GL: What's the latest and greatest with Demetrius Hopkins? "I'm just ready to make the big fights. Floyd Mayweather is coming back and he's fighting Ricky Hatton, so now I want to get a shot at a contender in the 140 pound division and eventually I want to move up to 147 to fight guys like Kermit Cintron. He's fighting Jesse Feliciano, a guy that I beat, so pretty soon people have to start asking when am I going to get my title shot?

GL: Malignaggi is the IBF junior welterweight champion of the world. In the past you have expressed great interest in fighting him, tell us about that?

Demetrius Hopkins: "I would love to fight Paul Malignaggi. He's in my way and that would be a good fight. My promoters and my lawyer will get together and we'll put together a good fight and give the people what they want to see."

GL: How would a fight between you and Paul Malignaggi play out?

DH: "I would stop little Paulie. For one, there would be a world title on the table. I'm hungry. I never made the Olympic team so that will be my world title and my gold medal."

GL: A lot of people look at your fight with Steve Forbes and feel like you got a gift decision. What's your take on that?

DH: "There was a lot of discussion with that fight and I fought my heart out. I never stopped punching in the fight and I was busy. There was some things that I didn't do, but there was also some things that he didn't do. I would love to fight him again too."

GL: You just said you would love to fight him again, but do you feel that based on the way that the press and some of the fans have responded to that decision, that you need to fight him again?

DH: "I don't need to fight him again, but down the road if I get a title I would give him a shot. If he gets by Bojado I would love to fight him to prove a point that I am the best 140 pounder in the world. Anybody out there who thinks D-Hop is sweet just needs to call my promoter and we could do it."

GL: Malignaggi looks to box every minute of every round. Are you confident that you'd be able to catch up to him?

DH: "I've been watching Paulie for a while. By the time he turned pro I had like ten fights. He punches with an open glove. I never saw him punch with a closed glove. Paulie knows what he's got coming to him. He tried to fight Ricky Hatton, but now that Hatton's off the table he's got nowhere to go but in the ring to get what he got coming to him. If Paulie doesn't want to fight all he has to do is give up the belt. I don't care who's in his corner. Buddy McGirt won't be able to save him. Paulie's a good boxer, he moves but he's one dimensional and he fights like an amateur"

M

Send questions and comments to: gleon@boxingtalk.com