BERNARD HOPKINS, WBC & Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight World Champion
?When you get tired of making history or tired of competing, you will get exposed.
?In basketball you can call time out. In football you can call timeout. In boxing either you fight or you quit.
?In my career I have gone 12-1 against southpaws. The only loss was to Joe Calzaghe, a fight which most people say I won. It was what it was. I love fighting southpaws because I am very unorthodox. I don?t do things regularly and I am not a regular fighter.
?When you look at my resume and then you look at Chad?s resume, it is like looking at Harvard and community college. No disrespect to community college.
?Age and wisdom cannot be compromised. I have a PhD in what I do. It says that I am 46 years old on my birth certificate. It can be argued that I m 10 years younger than I actually am.
?Me and Father Time are always debating whether it is time or not. I get cramps. I get aches. I am human and I am willing to take that chance. I am willing to walk that tight rope without a safety net. That is what fighting means to me. To be daring or to be dangerous takes courage.
?The light heavyweight division is alive right now. It isn?t because of my seven or eight pushups. It is because of the activity of my last two fights.
?I don?t want Chad to be the laid back Chad. I don?t need him laid back. To be laid back on an old man is not good; you are doing me a favor. I want you to give me something to work against so I can be better. I am a good dancer, if my partner is just okay, it makes me look bad.
[To Dawson] ?Lets work together to see who whoops whose ass worse.
?Chumps do exist in boxing. This sport separates the chumps from champs.
?Chad Dawson has to prove that he belongs here and I have to prove that I?m special over and over again. I?m okay with that.
?I am looking forward to eventually breaking Archie Moore?s record of defending a title at the age of 47 or 48. I want that title. I want that record. I want that history.
?I didn?t expect Naazim to give me this money back [Richardson returned his compensation to Hopkins from the Pascal fight]. We can donate this money to a charity that Naazim feels should be supported. We can take this money and do something good. From you to me or me to you we will take this money and put it in a place where it can be productive for a worthy charity.?
?October 15 it is going down at STAPLES Center. History is going to be made again!
CHAD DAWSON, Former Light Heavyweight World Champion
?I want to thank Bernard for finally taking the fight. I want to thank Gary Shaw for believing in me even though I had a bad loss to Jean Pascal.
?I?m excited about my first pay-per-view fight. I have always wanted this fight. I have been chasing this fight for three years.
