On October 26th, Bernard ?The Executioner? Hopkins will make the first defense of his IBF Light Heavyweight title that he won March 9th against then undefeated champion Tavoris Cloud.
The fight will take place at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City New Jersey, and will be shown on Showtime championship boxing. Hopkins who is the oldest champion in boxing history looks to extend his own record in a mandatory title defense against once beaten Karo Murat of Germany. I recently had a chance to speak to both Bernard Hopkins and Karo Murat ahead of their upcoming fight. Here is what they had to say.
Karo Murat: ?It?s not about the decision, the real decision is when the crowd stands behind the real winner. It?s not always the guy the judges see winning?
?I?m just hoping for an impartial referee, good judges, and the rest is up to me?
Bernard Hopkins: ?Everybody knows the big names in the light heavyweight division and everybody knew the big names I fought in the middleweight division. You can prepare for them easier that you can prepare for a guy nobody actually knows.?
?I?m gonna make sure I do all I can so no one takes me for granted before I leave the game.?
?I?m not preparing to come to another guy?s level, I have to make this guy bigger than what he is.?
?It?s sort of a curse to be a slick boxer right now.?
?Here?s the title, come get it.?
?Trust me, Karo Murat is not a guy I?m sleeping on or underestimating?
?I?m not gonna gain more super stardom cause of Karo Murat, I?m no fool, but I may get called a bully.?
?It?s a throwaway fight but I?m not treating it like that.?
?There?s a lot of intangibles that surround this fight. I have the ability and mindset to handle all that, that?s what I?ve been doing basically the majority of my career?
?I have the ability and mindset to handle all that, that?s what I?ve been doing basically the majority of my career, handling difficult situations that would break the average man.?
