Hopkins on Taylor: They took the bread out of the oven before it was done

GL:  Some of the older writers on my team like George Kimball, who is a respected journalist, is baffled that this fight is taking place for the light heavyweight championship of the world. Your title, the ring magazine title, and it's happening at 170 pounds and not the sanctioned standard 175.  "You have to understand, you're talking sanctioned.  What you ought to do is commend me, for saying that I'm willing to chop off 5 pounds.  The ring belt is not in the same conversation, and does not go by the same rules as the IBF, the WBC, the WBO.  They don't disagree or agree with their rules.  Ring Magazine is saying that if Bernard Hopkins is willing to put himself at a disadvantage, explain to them what they should already know.  That's how the Ring Magazine's stage has always been.  They are not a part of the sanctioning bodies summit, whether you believe that's positive or negative.  I'm saying and Nigel Collins, I believe would say to you if Bernard agrees to fight at 170, the WBC , if I had their title, would sanction the fight at 170.  I don't understand what these "veteran" writers don't get. 

GL:  As far as I'm concernered, anything over 168 is light heavyweight.

BH:  As far as I'm concerned, light heavyweight can be 54, if the light heavyweight champion is crazy enough to say, "I will fight Floyd Mayweather at 54, for the light heavyweight title."  There are no rules to stop that.  If a guy wants to come down from welterweight to fight lightweight, for his welterweight title, then that's the rule.  You can't do it if you're a middleweight champion fighting a lightweight champion with your middleweight title up for grabs.  Why do you think when guys go up Greg, you know, other veteran writers don't know,  but you're not considered a veteran writer, you're considered a writer, but not actually a veteran.  You have the knowledge to understand that although you're not a veteran, that doesn't mean you aren't a good writer.  You just have to get your ten plus years in. 

These veteran writers that you mention, don't know boxing, because writers don't understand the position Ring Magazine is taking.  They don't pay sanctioning fees, and they only acknowledge boxers that have dominated in their division.  Fighters who without having any other belts, beat the man who was the man in their division.  That's become the undisputed light heavyweight, the recognized light heavyweight king of that division.

GL:  I get it. 

BH:  The veteran writers don't get it.  Yes, they are probably veteran writers, but they are barking up the wrong tree.  Guys like that who say that boxing is dying, it's because they're trying to kill it with their tounges.  Bernard Hopkins gets a thrill on exposing that type of behavior. 

GL:  You described Miranda as a pit-bull.  Were you surprised that Pavlik put him in the trunk? 

BH:  I was surprised that Miranda didn't have...  I spoke to Steven, his manager, a while back.  They hyped Miranda up to be this great puncher, which he is a good puncher.  No one is teaching him that when he punches a person, they can hit back.  If you don't knock that person out, you become John D when he fought Marvin Haggler.  Young fighters that read BoxingTalk, and even old ones, quote what I'm going to say right now.  Don't let the media build you up to think you're a puncher and that's all you need to be.  They are in this blood and guts, forget boxing forget strategey, forget heart.  If you run into a person that can take it, and punch the way you do, and you don't have plan B...

GL:  You're going to be on the floor. 

BH:  You'll be on the floor.  This is a prime example of letting certain media people, with a master microphone delivering a message to the people.  The people will react thinking that they don't need to know how to reverse in the calm to be able to weather the storm.  To see if he could have taken Pavlic to the deep rounds, and see if he could have taken it in round 6 or round 7.  You pay the ultimate price, if you don't have what they call perseverance.  Am I surprised that he lost?  Yes, but I'm surspised that he lost that way.  You've got to give Pavlik his credit.  Jermain Taylor will stay far away from him. 

GL:  He's going to stay far away from him?

BH:  The way Jermain Taylor has shown himself, against Kassim Ouma, who he couldn't hurt.  He hit Cory Spinks square on the chin, couldn't hurt him, and Zab Judah knocked Cory Spinks down.  Let's not forget, he tagged Cory Spinks a few times where he should have knocked him out, if he's that big puncher they try to build him up to be.  You don't have to hear it from me, ask people in your mailbox.  The world is talking, they're speaking, they've spoke.  The fans dictate where you belong in history, and your record.  come on, man.  They took the bread out of the oven before it was done. 

It's not Jermain's fault though, all jokes aside.  This is not about bashing.  Jermain, when you listen to this interview, whether you care or not, it's not your fault, man.  I've said it before, I'll say it again.  Someone wins, and someone loses a fight.  They can say what they want to say when they're in front of the cameras.  It's not their job to say who voted for what.  Let's keep it real, if it works against you, you're not for it.  If it works for you, you're going to play along with it, you're supposed to.  They're not going to speak on it if it works in their favor. 

In your heart or hearts, you've got to be by yourself sometimes, you've got to be with your girlfriend or wife.  You've got to be able to look yourself in the mirror, when you're brushing your teeth in the morning.  It would be like, "Damn, look at my face.  I know I didn't win this fight, but it's not my fault."  You're right.  If you understand that, then Jermaine Taylor doesn't have to beat himself up like he stole something, saying he's not getting any respect.  What do you have to do to get respect?  Nobody is respecting him.  He's lashing out, angry because the writers are asking questions. 

Someone has had enough heart, enough balls to say Jermaine Taylor is 1-4.  If you understand that, then you would say to yourself, I'm this political piece in this business, and when they are done with me, they're going to move on to the next guy.  They thought it would be Miranda, but it might be Pavlic now.  The name changes, plans change, your agenda might be someone else's agenda.  That doesn't mean it's going to work for you, it may or may not.  After that episode, Winky Wright is a quality fight that the fans are going to be there to see.  This fight is going to be the second biggest fight in boxing.  There's going to be more action than the big fight May 5th.  That's not taking anything away from my partner, I think he did a good job.  I think he won the fight, but I'm not mad and angry that Floyd got it.  Floyd fought a different fight than he talked about on 24/7.  He fought a fight like Cory Spinks fought a fight.  The other guy is big, and the guy can crack, so stay away from hi

M

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