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BERNARD HOPKINS: "THIS IS REALLY A DEFENSE OF MY LEGACY...I'M DEFENDING SOMETHING BIGGER THAN A TITLE"

By Press Release | April 17, 2014
BERNARD HOPKINS:

"This is really a defense of my legacy. Belts are nice, but they're nicer when you're younger and establishing a foundation. My foundation was laid down years ago...I'm defending something bigger than a title. My legendary 20-plus year legacy is more important than anything around my waist," stated future Hall of Famer and IBF light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, who spoke during the final press conference ahead of his upcoming clash this Saturday with WBA light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov. Check out what else he had to say!

Hopkins was honored twice during the final press conference. At the outset of the proceedings, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer presented him with a National Portrait Gallery portrait donated by Golden Boy Promotions and shot by renowned sports photographer Holger Keifel. It will become part of Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery permanent collection and is projected to appear in the museum within the next two to three years and will likely be on display for six months or longer.

Later, Marvis Frazier, the former boxer and son of the late, great former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, presented a plaque to Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions in appreciation for their contribution to the Joe Frazier Statue in Philadelphia.

BERNARD HOPKINS

"This is really a defense of my legacy. Belts are nice, but they're nicer when you're younger and establishing a foundation. My foundation was laid down years ago. You get what you put in most of the time and then you get the times where you have to fight for what you want.

"This is an opportunity for me to represent the 40 and up club that is very alive in the world. Boxing and non-boxing fans are supporting me. I go and train understanding that it's not just for me, but for you all to enjoy what is taking place while it is taking place.

"Sometimes we take personal achievements for granted. We don't appreciate it until you get treated the opposite way.

"Come April 19, you will be inspired by me. The work I've put in all these years has already been set. Now I'm here to let you know how I feel.

"The best in Beibut will bring out the best in me. I want him to try to win every round. I want him to do this because if he doesn't do this, you won't see the best of me. I'll do what I do regardless, but I don't want to look like the worst word in America, a bully.

"He's motivated to fight me, he said he's been dreaming of this all his life. Understand one thing, be careful what you wish for.

"Get ready for school, student. No disrespect, its logic. I am the professor with a PHd. I'm going to take his GED learning that you need more than that to make a living.

"After this is over with, let's pray he has the career going forward. I have a track record. There's a whole list of names that didn't survive the mental beat down.

"When you watch Saturday you're going to watch something you've seen over and over. I can't help if you all get bored. You're going to have to write the story.

"Enjoy and understand that this is history. I'm defending something bigger than a title. My legendary 20-plus year legacy is more important than anything around my waist."

NAAZIM RICHARDSON, Hopkins' Trainer

"I've seen a lot of these young guys as they grew up. I've known Shawn Porter so long I remember when his father was fighting. Seeing all these guys up in this position is great and needs to be paid attention to.

"This guy, Bernard Hopkins, you've said everything you could say about him. We just hope you guys appreciate it. This guy has been fighting all the way through.

"Bernard teaches me all the time. I want people to understand when they see Bernard that you're not seeing the microwave era of boxing. You have to appreciate it, the sweet science of boxing. These guys on the undercard are lucky because they get to see it.

"I want people to acknowledge that we're dealing with a special athlete in Bernard. Thirty is old in boxing, guys still perform at 30 but it's old. So what he's doing is ridiculous.

"Everything he does is history. Every bag he hits is a part of history. Because what he's doing has never been done. Bernard is the oldest athlete to hold a title in any sport.

"Bernard now carries Joe Frazier's spirit in Philadelphia. It's not the same style but it's the same mentality. He never says die and never surrenders."

MARVIS FRAZIER, Joe Frazier's Son

"Bernard Hopkins is a true humanitarian. My father passed away in the midst of people putting together a statue for him. No one would come to the table; Golden Boy and Bernard Hopkins said they would build the statue for my father.

"I love this guy, he's a great brother and on behalf of the Frazier family I want to thank you and Golden Boy Promotions for what they have done and are about to do."

# # # #

In the history-making main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® (9 p.m. ET/PT following the premiere of Episode 1 of ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Maidana) the 49-year-old Hopkins (54-6-2, 32 KOs), of Philadelphia, will be seeking to become the oldest fighter in boxing history to unify world titles when he puts his IBF Light Heavyweight title on the line against his WBA counterpart, Shumenov (14-1, 9 KOs), of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, who is aiming to become the fastest fighter to unify the light heavyweight division with only 15 professional fights.

The two other world title fights on SHOWTIME -- unbeaten IBF Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter (23-0-1), ofCleveland, defends against former world champion Paulie Malignaggi (33-5, 7 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y. and unbeaten WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter Quillin (30-0, 22 KOs), of Brooklyn, risks his belt against the Czech Republic's Lukas Konecny (50-4, 23 KOs). Three live preliminary fights will precede the SHOWTIME telecast on SHOWTIME EXTREME®(7 p.m. ET/PT): Sadam Ali (18-0, 11 KOs), Brooklyn, vs. Michael Clark (44-9-1, 18 KOs ) Columbus, OH., 10 rounds, welterweights; Zachary Ochoa (6-0, 3 KOs), Brooklyn, vs. Hector Marengo (6-7-4, 4 KOs), Arecibo, Puerto Rico, 4/6 rounds, junior welterweights; and Marcus Browne (9-0, 7 KOs), Staten Island, N.Y., vs. Otis Griffin, 24-15-2 (10 KOs) Sacramento, Calif., 8 rounds, light heavyweights.

Tickets priced at $25, $50, $75, $200 and $300, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale now and available online at http://www.ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000. The DC Armory Box Office will be open on fight night only from 3 p.m.-10 p.m. ET.

Hopkins vs. Shumenov, a 12-round fight for the IBF, WBA and IBA Light Heavyweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-features, Shawn Porter defends his IBF Welterweight World Title against Paulie Malignaggi and Peter Quillin puts his WBO Middleweight World Title on the line against Lukas Konecny. The live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) immediately following ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Maidana. The telecast will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.sports.sho.com and follow on Twitter at @TheRealBHop and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #HopkinsShumenov and become a fan on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing

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