POST FIGHT QUOTES FROM HOPKINS WIN OVER PAVLIK

Posted on | October 19, 2008 | No Comments

PAVLIK VS. HOPKINS FIGHT NIGHT QUOTES

Bernard Hopkins

“I think this was the best performance of my career. Better than Tarver, better than Trinidad, better than Oscar, better than my 21 defenses. I am extremely happy tonight.

(Hopkins to Pavlik in ring post-fight)

“I was a fan of yours before and I’m a fan now. You need to get a little more slickness, listen to your coach and bend your knees more. Don’t let this get you down. You’re a middleweight champion and middleweight is your destiny.

“Styles make fights. I feel really good tonight. He is a great fighter, but I knew my style and quickness was being underrated.

“He was very heavy handed and I could feel his power, but he never hurt me because I made sure he never hit me flush. I didn’t want to get hit flush.

“I wanted to stop him because they have been saying I’ve been playing it safe because of my age. So tonight I wanted to pick it up. I wanted to step it up, and now everyone I fight, I’m going to go for the knockout. But Pavlik is tough. He’s a great champion.

“I would fight Roy (Jones), but I’d also go to England to fight Calzaghe. I’d fight either one of those guys, but fighting Roy would be huge, and that’s the one that people would want to see.

“Our styles were a lot different. But I have reach and I have speed. I think I am underrated as an athlete. But I am an athlete, and after tonight’s fight I’m at peace with God and I’m really happy. I could box for another two to three years.”

Kelly Pavlik

“I just couldn’t get off, I don’t know why. It wasn’t because of Bernard’s slickness. There was just something wrong with me tonight. I couldn’t throw double jabs and I couldn’t do things that I normally can do in the ring.

“I’m going to go back to the drawing board. It just wasn’t mine tonight. I’m going back to 160 where I’m more comfortable.”

Steven Luevano

“The game plan going in was to wait and make him come toward me. So, I waited and when he came in, I was able to counter and connect. I didn’t want to go chasing after him. He moves a lot. He was a very difficult guy to fight.”

Rob Garcia (Luevano’s Chief Trainer)

“Dib is a dirty different guy, but when you are a champion, you have to fight all difficult types of challengers.”

Billy Dib

“I feel good. It was a great fight. Things happen this way. It was God’s will. Luevano fought like a warrior and you have to take it away from the champ. I’m thankful we are both leaving the fight safely. I’m going to take a short break, and I’ll be back.”

Marco A. Rubio

“The first half of the fight, I couldn’t get anything going. I couldn’t find my rhythm. But in the second half, I felt I was wearing him down and I felt I won the fight in the last two rounds. I felt I was stronger.”

Enrique Ornelas

“I don’t know what to say. I’m really disappointed, but it happens. I’ll be ready for the next one. I’m thinking of going up to super middleweight, but I have to talk to Al Hayman and Golden Boy to see what they want.

“He was pushing the last rounds. I didn’t think it was enough to take the fight, but I’m not a judge. I thought I was making him miss his punches, but the judges didn’t see it that way.”

Daniel Jacobs

“It was a great breakthrough fight for me. It was my first pay-per-view fight, and I got to show the world what to expect from Daniel Jacobs in the future.

“We are taking the competition level up inch-by-inch, and soon we’ll be at the top.”