WBC AND RING MAGAZINE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION JEAN PASCAL AND FORMER WORLD CHAMPION BERNARD HOPKINS TAKE TO NEW YORK TO ANNOUNCE DEC. 18 CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT AT PEPSI COLISEUM IN QUEBEC CITY, CANADA LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

Posted on | October 20, 2010 | No Comments

Hopkins says he’s “Coming full circle.
My first title was on SHOWTIME.
The birth of Bernard started on SHOWTIME!”

NEW YORK (Oct. 20, 2010) — Ring Magazine and WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Jean Pascal and former Two-Division World Champion and future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins announced their upcoming world championship fight as they hosted the only U.S. press conference on the last leg of a four-city international press tour at Planet Hollywood Times Square on Wednesday.

Later in the day, the pair were joined by Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions, in a visit to the NASDAQ MarketSite in Times Square where they presided over the ringing of the NASDAQ Closing Bell. Also participating in the day’s festivities was Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports, who said he couldn’t be happier to offer SHOWTIME fight fans an early Christmas gift by having the fight moved off of pay-per-view and onto SHOWITME.

The following quotes came from the main players involved in the 12-round world championship fight – which will take place Dec. 18 at the Pepsi Coliseum in Québec City, Canada, and will be televised live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT delayed on the West Coast) – during their four-city, three-day, two-country press tour.

JEAN PASCAL

“Bernard came into my country the last two days and he disrespected me in front of my people. I won’t disrespect him in front of people in his country because my mom taught me to always respect my elders.

“I would like to thank SHOWTIME for getting this fight on their network because when that bell rings it will be ‘show time.’

“I have heard Bernard say that he took Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor to school. You know what Bernard? I went to high school and I went to college and guess what? I was an A+ student.

“Bernard knows what time it is. It’s about time for a new era. I’m the new kid on the block.”

“Bernard is trying to put the pressure on me. He is saying that he is going to take me to school.

“I have nothing to prove. I have nothing to back up. He has to back up his legacy.

“Bernard wants to be like me. This man says he has a 20-year-old body. I am going to show the world that he really has a 40-year-old body.

BERNARD HOPKINS

“If anybody understands life they know that time somehow finds its way back to you. It’s called ‘Coming full circle.’ My first title was won on SHOWTIME. The birth of Bernard started on SHOWTIME.

“This kid is in over his head! I know he can’t swim so I’ll take him in deep waters.

“At 35, people thought I was old and then I beat Felix Trinidad. I’ve been blessed to fight so long. It says something for me to be able to stand at a podium and speak articulately.

“I’m the teacher. I’m going to take the student and give him an apple. And then, he’s going to be humble. He’s confident, but when the bell rings, that’s when I’m at my best.”

“I know how I thought and how I was when I was in my 20’s. I know that mentality. He believes he can beat me or he wouldn’t be here.

“I respect him, but I am going to beat him up. I have been a part of a lot of shenanigans so if I am talking a little nice, don’t get it twisted.

“This is one of the greatest motivations for me. To be in this position all of these years. Many people here have been to a lot of my press conferences. This one is a little different. Why? Because of the situation I am in right now. This is a chance to make another chapter of my career come to fruition.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA

“This fight is billed as ‘Dynasty.’ Will Bernard Hopkins continue to reign on top or will Jean Pascal carry that torch that Bernard has been carrying for the longest time in this sport?

“Bernard Hopkins, as you all know, will be going for history once again. Bernard Hopkins has proven a lot of doubters wrong. He has proven to a lot of people that it can be done and he has proven to a lot of people that age doesn’t matter in any sport.

“I like and respect Jean Pascal very much. He is an exciting young champion.

“I have to admit that when I fought him and I saw him (Hopkins) across the ring before the bell rang for the first round, I was unnerved when I realized the greatness and the skill level of the man I was about to face.

“Everyone is brave at the press conference. It is a different animal when it comes to seeing your opponent face to face in the ring.

“My uncle recently said to me, ‘I know Bernard Hopkins knocked you out, but I am going to root for him because he is closer to my age.’ This is the movement that Bernard Hopkins is really creating.

“He is showing that age doesn’t matter. Inside the ring, outside the ring, age doesn’t matter. He sleeps, eats and breaths boxing. That is his life. When you are a dedicated person, you are going to last very long in this sport. He is a master at what he does. That is why he can continue to challenge the young lions like Jean Pascal.”

KEN HERSHMAN

“Bernard fought on SHOWTIME many years ago, and has actually never lost on SHOWTIME. We will see if his streak continues.

“Pascal vs. Hopkins will be the last show of the year for us and we can’t think of a better way to end it with these great champions.

“This was going to be a pay-per-view event. We believe this is pay-per-view caliber, but because of some other opportunities we were able to move it to SHOWTIME and we were happy to do it.

“Without this cooperation and we would not have been able to move this fight to SHOWTIME. Hopkins and Pascal felt they wanted to showcase their talents in front of the widest possible audience.”

Pascal vs. Hopkins is promoted by Groupe Yvon Michel Inc. and Golden Boy Promotions and presented by the Casino de Montreal and The City of Québec Tourism.