so he got fill. application he got a job now he's a CEO.

I know your dad okay. thanks hey see can I you know get an. extra commissary what. go so you're not really protected by. nobody because anybody can sell you out. or do a. favor but what I'm trying to understand. is just physically I understand that you. didn't party I understand that you're. very disciplined but how are you. physically able to compete at that level.

deep into your 40s because of again. lifestyle but everybody else falls apart. because everybody else is doing what. everybody else been. doing what were you doing different. physically physically I. was always even to the day I pay. attention to what I put in my body as. who I am not what I actually look like. and I understood that most. people that I seen in my time in.

boxing Florida's disciplined the same. way don't drink don't smoke and be. sitting right there in the club and. everybody doing everything else you. heard that before it's all over it's you. got those type people like that but. genetics plays a my grandmother lived in. 99 but then again do I really take all. the eggs and pin in that basket because. my father and mother died before 60. so I would say the lifestyle I would say. uh the mindset or the teachings or both.

uh hit not get hit um you know read. books a lot do something to exercise. your brain take care of your physical. body the. penitentiary the penitentiary taught me. more going there once I got there to. understand what I wanted to do I wasn't. just lifting weights in a weight yard. and be swo up around a bunch of men for. five years I went and understood that.

hey after a year went by they got a. boxing program I wanted to get off the. block to go to another block and the. Guard Co said where you going W 4145 hey. I'm I'm going to the gym but I'm trying. to go on a block to hang out before. count to go back on my block if I don't. do it if I don't get over it before. count I get it right up so I was forced. to go down the gym and seeing people. sparring and I said I want to be a part. of that and I got my. ass beaten.

lesson and I didn't like it and I never. been afraid to go in the gym. again 30 years. later I said I would never go in a ring. or any situation ill repaired or. unrepaired I always go in there prepared. that lesson that I said to.

you then and I say to you. now being in that institution having. that experience going in there in that. gym for the first time and say after a. year went. by and only by. accident that I went down that gym. because I was H it to another block as I. said earlier and then get down that gym. because boxing was in the penitentiaries. in that era we had boxing there attached. to the.

aaou which is the same thing they have. outside he to bring young fighters in. there to fight us the amateurs have. shows for the inmates you buy a ticket. at the commentary you go to the fights. that. Friday and inmates watch you root for. you I didn't like how I felt I wasn't. prepared they didn't beat me cuz I. wasn't. better I got beat.

because I didn't. run I got beat because of the. ego I got beat because as they say the. word hater that I go down there how he. you know you want get in there with him. yeah come on I used to box when I was in. the streets you know that's that's. that's the common talk I should do this. when I was in the street. okay but those same old-head trainers. that double life or one life sentence or. two life.

sentence they spoke about me on behind. the glory Brian Gumble look it up is out. there they spoke about me when I visit. that same prison in my early. professional career guess what doing. what sparring for my Atlantic City. pimary fights when I was building my. record to get to where I became a. champion I became the usba champion. which is a sister of the. ibf world championship.

belt I left that. institution anyone would have ran much. far as as far as they could they' have. ran so far from that place and never. want to see it. again but. after six 7 months of coming from a. first professional loss with Clinton. Mitchell in Atlantic City look it.

up I took off 89 and 90 the streets was. grabbing. me I still had seven and a half years. parole through the math nine. years I rebooted my first fight I. believe was in 91 90 and 91. but that crucial moment that year and a. half if you look up my record you'll see.

Clinton Mitchell 89. inactive 80 uh 89 inactive 90 inactive. 91 what was happening this 16. months I made a. decision meeting a old guy named buy. Fisher got rest his. soul he won a champ we won. championships he should be in the Hall. of Fame because of me I'm already in.

there I'm the only fighter he ever had. very few trainers go in Hall of Fame. with one Hall of Famer or fighter. fighter gets in but the trainer might. not and I'm not saying it's bad or good. I'm just saying that's how it. goes he made a and I made a a. bet you being it this is out there you. being in the gym. tomorrow and the next day and every day. that we in the gym I will be here he.

heard young Fighters come through he. guys come through before oh can you. train me I'mma be here. tomorrow they might come. tomorrow but they don't. come to be a. champion every day that the gym is. open and we had a bet without even. saying it bet he asked me to. come and he would be there if I come he.

said he'll be there and it was sort of. like and to the point we stopped even. thinking about it we just repeated it to. the reporters and everybody that talk to. us so that's how we met how long after. your first professional loss do you hook. up with Buie. Fisher 8. 91 91 92 so that's 16 months that's when. you hook up with him and how long do you. spend training with him before you have. your next professional fight all the way.

up to the trend of De fight. ah so during that 16 months off were you. just training were you just improving. yeah but the training was. fighting you have. mandatories so I had two fights maybe. three a year until you establish. yourself normally two a year once you. get at that level of of you. know. competition but yeah I stayed in the gym.

you heard this saying gym. rat I was a rat in that gym I stayed in. the gym and one thing us that I pass on. to the Golden Boy. Fighters. today because they came you know they. they come to me they asked me quit of. course why wouldn't they right right. history normally repeats.

itself watch old. fights the old fights they watching is. our. era I say not only that go to the next. era go as furthers back that you need to. go to understand that what you think. you're doing has been done already but. the beauty of going back and getting. that experience and added to the land of. time that you got the land you have land. you can build extension to your house. the land you have in your age and the.

time you now are developing take. Knowledge from the Cradle to the Grave. and take those recipes put them together. from the past and you add it to the. foundation that you already have which. is you your. style it will be hard to adjust to a guy. that to to adjust to beat a guy that has. more than one weapon and I don't mean. their. hands I'm talking about in their.

Arsenal and they arson it's hard to beat. a guy like that Joe Frasier great. fighter Hall of. Famer but never box like. Ali he came forward even. though it was to his disadvantage. you're in New York City at 12:00 noon. driving but you don't have reverse you. going you gonna get jammed up.

right you anywhere there you anywhere in. New York Times Square down there and you. came back up you G have a problem I. guarantee you take that concept into a. fight you know that you got to back up. or at least duck some of those but you. still conditioned to go forward because. you've been successful all the way up to. now I never wanted that element of. surprise so I learned how to box going. forward.

Sideways from Philly I know how to go. forward but now I show you the boxing. style and I'm G show you so I I gave my. opponent's. fits on trying to. find a strategy that I they actually G. to stick with myself that they can beat. me on and again it was successful very. few but some were successful. and some got to. help but I I have. no I am no Reserve.

apologizing and anything that happened. in my career or that I've done and I say. that at that moment even though you. didn't ask but you bought it up the Tito. Trinidad I've been in San Juan maybe two. or three. times do I know for sure when I went. there and ate food that somebody spit in. the kit. in my food I don't know that but I I can. tell you the. love that I got the response that I got.

and it's not the same generation but. it's always a old. G hanging around cigars Panama Hat come. right out here Bard B. this y here I'm in San Juan and I got. the generations all in between. surrounding me. saying you was a great Champion Sign.

gloves s autograph come. on you you really mean that papy you. mean mean you threw the flag down you. don't like Puerto Rico what are you. talking about we got a little sanine in. Philadelphia every city got a little San. juine I said but at that. moment I wasn't getting. respected it's a Don King. promotion I had to. sleep.

business-wise to get the opportunity. with Don for two fights so I had a two. fight. deal the. tournament and I'm the oldest one in the. tournament I'm the grandfather in the. tournament that should be in a nursing. home based on. there well based on most fighters of. your era when they got to that age. correct but I understand right how they. thinking but the difference is I'm.

different but I got to prove it yeah so. now the promotion starts we in New York. HBO I say hold. up yeah Tito. Trinidad has multiple followers he has a. multi-million dollar contract with TV. I'm the Renegade out of penitentiary. every time the commentators bring my. name up he did five years for this refi.

so so so I understand the Robin Hood and. understand the bad guy so you got the. good guy and the bad guy that's forell I. get. it but I ain't had to surrender to it I. knew what their agenda was now let me. show mine in New York City I said. listen this is the first four City Pres. conference I have 11 defenses I stopped. at 21 22.

defenses at 11 at this time I said look. I'm the Champion Tito's coming up the. weight to win my title Don. King presented me a deal with. my. advisor representative. for a two-fight. deal to be in this historic since. Marvelous Marvin Haggler unders spirited.

tournament for the sugaray Robinson. trophy you gonna pass that. up because this takes me to start. him so I signed. on press conference starts New. York you want me to play second Tito is. more known Tito just beat Oscar De La. Hoya by split decision controversi not. Split.

Decision I'm letting everyone know at. HBO Carrie Davis raw screen BG the suits. at HB at that time Mark. tafford I. said we going to Philadelphia from New. York then Miami and then San. Juan promotional.

tour I anticipate the. [ __ ] thinking I'm going to play. second because Tito has much fan based. than me and the Latin Market is huge. which okay I know that but still I'm not. surrendering he's still the. champion and I'm Bernard Hopkins. if y'all don't respect. me when we go to this next.

city because I threw the flag down in. New York. City there's a Park right next door. across the street from HBO buildings in. Manhattan can't mention the name right. now I can but I don't remember the name. but it's. there and we had the press conference. there the flag went down in New York. first. they quied it up real quick. because they didn't want it to spread.

like it already did but it was already. out through some reporters that was. there that was the first stop New York. City and they didn't respect. me and I said to them if we going to do. these next. cities and y'all don't worry about me y. you're. not being conscious of this flag going. down again. and respect that I have 11 defenses this. is my division Tito is coming up to my.

division to make. history you're going to respect me I'm. going to be. first and I'm gonna be last through this. tour that we're going to. do I'm not going to play second behind. they trying to win the middle battle. before it starts I'm not putting them up. there like that y'all can do it but you. ain't gonna do it in front of me it's. gonna be a problem now we can do this. press conference we can go to Philly and. we can go to Miami and we can go to S.

Juan I know just like it happened. yesterday I said but one thing for sure. I'm not going to apologize because. that's what they wanted me to do where I. come from you don't punch a man or take. his money and then you say sorry the. next day you don't do that you take it. and you stand on it and if you see him. again you take it again I said I'm not. going to apologize y'all can wait we can. go if y want to go if four my people. don't want to go because they got to. take care of their dog or they got to. appointment at the doctors that I a hear.

about until that happened let me know on. my side anybody need to go you know cut. man my Tren you know anybody if anybody. worri about going to the next three. cities then let me. know okay I wouldn't. apologize said okay they going crazy in. San Juan let me know before I get there. Bernard you know just we going have. security going to have okay you have you. had the the Puerto Rican police watching. a guy that's through the flag down in.

New York so we get to Philadelphia the. press conference was smooth we had a. peace treaty in New York that nobody. would nobody would talk about it we. we're not going to bring it up even if. the reporters bring it up cool okay Tito. on the same okay nobody everything went. fine Philly fine. we pull his ass we skated across through. ass Miami fine of course people ass.

it it's concentration on the fight it's. going to be good September 29th you know. 911 we all together r r r you know. against the The Whole World's been been. ched up it's the first big event in two. weeks after 9911 my experience was there. film. everything that's attached to my. legacy we get to. Miami hey had hit it but you know people. got big Latin Community down it got you. know kind of feisty I would.

say we get to S. Juan Roberto. Coliseum that year Satchel Page I heard. note about Roberto you know the baseball. player stadium is packed pet rally Tito. Trinidad their State Police Stone Face. everybody look this point go that way.

okay I know I'm an enemy's land I'm. playing chess not. Checkers and I know how to move my. pieces so I go down okay we got to go. that way we at the airport San Juan all. the the people that was was there. working was. they flag me no poy poy flag they give. me so we walking everybody going one way.

we get to the brto Coliseum. motor press conference starts uh seven. eight. minutes went right. in packed they get you know you can walk. right in fan. whatever so that was the intimidation PL. they was trying to do on me I understood. what I'm saying. way from. home I'm outnumbered. correct they got to call in certain.

names you know far as the show and HBO. got up there and spoke this is a. historic boom boom boom so we got. through that and it's time for the. fighters I got up. there said what I said did my. famous throat slashing deck heads coming. off then Tito got up.

there said a couple of words and banged. down when you do my. flag he broke the. treaty so now I went into my. ACT but. serious when you threw my flag in. Spanish it was. crazy they start throwing magazine. reporters they taking pictures they they. looking at so I seem like everybody the.

bleaches was. coming we ducking. books. magazines now it's starting to get. little pushy. pushy so Don King in the. middle. Trinidad got away from the podium. Don like today we take the fighters. hands hey big fight's going to. happen Don waving the flag before he.

done this hand raising which he didn't. get a chance to do rather before he. attempted to do it he's waving the flag. and this is on video he's grabing the. flag Tito broke he he broke the treaty. he a supposed to say nothing but he home. right I got a counter that. I gotta counter that I got to do. something so.

risky that it's going to I hope be world. news Don was fighting me not to get I. grabbed the flag from his hand we. tussled three four minute three seconds. excuse. me it literally for a second was quiet. when that flag hit that. ground it is right.

here Don telling me to back up I'm. pointing my finger at Tito I snatched. the flag out of Don say his eyes opened. up everything just went the fans from. the front was already coming down that's. why my guys joler was saying come on. let's go so they was taking me up to the. balcony where I had to jump down in. between the bleachers like I had to get. down to the Dugout.

basically to get free to get away cuz. they was coming up they was taking me up. because they was coming past the. reporters they was coming. from to get me going up we couldn't do. nothing but go up and the only way to. get down was to jump. down like The Dugout that you go through. and this is after you threw the flag. down of course the flag went down when. the flag went down they was just poni.

they were just. coming and and my somebody hitting me. there whoever the guy. was nazim Richardson is behind me with. the kfy share all my guys two of my guys. the rest of the people just hit me on my. back. um and throwing things at me so they. just is trying to now actually get away. from the crowd that's coming up where. I'm going I don't know I jumped down at. that the opening and that's.

when the sheriff of the police said look. that way he wasn't help so we found a a. a. room locked ourself in the room holding. the door now we trying to lock the door. but they the door is like a hard move. they they pushing the door we holding. the door we got to hold this door like. this anybody that remember that. moment after they hear this.

podcast it rain look we all know how the. tropical storms come when you over there. in the islands it rains so. hard around the time that we needed to. get out of there and get straight to the. airport which they took us motorcade. cops on both sides with fans and cars. riding on the side and behind us was. like 95 on the East Coast it was like I. 10 Crossing West Coast to the east Co.

they was on our ass going to the. airport that. moment that. moment that I got on that. airport got to the airport and got on. that. plane that moment in the weeks to come. before September 29. 9th. 2001 Tito had to train from my.

perspective and I said this leading up. to the fight when I had interviews and. mention it because the flag was bought. up of course in the riot that I C and. instigated Tito had to hit that bag with. that thought of hitting me he had to. train and run he had to be reminded. because he always stayed in s Juan in. train he rarely went to Camp if he ever. went to Camp to train he stayed in San.

Juan he's day hero even to the day and. Tito had to hear. something from whether his siblings. cousins uncles next door NE whoever. wherever he was at for training camp in. San Juan someone was reminding. him the name that they was calling. calling me is. Diablo they was calling me all kinds of. stuff and I wore it like a badge of.

honor because I. wanted to send a message and I wanted. him to go through those four five weeks. left because of. 911 they rebooted to the. 29th I wanted him to. think about me every time he preparing. for that fight because someone's going. to remind him even if it's a guy that. he's. getting groceries.

from and I wanted him to think. about what I do what I did and what he. has to do so now taking that strategy of. Art of. War because I want to fight a guy that's. mad at me not a guy that trained and. plan and got a a skill set of how to. beat me give me that angry man every. day I love the angry.

guy because he's going off emotions and. I'm going off for intellect right and. boxing yeah business the same. way if you can get him. mad you can get him. done the intellect the. strategy you trying to hit me in and. knock me out every time the risk is. always if I get hit I'm. done but I take that cuz I Bank on what.

defense makes a good. offense a defense make a good offense a. good defense is a good offense because. of what you have to earn everything you. get when you hit Bernard Hopkins the. Executioner the alien be hop three. brands in three decades. three brands in three decades I can tell. you a story about all these Brands I. told you about the Executioner I tell.

you the alien kept asking questions. reporters every time I was fighting past. 40s why are you doing this we know you. got your first dollar we know you live. right we know you doing this you they. was they got tired of seeing me not me. winning they got tired of me hanging. around and they start asking questions I. said because I'm a [ __ ]. alien and I I instructed my guy got. share I said Sharie go get some hallowen. it's it's almost it's like the beginning.

of September they get some green mat we. I'm telling you I'm warning something. y'all get some green they say was. looking like I was crazy I want to do. this [ __ ] gu is crazy what's crazy is. your whole career you'd come in with The. Executioner's mask on the Executioner. got. retired now that was done listen look at. the mask the mask. Came Upon the mass the alien was born. because of continue to be asked.

questions and boxing it's the only sport. we see football I mean when look. everybody the bra Brady Brady and Brady. did a hell of a job still he listen I. know how hard it is to compete and. continue to do it but it wasn't that as. hard as for me because I knew what I. needed to do and I knew my body wasn't. the age that my birth certificate says. my lifestyle was my. age O My Lifestyle was my age not that. birth certificate and if you think.

that's just talking then look at me look. at me now yeah I'm four pounds over my. fighting weight and T that is water you. got to give me two for just being. waterweight yeah how do you not fight. over six years and you four pounds over. 175 your last. fight that's insane I'm a [ __ ] alien. I'm an. alien what how did you learn to eat.

correctly what what did you like what. was your diet like I didn't have a diet. I don't believe in diet the my the diet. is commercialism I believe in lifestyle. I believe in lifestyle Eat to Live not. to die it's in the. teachings but but I. represent it's in the teachings Eat to. Live not to die you are what you. eat if you eat like a pig then to me. that's who you are do you have that.

right to do that absolutely but if you. come to me and you ask me for. advice which I get all the time from. people I know and some people I don't. know you expected people I know should. know that my consistency and it's just. who I am I'm not a late nighter I push. myself to get rest early when I'm doing. fights in different time zone as I leave. here I'm headed to.

Vegas to do what a fight under Golden. Boy. promotion so I know how to take that. same to relate on the questions that you. just asked me I know how to take those. moments of. rest I know how to take those moments of. being. active I know to take those moments on. how to take care of myself like I'm. fighting but I'm not anymore physically. this is a different type.

of resume for me to. do so I have to go ahead and do what. keep my mind straight answers and. question well questions is coming from. everybody is looking how you answer it. to see if they can fill something in. that gave them. information you. know I look at some of the politicians. and I say sometimes they ask a questions.

just to give you a lot but nothing. mhm right. yeah in. boxing they a. small. percentage that legitimately. legitimately ask you a question because. they don't. know and then most of the time you got. to at least be under the. impression that they trying to connect.

something that they already. know for instance hey Bernard what do. you think about uh Ryan Garcia suing. Golden. Boy Oh Bernard what do you think about. uh. uh Oscar is not. uh telling truth about. something my head is always on the. swivel on the.

Block but having your head on the swivel. in this perspective is not looking. because they see me looking you know who. they are when you're not when they know. you're not looking or they think you're. not looking put it that. way that's who they really. are not when they in your face most of. the time not when they in your presence. but when they know know that you or they. think that you're not paying attention. that's who they really are I'm watching. them not even looking at. them de block I know what's on my right.

right here in this studio I know what's. on my left obviously I came in and I. scanned it but right now I know what's. to the right and the left but I don't. know what's in back of. me so I. constantly. constantly put. those message out there when it's. needed because they no longer can say. I'm the paranoid when they should say I.

was boxing to try to justify that I'm. speaking the truth but if they can. convince most who listen what they fed. and move out on what they fed whether. it's newspaper TV I don't even watch TV. no. more I'd be living in another country if. I did. then the advantage is to them not to you. but once you start doing something that.

boxing business people don't. like why you think you seeing those. Fighters having nervous breakdowns in. the ring crying heavyweight. Contender having breakdowns on the side. of the. Ring because there. today people that talks about Don King. and he all what I know he. is I got testimony to that you ain't got.

to convince me but he ain't the. only D King out there of. personality and track. record that some might think. that there's only one mind and one. entity that did an extraordinary job. whether you like it or. not they came from just think about D.

King's. history here's a. guy few hours from New York I mean of. Philadelphia excuse me. Cleveland take the. system the. law and broke some. and had that long 50 40 40 plus. something.

years to do with the rules that was set. way before. him and use. it the way he's done for so many years. oh Bernard you sound like you Patron nah. I'm just is telling you he done. something that's normally not done for a.

period of. time from a culture that looks like me. that's my. point that's. extraordinary normally it's the. mob from Vegas all the way to Boston. Philadelphia and every city in the state. I mean state in in the United. States to.

take those openings and. opportunities to have a long extended. Decades of of of of a run like. that. now I know he wasn't his own 100%. boss but you get to the point where you. have a run like him so.

long you get to pay your way out of. paying somebody the first to start. off I'm pretty sure the Muhammad Ali. Sunny. listing I'm pretty. sure the 80s early 80s the. 70s I'm pretty. sure they had the guys of the suit and. tire sitting there I still think that.

Sunny Liston could have got up from the. right hand from Muhammad Ali yeah it. seemed like he was. acting that's Leon Maine right correct. yeah that seemed like the fix was. in and you talk about. the the fight with laneno you talking. about. The Haney fight. that I'm pretty sure you see the same. way I see yeah who won that.

fight and other fights maybe one or two. more that was kind of bizarre right yeah. in the last few months. yeah and we briefly talked about it and. we got on something else which how me. and your mind I think works been here. for couple of hours now got to. understand. how this thing uh uh is is is working. out in the conversation. of. corruption.

period period that need to be brought to. the first the Forefront it need to be. need to have a. light flash on the. roaches and then they'll try to scatter. and you just got. to crush them before they get to their. destination of. retreat yeah this is a long about. conversation that we got into corruption.

but what I wanted to bring it back to. was like your you were saying it was. your lifestyle you're saying it was it. was your discipline but it was you put. in your body what you needed to survive. and thrive to live you didn't you didn't. [ __ ] around you didn't drink you didn't. smoke you didn't party you always got. your sleep don't eat bad food yeah don't. mess with sugar I read everything I read. everything you read books on nutrition I. read books everything I read the back of. the label of the stuff that I I was.

purchasing um I I take my multis um I. never got into I don't even like needles. um B alone let alone shots B12 I take. B12 I used to get the B12 shots for. energy to to to to to you're losing. weight mhm whether it's water weight or. not I got 2 and a half 3% body fat right. right probably up to a three now right. so the sponge get to the point where it.

is what it is now you burnning muscle. now Bingo now you're losing nutrients. you were one of the first Fighters that. I ever heard that it was eating organic. yes and I was like oh to the day yeah as. an ex fighter said it again these things. make me feel good and these things. listen I know how hard I need to work. when I need to work I know when I need. to just blow some dust off my body a. little bit just to get a little warmed. up so every day I'm not going hard to.

the day I'm not going hard I don't hit. the bag I hit the bag since I retired I. hav been in a boxing gym for. what my stuff is waste to keep the. muscle that we lose at a certain age. every two years year and a half you lose. certain percentage of muscle right I'm. just trying to keep that debt I want. look good in my. suits you understand what do you do now. for for work out well I do some running. twice a week I do a longdistance Run 3. and 1 half four miles depend on how you.

know my crew can hang in or how I feel. but three tops um I do a80s I do running. blow it out 880s I do I used to do that. with Macky SCH Stone from shout out to. Macky schone from New Orleans uh he. worked with a couple of great even the. tennis so Mackey taught me a lot he let. my guy video um eight weeks training in. New Orleans he worked with Holyfield. correct he worked with Bo rck Bo he.

worked with uh Roy Jones Jr went up to. heavyweight to fight John huiz he worked. with Dallas strawberry the Hall of Famer. baseball player and uh he was one of the. first guys to do like a lot of. unconventional train he worked with me. yes he worked with me to build me up. from 160 to 75 to the two- we classes we. talked about MH y so and and he still. he got to be in his mid mid 70s now and. great shape I believe he's still in New. Orleans we made history together and one.

thing he did I had a guy right don't. have now but his job was my in my Camp. was to film everything whether we having. a off day which we do on Sundays right. some Saturdays if I'm peing if my. training buo Fisher see me sparring he. said what we just did nine rounds he. ain't even breathing and he sharp on the. seventh eighth and Ninth. we got to take a break take two days. off so we have our Sparr Partners. fighting so I used to have a guy named.

lywood he was basically I like I camp. entertainment heavy guy like to eat just. that's so he carries the camera cam. quarter is. big and he filmed the off days the. sparring the the training that Mackey. gave me the permission to use every. think Mack he was building me up to be. quick as a middle just like a. middleweight don't lose none of that but. have the structure of a light.

heavyweight SL Cruiserweight which at. that time was 190 and it's. 200 Mackie Shone taught. me above and beyond from a science and. from his view to add on to mine and. today I pass pass that on uh to to Young. fighters who ask or show them the the. video bingo here it is right.

here different things he did did a lot. of unconventional stuff unconventional. stuff and you might look at and say what. this gu do a boxing you don't punch like. that in the ring but the explosiveness. that he was telling me moments of my. explosiveness like DN jumping off that. and jumping on that has a lot to do with. being in the ring when you're moving and. a lot to do when you like that counter. right there and that counter right hand. that count of my hand these are the. things that he used to be the X15 cuz. you know he he got that service. mentality and he's telling you about the.

that the you know the the bombs and and. and they coming they come how you have. to get in that manaly of of of been in. in war like the off days on a Sunday. Mack used to. come to Big Bear where I was standing at. Oscar's facility at the time um going to. boy was promoting the. fight and he'll come and he'll say. look I'mma fly out there we're going to.

go to the. base and we're goingon to we going to. get in some number I can't remember one. of them fire fighting planes he did the. same thing to Roy Jones Jr me and Roy. got in Hall of. Fame the same time two years ago so. he has the same experience we talked. about it Mackie taught me the you said. the unconditional way of of trainer.

coming in showing you building you up. maybe doing this doing that but he took. it to a a sort of like a mental you at. War you have to be certain ways at. certain time in the fight you might get. cut you might got to get in survival. mode but not sure that you're surviving. how do you fight. when you're. tired how do you fight when you're tired. do you fight to survive means you fight.

just to keep the guy off you because you. don't want him to hit you no more that's. fighting to survive or do you learn how. to survive and still kick. ass I learn to do that when you. see. inside I was brutal and side with my. opponents I'll beat him and hit him. every way they can imagine to break him.

down they call. it as the fighter would. say I I fouled him or he hit me here he. hit me there old school old school if. the referee is in the ring and we're. fighting we are fighting well it's. boxing no we are. fighting when you fight they set the.

rules you make the rules when you. fight and if the referee sleep at the. wheel and a referee don't see. that you. complaining about something that he. didn't see then that's on you cuz the. same thing I do to you you can do to me. so once you start telling the referee. that I did something to you I already. got your heart now you want. help she Joe we always going back then.

and we can what you eat what you don't. eat you look great what's your secret I. don't have a secret uh what your diet no. it's not a DI a lifestyle I'mma go back. to. this especially in sports any. sports this right here. is so important the mind I was so and. still wrapped up into the.

mental because this controls. everything this controls. this this body doesn't control. this they used to call weightlifting. guys airheaded. because they see this and and they. walking around but where's the strategy. book where's the. Playbook you don't have none you just. bring in a sought off.

shotgun to a. fight and I'm coming with multiple. opportunities to get you out of. here in. sports now if you hit me you hit me I. know that's the risk but I got a better. chance on getting you and I got more. opportunities how I get you that is. important to me so when you talk about. your overall biological age how much of. it do you think has to do not just with.

the lifestyle but with being defensively. responsible cuz you never you never. really took beatings in your career you. had good fights but there was no. beatings no you were always defensively. responsible yes because I want to be. able to have life after boxing and you. maintain that discipline while you're. fighting even in the heat of a battle I. maintain that. discipline to not. overreact and get excited even when. I'm the hunter or hun being hunted even.

if you look at that photo that video. that show just showed of you Landing. that right hand your chin is tucked yeah. you're always tucked yeah yeah and and. and that. habit I was taught. that how was I taught. that in. prison everybody wanted to see their. work they call it admiring your work you. up chin up and you you're looking all.

good even hitting the bag the way you. hit the bag is the way you gonna hit. your opponent your stance has a lot to. do whatever you do outside the ring you. going to do in the ring did you keep. something under your chin like a tennis. ball ah tennis ball. yeah not only do you keep it under your. chin when you hit in the back. the bag don't have arms you got to. visualize that bag got arms but try. doing it when you got a guy that can. fight at least 60 70% to give you some.

good work and you got to have that and. every time you drop it you got to do. extra. round I got some rounds in brother nazim. brother. nazim brother you seen in the yellow. shirt with the KY. correct give me one more Soldier give me. one more. round man all right cuz you know I ain't. going to say I ain't got it. right put the ball under my and and and.

and we rumbling now it didn't don't mean. the guy knocked the ball out it's. possible but you you let it go right and. I'm I'm punching and ducking and getting. hit but that ball better be there in the. bell ring. M oh that's so. hard how many you guys train like that I. don't I haven't I passed it. on I passed it on I mentioned it I.

passed it on to tennis ball we call it. the tennis. ball Ryan Garcia could use that. advice a lot of times he'll stand. straight up it's too late yeah too late. yeah I know young guys too late when why. is too late I. believe because. of the. arrogance.

of saying what you need to do knowing. what you need to do and doing what you. need to do and be consistent consistent. about. it is a whole another conversation so. either they do that or they don't and if. they don't they're never going to make. it all the way anybody they fight. that recognize it and discipline to wait. till that time. come and be real about it will be. victorious this doesn't say.

that championship of the. world will will escape him or he will. never achieve that absolutely he will. and this era. especially no disrespect. but in the same. token bad. habits or a bad habit one.

day will kill. you I didn't. need or kill your. career I didn't. need to be burnt four or five times once. I got of knowledge that I didn't like. that I went through all the juvenile. system in. Pennsylvania then state in.

17 and I say that because once I got a. taste and. understood my value and understood what. I need to do to be successful now I'm. here I mean the same dream talking right. this getting. up putting that work. in understand that everybody ain't going. to be for. you and everybody ain't against.

you but how you get the better of. both you let the adversaries of the. other side you let. the opinions negative or. not you have a contest amongst those who. say why you want to do that it's. impossible no that can't happen you. going up to weight class man you you too. old you still fighting what about. congratulations that I right want. to so I look at all these things in.

reflection sometime and I say to myself. I'm so glad I didn't take people advice. but it's just so amazing that you didn't. listen to anybody and it almost like it. stealed your resolve because when they. were telling you you were too old for. the Kelly pavic fight and you knocked. him out and then you continue to fight. at a world class level after that it's. like he's not even done yet cuz everyone. else I mean if we go back to some great. Fighters that when you know I was I.

always a big uh boxing fan like Way Way. Back Into the the 80s when those guys. hit 34 35 36. 37 basically over and some of them even. before that you know some of. them you know you just expected to see. the decline and the decline with you. never came never never came never never. came and even in your last fight like. when you fought Joe Smith when you went. through he's fighting this Saturday figh.

Z that's what I'm going out to promote. that going through the ropes like that. scared the [ __ ] out of me because like. what was below those ropes was that just. cement did you just fall right on the. cement yes what the [ __ ] was going on. there that they didn't protect the. fighters more what one of the things of. safety that has been elevated to to a. level than 20 years ago but to me. there's more need to be. done uh I'm not the only fighter either.

got knocked out of the ring or fell out. of the ring right but it should be. patented yes across that ring 100% even. wrestlers that wrestle in college and. and and and sports uh professional. wrestling they have a a patent that in. case someone goes to the that can take. some of the shock of did you land on. your head yes God damn yeah it look. terrified and and you know you you.

always flirt with falling out that ring. you couple of feet up in the ring yeah. you know you can you paralyze yourself. you can chip something you can you know. you can die anything can happen I was. very fortunate stayed in the hospital to. the next morning did x-rays. obviously when I left um la um cuz the. fight was at the form uh I uh got. checked out by my personal doctor and um. was was very very fortunate um to be uh.

um you know in great shape after that. but but. again I'm not expecting everything to be. checked in a check boox of of of of A+. A+ A+ but little like little big. important things little thing is hey I. know yall see it's a floor seen floor. you hit that your head going to crack. like a coconut right so so.

again to. me majority of the people that's suround. boxing is not around for boxers itself. they're around for money correct and. clout and clout when you fell through. the ropes man it scared the [ __ ] out of. me cuz I was watching the way he you. fell I'm like damn did he just land on. his head on the. concrete yep backwards too yeah.

backwards right through the ropes and. the ropes seemed loose they they was. they were in tight they was loose enough. to actually you could see the stretch of. the Rope when I tried to grab it I try. to see I try to grab the right hand yeah. the fact that you fell that way I mean. that is [ __ ]. crazy I mean that is a that is a crazy. way to fall through the ropes see that's. the shot I took and I'm back up I backed. up and I'm getting I'm getting pushed. back and boom and and look at the guy he. just R out way out way he got out of the.

way and let you fall right on your head. God and and that was the big thing too. and that's like a 4 foot drop that's a. big I say five five to four yeah but if. you look at if you look at where how the. guy just stepped away didn't even put. his hand up watch this that guy could. have caught you what of course look he. ran did you ever see that guy again no. what the [ __ ] dude wherever you are I'm. not saying he's not around wherever he. is f i don't even know what he look like. how do you not catch now since you show. that he's not going to even come to the.

fights anymore probably he shouldn't. come to. fights he got out of the way yeah it's. crazy crazy he could have saved you yes. from falling yeah could have saved the. back of your head yeah and possibly the. fight would have went on cuz outter got. back in the ring yeah did you know going. into that fight that was going to be. your last fight. no you were. 51 51. 51 I.

mentioned that it was going to be my. last fight but I didn't know because if. I would have got past Joe. Smith. what I couldn't tell you right away that. a opportunity of History would have made. me think about the next and then got out. right but. it was promoted as your last fight. correct right and. and my family people that around.

me we was all locked in on the last. historic fight of my. career with Joe. Smith who I never even to that moment. underestimate him knew he was young. strong big a big light heavyweight right. I'm not a big you look at me right now. I'm not a big light. heavyweight. but I started at light heavyweight in my.

career if you look at my record and the. weight I melt down to. 60 because that's where my train say you. you a middleweight look at they got a. little fat there you've been in prison. that's waterweight you going to eat. better you going to run better. atmosphere is better I start slimming. down oh he right middleweight it is so I. melt down I did the opposite of the of. of of the rules I melt down to 60. normally you you come up two weight.

classes to being in the weight division. because you grow into that weight or you. eat your way into that. weight that. moment to outside of the Ring. well. family was a moment to say. that that but we know as Fighters we. know when it's time did you I ran I ran.

out of things to do far as history. making because even though I wanted to. do something I'll top I'll beat that you. know. winning like I've been successful most. of the. time that day to be great as. real and. what's. different what was what without thinking. or what was different that night until.

it happened until it happened and that's. the. difference because you don't count. yourself out until you're. out and then I looked at it as time went. on you and I been having the. conversation for a few hours. now like got plenty energy for a 58y old. right yeah with three decades under my.

belt of boxing right yeah it doesn't. seem like I'm slowing down anytime soon. right no I really sat. home weeks after the fight was over. with and steady taking cuz you know the. opportunity of the opportunity is seeing. an opportunity to try to to to to to. make that fight my life at the. end I said to. him some industry.

or the atmosphere out there that had one. of the fruit Ts that. Throw. Dirt on My Grave of. Legacy I said y'all forgot. something or y'all want to forget but. I'm not going to let you. forget if you look at my life up to now.

in boxing and starting off before I. became a champion in. boxing I said I lost my first fight as a. pro I lost my last fight as a pro. everything in the middle is a story. motivational never give up. story but you should be worried about.

what I do next because the way I the way. I. started shows ain't the way I'm in so in. this third or fourth chapter of my life. at a young 58 fast approaching. 59 the way I started shows that my. character doesn't say I'll. submit to the way it's going to play out. or end so now the fight is.

different the fight ain't in the ring. physically the fight is around a. powerful. controlling and that's boxing attitude. when things blunt in your. face that the fight I got now is the. fight of satchel pagee in his error in. baseball the fight I have now is the. fight that Jim Brown Muhammad Ali Bill. Russell and a lot of other greats at.

that time stood up when they needed to. stand up at that moment for that. cause I put them on notice before I'm. putting them on notice again just. because it's. fresh that they gonna hear it. again that this fight is different. than the fight that got me. here this fight is about here discipline. of. patience knowing how to.

use and strategize your chess. board and the pieces that's on that. board if they willing to do what's been. done for so many. centuries all the way up to now. then only is I one thing I needed more. for this fight is my health and my. memory they better hope I keep.

it and that's that's the. warning the warning is that I am the. Satchel Page of this. error I'm gunning for that Legacy I'm. the Muhammad Ali when he spoke of his. error for things that he spoke VI calm. never called me [ __ ] he said that in. the 60s in this. country well that was one of the reasons. why he was so important culturally and.

that's why my idol other than Marvin. Haggler when I say Idol I'm talking. about Idol and not idoling him as my God. Idol him as an example right that there. are some in any aspects of life that. that that will risk it all and those who. listen and hear this and have I've. already said it I've done there listen. if I if it was 50 to100 million made in. my. career to play the game and eventually.

they'll trick me out of it. later that was left on the table because. of. this not because of the emotions because. of this and because of because of this. and because of that cuz once I. understood I would to keep my mouth. closed I say oh this is how it is but I. needed power before I speak I needed to. be world. champion and my first world championship. fight that we didn't talk about was Roy. Jones Jr 1993 RFK Stadium I told you.

about the memory under the Ric Bo the. heavyweight champion fighting Jesse. Ferguson he was the main event I was the. co-main Roy was the house fighter of HBO. multi-million dollar. contract I was known as the guy from. Philadelphia tough. going give some work from the. penitentiary you know you got to have. the villain you got to. have the nice.

guy and Roy gave me a. lesson a lesson of what I wasn't. ready boy when I got that. opportunity a year or two a year and a. half. later the ibf s name. title vacant by Roy Jones. Jr Roy went up to 168 the next weight up.

I'm in line as the number one number two. Contender I fight in Segundo Mardo and. Kito. Ecuador he can push that fight up he'll. see the first fight with sag gundo Mardo. which means second in Spanish I called. him second at the press conference you. would never beat me I'm first you're. second s gundo your knew you was going. to be second all your. life so we go to. Kito hyle. environment Kito at that time was at War.

conflict with. Peru but I was sold out by a. promoter to get more. money to bring me there to fight an. Ecuadorian in Ecuador. Joe I get knocked down two times got up. fought my way back. up finished the.

fight here I'm in. Ecuador being sold out by a. promoter I get to Ecuador 11 plus th000. feet above sea level probably hard than. Denver. Colorado couldn't breathe the first. second round after I exhaust my exhaust. myself to the to the max early on and. fought my way with sag Gunda Mardo for. the first fight we had and get a draw in.

Ecuador fighting the Ecuadorian I take. it I won the fight they would have. killed me that's what the rumor was if. you would have got that. decision in. Ecuador even though I fought my way back. from 7 to 12 almost had him out if you. look at the. video and a very hostile.

environment if they would have gave me. that fight we wouldn't have left. Ecuador so they call it a. draw the ibf. mandated that the fight must. happen in 120 days. they had to get the work right. away but the energy was different than. going to. Ecuador Don.

King wasn't. sure of sugundo beating me in. America if he couldn't beat me in his. hometown in. Equador so the promotion was kind of. froggy. but we went through the process and I. became. champion in Ecuador I mean. in.

America in. 95 knocking out Su Gunda Mardo and land. over. Maryland and then defended that title. for 12 years that was the first ibf. title I had. yeah that ibf title based in New Jersey. East Orange New. Jersey that ibf title was the title I.

had all the way up to the 20s on defense. that was the first title and the. politics and the confusion of. boxing there's so many belts yeah which. makes it limited to be Undisputed. until un bred today is being talked. about more than ever now did you watch. the fight the other day which one Canelo. and yes did you see they Pi the screen.

up foral Hopkins as the. last or the reboot of the. Undisputed and then they had all other. names mhm and the full full belt era and. the full belt full belt. era my name is up first now showtime. Ain't Even though I've been on Showtime. more than I've been on HBO but the. politics ain't there for me because of. the players they work with I get it but. it was hard for them to try to cut that.

out they couldn't I sat home and I. laughed I had laugh M thought I aers I. laughed I said because I know for a. fact that if they can take that name and. share less light on Bernard Hopkins. then then then then then it was. great and even though you didn't ask. this my case and point is this all stuff. I told you.

earlier what I just said now the Ry. caran tank. fight we was the second promoters they. put up the bigger money big. fight it was a. PBC right. card Al Heyman card I ain't afraid to. say his. name they they try to out me oh you. follow my P they try to I put everything. I I waited for about two weeks.

strategy UT of War. sunzu I. waited you didn't ask but on you let me. talk they slay us we didn't come to the. dressing room you heard about that Oscar. and him didn't come to Bryan's dressing. room we abandoned him I don't know if. you heard we supposed to abandon him we. didn't L we we look like dish bags right. we look like. scumbags he loses now to promo us you. know and if you got any other agenda any.

other agenda from whatever you got it. from or why you have it you this was. your time now to show. yourself so I waited waited. waited and and and and and credit to to. Joy uh uh my assistant/ fiance she. said I got all the video you didn't know. I was video in the corner of everything. why would he say y'all didn't. come ah so I said you did what she said.

I got video when he hugged you and he. said sorry to you that that he didn't. didn't work out and and and and and and. you was telling them that Oscar got a. death threats and the bodyguards took. him. out she's video in the dress she in the. dress Room video and both I said you. have it I said show show it to me. because we getting slayed public opinion. right. oh I still got footage I ain't even.

throw out yet she said here they go so I. looked at it I said yo I need this let's. take our time take a deep. breath strategy over emotions. intellect intellect over emotions. strategy over emotions let's put all. this together take a deep breath I say. first of all thank you. right look for you know not now but a. raise coming. soon I said now you're good with this.

Instagram stuff I'm I'm totally like I. just come home from Penitentiary I'm. lost Still Still I can't keep up with. this. good my 12-year-old son K but I good to. not. keep I can't misspelling. words this is crazy but but listen. I said. listen we be getting hammering the last. two we you said I know I know and I'm. I'm I kind so I said look you good with. this Instagram let's just break this up.

certain. days and make it make sense not just. throw it out there we G to what do you. so we he said everything he needed to. say now we got to come with what do you. mean not in this corner what do you mean. we was missing what do you mean we ain't. show up at the press conference they. wouldn't let me in the [ __ ] room ring. if you go to my Instagram you'll see. they they they they they no you can't. they blocked me from getting in the ring. what they. expected what they expected from me.

watch this. move thank you producer great guy over. there watch this move Bernard can't come. in the. ring Bernard can't come in the ring Tom. Brown that's Al Heyman flunky right. there he's a promoter license and Al. hymon HIDs behind him so his name is Tom. Brown him and HDs beond him because by. the Mohammad Ali Act that I stood up. for it doesn't cover advisors it doesn't. cover Consultants so now those lawyers.

because he has a Harvard law. degree Al. hayon he hires promoters especially Tom. Brown who come from the goosin in the. Denver Colorado know very well he sat. next to me. he said here Joy and me I switch seats. with joy because I told her Tom Brown is. the eyes and ears while we sitting there.

they had controls of the tickets they. had control of the show because they the. leading promoters. PBC so I was quiet Ring. Side all the fighters from their side. was behind me so I was in their Road. they that's the seats and sections they. put me at even Oscar was to my. right they had me right near the corner. churn.

Buckle because if you look at any Golden. Boy fights I'm always in the middle. because we have control and the fighters. always look out they got trainers don't. look at me but they do look sometimes. the fight Mode come in and I can't help. myself and I'm learning to be more. subdued. where I'm sitting watching as the. promoter so. they had my.

seat where the charm Buckle the corner. correct so he couldn't see so yes. so I watched from my. seat lean to the right which I had a. slightly better. view but those moments of the order. War this.

ain't. complaining they was prepared but I was. prepared. too they knew I was coming they knew the. energy I was. bringing see I wasn't coming we. listen Oscar your personality is not my. personality that's the best way I can. explain it to. you if I see something I'm gonna speak.

on what I see I'm not GNA run and tell. somebody what I can do and say myself to. me that's a. man they was prepared because we did. business before Al Hyman. branched off to. do his. company he took 80 90% of Golden Boy. Fighters because those Fighters.

including Flor Mayweather was under what. golden. booy so he took per say if you in the. music business he took his. catalog and. started PBC. I didn't go it's some bad. blood because everybody know the. situation even to the. day ukar definitely understands and know.

it I was the nil in the. coffin if they would have got me to. leave based on a contract that they gave. me to leave what was in it for. me and I seen. that it was crowded over there at. PBC and I still even to the day.

understand the process is always a risk. but I rather be on this side even with. the. baggage they wanted to predict predict. our demise. we gonna be in federal court in six. months Oscar remind me all the time you. remember they said this. partner they're not going to last six.

months he going to see they came back. door they. thought trying to poison the waters so. there's just a bunch of dirty business. that goes along dirty that's a good word. filthy filthy yeah. so 20 plus years. later a lot of things in changing in. boxing ain't breaking news but a lot of. people don't. know a lot of bait NWS one already left.

HBO's gone yeah this what I was leading. to. yeah is a whole churn as you aware of. the. churn you haven't been in Austin a year. yet have you three years three yeah. three years right three years right. yeah but it was a reason to change from. there to. here I assume. yeah.

boxing is changing and have changed even. more so one left for 40 plus years HBO. correct M and you being a boxing fan I. know they kind of heard it. yeah my predict prediction is. the showtime is finally ready to pack it. in that's not good but it's not a depth. sence for those who pull the bootstraps.

up and if you don't have no boot find. some because this is a man thinking game. not checkers do you think the future is. in stream Showtime will pack up boxing. only is that I'll be surprised if they. got another year. left that's unfortunate because that. leaves the zone that leaves ESPN plus. it's not not as many. options now that's where the creative.

creativity has to get in play. now you say you are you are who you are. this goes for everybody it's all we all. got blood on our hands and somewhere. hold up. MH this is where he the the creativity. now kicks in you say who you are you on. the block now you say who you okay right. first of all he doing too much talking. so he ain't real you got to get tried.

right away this is the trying time now. let's see who now can sink or. swim Golden Boy also all of us so now. this separates the men from The Fakes. now if you've been. frating if you've been frating hiding. behind and you had a Time limit when you. go on exit and you prepare. yourself then that's one thing that. should work good for that person that. thinks that. way there fighters on the other side.

that. got to pay every time they. fight and any other. entity Joe Rogan has a promotion boxing. you got 10 fighters on your. side just say I'm Golden Boy I got. fighters on my. side you ain't cuz you hire somebody to. do your business for you so you can HDE. back and HDE beyond the scenes but you. you have knowledge of law so you know. how to manipulate certain. things so if you.

risk having a contract Monday but. knowing things can change as time go on. you want to tie your Campbell what do. you mean. well if the well runs. dry if that fighter goes and fight at. another another house another. promotion that you ain't no longer. controlling they fight the fighters now. to start to look at the contract and say. I gotta give up 35% I Gotta Give Up 40%.

of my my my purse even though Barber. Aram is thring a fight Golden Boy is. thring a. fight that's what promoters do now. you're realizing at the wrong time n out. of 10 at the telling in your career. whether you're in your 30s you mention. it the age nor 30 34 35 you normally. packing up ready to roll out try to get. a couple of PES here and there yeah but. there's a real bad taste in a lot of.

business people TV and also fighters. that. realizing everything was great you. bought your car you be don't you you got. upkeep you you got to keep that. lifestyle or you got. to understand how to live different. right and that's the shock that they're. seeing now that they've been. manipulated uh. Bamboozled. and the only thing which is not only but.

the only thing. that some would. say to. justify the D Kings of this. era they got paid. they got paid you give ignorance money. they gonna. be more ignorant than they was when you. gave them money and without they gave. money they ain't going to be smart. because you gave them money other than.

the business of boxing though how do you. feel about the sport how do you feel. about the sport today like the caliber. of Fighters I'm sure you you must be a. fan of Terence Crawford yes one of my. favorite guys to watch phenomenal best. switch hitter since Marvin yes yes we. tried to promote fight and he had a. choice like we all do and he chose to do. what he need to do and he was successful. with it absolutely a technical.

technical serious mentally. strong and definitely can be. around long as he want to. yeah badass yeah he's a bad man and. there's there's a good crop of people. like that today tank is another one yes. phenomenal fight. look kid Austin is right on the Hills. right kid Aus correct Bruce and and let. me tell you you you you. look I can promote a lot of Fighters you.

expecting me to mention a whole bunch of. names got you know got this week zodo. making a comeback after getting. dominated right real bad uh uh overseas. but that was the first shot and let's. see how he bounced back now this is the. career going forward Mia we we got it's. a lot of talent even on other side of. the street the next house next. promotional house there's so many fights. but you know what Joe doesn't mean squat.

if they don't get made right you and. fans around the world want to see the. best fighting the best I did a segment. for four. episodes of. interviews interviews rather not. episodes. on fight news talking about fights that. need to be made and the first one out of. the gate pting the pressure running this. mouth. here was tank Davis and Ryan Garcia it's.

there how did you think that fight was. going to play out I thought the fight. was going to play out and I anticipated. the fight playing out where Ryan would. use all the attributes that he have to. his best ability what I mean by that is. stay out length stay outside speed. speed. remember don't admire your work right. don't be the don't be the squirrel with.

your head up looking for something keep. it. down he mentioned it working in training. that they was working on that they was. focus on that reporters was asking you. going to keep your head down of course. that's the easy thing to ask but that's. what he was known. for I I wanted and I believe Ryan when. he said he's going to box. him he's not going to get into his. emotions and try to show Bravo like he's. getting to a shootout he getting a.

shootout he done right tank carries the. power he's. sneaky explosive explosive yeah you. think you're doing. something and he rides off that. overconfident where now he recognized. this old school he's so Baltimore. Baltimore maryin he's so old school know. old school is yeah anybody that throwing. punches is open to get. hit anybody and everybody that throw.

punches you leave an opportunity it's. who get there first it's like. fencing when you throw punches no matter. how straight no matter how your stance. are when this becomes comes away from. your body and things that you need to. protect the ribs the chin it's always an. opening it's always opening who's who. get there first and tank is so good. again tank is so good tank will give you.

something that's really not. there is is is is literally uh you know. you think is you know about the three. top the the the ball is the three top. hustle. mhm you you think it's you think he. shows it to you think did couple of. these it's not there right he shows you. something that is like an. illusion might not be the first time. once he tried you and you go for it but.

it's coming and that's how he set you up. he said traps yeah he says traps and. he's got ridiculous one punch knockout. power too he's just such an interesting. fighter because his style is so. different from everybody else he's so. conservative in the early rounds throws. so few punches and he lets you work it. lets you work and you're backing up and. you're always afraid of that power and. he's just moving in trying to find that. opening where he just gets in there on. you your mind is burning energy yeah you.

physically burning energy because you. know right even if he just T you in her. arm MH you know based on what you've. been hearing through the whole press. conference and through the whole fights. he had before then yourself that better. not get hit yeah. see power rules everything around you. mhm one thing about power you can lose. all the fights all the rounds in that. power come on y right that would make. the foremans the Mike Tyson Deontay.

Wilder power rules yeah I got one. shot and it's over I can be losing a. whole N I can be losing already to the. 12th. round and hit you with that power. and to get to the 12th 11th 10th 9th 8th. you walking in treading danger you. walking through a mindfield at any time. any false any bad move it's over yeah.

fighting tankers like that yeah all one. last thing to talk to you about before. we get out of here what do you think. about this crazy fight between Tyson. Fury and Francis. andana what do you think about them I. like Tyson Fury though man I like Tyson. Fury I like Tyson Fury because of of his. unorthodox of of of even the way he look. everything I a't got to explain anything. else cuz you we on the same page and I. believe that that the world understands. that this ain't this this ain't what we.

used looking at when we talking about. heavyweights you're thinking of a guy. you want to guy looked like lenx Lewis. Prime. chiseled look at. him he likes he likes tricking you too. he shows that big belly no listen he. look like he like the guy Fred dude like. my mechanic like he handles all he but. he I'm telling you he's an animal he's. an animal and he's promotable yeah. personality oh for days I mean you can't. like but what do you think about Francis.

and ganu having a fight with literally. one of the greatest heavyweights of all. time and he's never had a professional. boxing. fight. again how did he get there well he got. there from being the UFC heavyweight. champion who but that UFC yeah yeah. exactly come on listen if you listen I I. can visualize you and I sitting right. here right you you you got the you Dana. White right now okay okay you Dana and I.

consider Dana White a friend right I. really do he's definitely a sports fan. in thing oh yeah but. look half of is his show the other half. because of Tyson Fury only is a boxing. match for for a belt I assume right. there's some. exactly they they they got somebody to. put something together I got you yeah. some money Payday it's a Payday yeah.

right Canelo payday. yeah this does. nothing other than Payday for Tyson. Fury he lose to a UFC guy which I'm. saying he won't. I bet I bet everything I. love I bet everything I love. Yeah. entertainment on a higher level because.

of Tyson Fury right but also because of. the novelty of this UFC heavyweight. champion leaving the UFC and securing. this boxing fight anybody that leaves. the. UFC Undefeated or not undefeated would. not be successful on that level or any. level where a fighter on a boxing level. has a. heartbeat and possibly a pulse is going. to be. victorious that's why it becomes the. show more than the real deal and that's.

why it's not even being talked about as. a heavyweight fight from a from a. heavyweight fight that we know correct. because they don't we don't sanction. that man but does it upset you that this. guy jumps in front of usyk jumps in. front of Joshua jumps in front of. anybody else in the division. and gets to fight Tyson F or do you. think hey good for him he gets this. payday cuz that's how I feel about it. know how I feel I love Francis and I'm. happy that Francis is g to get a a.

whopping bag but let me let me now. that's. emotional yes but in the sports and. where I come from and bias to yeah I. thinking T Tyson Fury Fury has a through. top people that me and you would love to. see and spite of who he's ready to fight. correct usk is the big first right. that's the big one if if usk not. available I think that Tyson Fury would. beat.

him what about Wilder yeah I mean Joshua. yes right yeah with there's heavyweights. out there that's in a top five I a only. say. 10 that that's are better and have more. credentials than what's happening Andy. Ru correct yeah who to me why you think. he he's trying to get a fight now yeah. right he's trying to get a fight as we.

speak right now and and not a big. heavyweight right in some cases You'll. Think of blowing up cruiserweight right. not a big guy right right right you'll. think they be chopping at the bit they. gonna make millions of dollars that. fight there is more credibility. and more I. guess what people want to see than. entertainment that Tyson Fury is ready. to show this week and he gets a knockout.

within five rounds you think so oh yeah. um one other guy I want to talk to about. that I don't think gets enough credit is. Arthur bitter beef that guy's that guy's. a. [ __ ] people don't know him I. mean it's just he can't secure that big. fight and that's one of the the reason. why right dangerous dangerous 19 and0 19. Knockouts but but this is the thing. about the. generation of Fighters not all but.

most they don't. want a l on their. record well what. about your legacy n they want the bag of. course. but they don't dare to be. great they want want most of them want. to fight the fights that. they have a better chance on winning mhm. and when you tell most of them of this.

generation about. history they look at you like you got. three heads like history like like you. talking late 20s early 30s or younger. you talking about 25 years from now. they're going to be and this that this. is legit conversation they looking at. you like 25 you talking to a 19y old who. don't understand that time go B pass so. fast so fast time go by so damn fast in.

boxing I started at. 25 that's I'm [ __ ] heard of I started. at 25 I had the room based on lifestyle. based on offense defense based on my. mental I stressed it out stretched out. better than any part of that time you. got to look at the time I started late. as a pro not as an amateur but as a pro. I ain't win no Aus and no golden glubs.

and no Olympic gold medal but I had. Regional I had local fights in the city. little tournaments here and tournaments. there but but I look at all these things. to answer questions that's asked all the. time the way I just said to you and. explain to you about all these things. whether it's the boxing Politics the. fights that's the fighters that's. fighting now each other the fights.

that's scheduled the fight right. now this is a great time for good fights. to be. made Let's make them let's make them. Bernard your Legend is an honor to have. you on here I really appreciate you. being here best of luck with everything. thank you very much sir for real it's an. honor I've always been a giant fan thank. you so thank you so much Bernard Hopkins. ladies and gentlemen thank you very much. bye everybody.

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