Jose Aguirre: Bernard, how are you feeling my friend? "I feel great. I'm ready to promote this fight. As you know I'm always in shape. I'm always keeping my body right in these suits. I don't want to spend money on suits everytime I gain a pound or two but everything is great. The fights on thought there have been some speculations and reports that the fight was off, on off, on. I think whoever is really calling Jermain Taylor's shots, I believe it's Al Haymon, did the right thing. Sat Lou (DiBella) on his ass and said get out of this business we're going to handle it.

"And it happened. To me it's a vindication in a way of letting people know that I'm fair and that I'm a guy that doesn't have a problem with another fighter making a buck. I stood up for that same argument. And to come out and say hey here's another million dollars compared to your market value and what you're used to fighting for. He couldn't find the support, Lou DiBella, from some of the puppet guys he normally may have had under control to write what he wants them to write. That fell on deaf ears and the fight happened. But the fight came very close to no being made. It wasn't going to happen based on unprofessionalism."

JA: How satisfied are you that the fight is happening with Jermain Taylor?

BH:"I'm satisfied for a personnal reason. To make a personnal statement come July 16th. Beyond anybody's imagination. Also for boxing and the world and  fight fans who want to see Bernard Hopkins fight th best fights which I set out to do publicly. I haven't reneged on that and I won't renege on that. So to make these three particular names in any order and now to see one of these name are now on the execution chopping block. I feel like a guy that has a crystal ball and knows what's going to happen tomorrow before tomorrow comes. I'm not saying I'm that but I have went out and made these statements boldly, proudly and with confidence that it would happen and I'm glad it happened."

JA: Is there anything that concerns you going into this fight?

BH:"Everybody concerns me going into the fight because anything can happen in the fight. Headbutts, cuts. A guy might get crazy and want to foul. Anything can happen but it's not a concern of being afraid or leary or nervous. Nothing like that. When you're a fighter and you have that mentality that anything can happen and every guy has a chance that concern keeps you in check to not underestimate whether in training, whethre it's in your preperation or whether it comes July 16th fight night you want to make sure that you give this guy, even if he doesn't deserve it, which Jermain does, the credit to be in thsi situation. He's
the only heir apparent guy out there in the middleweight division that I see that is worthy of even being called heir apparent and second for an undisputed middleweight championship fight with Bernard Hopkins."

JA: Is there anything you want to say to your fans and the people on Boxingtalk.com?

BH:"First I want to tell people on Boxingtalk.com that Bernard Hopkins has not fallen of the face of the earth. Bernard Hopkins as a husband, fighter, as a promoter and as a fighter has the schedule of the 24 hours a day job. Like any situation sometimes you don't hear from me and sometimes you do. It's that
I'm focused extremely on this year and m legacy with these fights. Just watch, pay the money and come to the fight if you can."