- 2 days ago
IBF Middleweight Champion Bernard Hopkins faces WBC Champion Keith Holmes in the first round of the Middleweight Unification Tournament from the theater at Madison Square Garden. Plus post fight interviews with Felix Trinidad and WBA Champion William Joppy
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:00:00Let's get ready for the live business of the middleweight championship tournament, which begins tonight with Bernard Hopkins against Keith Holmes.
00:00:08You know, for decades, the middleweight division was the second most glamorous division in boxing behind only the heavyweights,
00:00:16going back to pre-war superstars like Stanley Ketchel, Harry Greb, Mickey Walker, and then on through the career of Sugar Ray Robinson,
00:00:24the latter half of which was spent in the middleweight division where he established superiority over other big middleweight names like Tony Zale and Jake LaMotta.
00:00:33Then on into the 80s, where superstars Marvin Hagler, Ray Leonard, and Thomas Hearns all spent significant portions of their career as middleweights.
00:00:43But since Hagler left to go to Italy after losing to Ray Leonard in 1987, the division has fallen on much more nondescript times.
00:00:51There are good fighters there, not superstar fighters like the ones who've been fighting just below them or just above them, Roy Jones and the heavyweights.
00:00:59Now here's a chance for the middleweight division to regain its glamour as the top three fighters in the division welcome newcomer Felix Trinidad up from 154 pounds
00:01:08and prepare to fight a tournament for all the marbles.
00:01:11Hopkins against Holmes tonight.
00:01:13Trinidad against the third middleweight belt holder, William Joppe, on May 12.
00:01:17The two winners to fight each other on September 15 on TV KO.
00:01:23More on this.
00:01:24We turn now to two-time heavyweight champion and world championship boxing expert George Foreman.
00:01:28George, if this were a horse race and there were odds,
00:01:31Bernard Hopkins would be the number two favorite probably behind Felix Trinidad.
00:01:36But Hopkins is on record as saying, after all of his career,
00:01:39if I don't win this tournament, meaning two fights, not just tonight,
00:01:42but tonight and against the winner in September, then my career means nothing.
00:01:46It's an amazing thing to say.
00:01:48Is he putting too much pressure on himself?
00:01:49I think you want to go on record like that.
00:01:51Then you put a lot of pressure, necessary pressure.
00:01:54To say, I want it all or nothing is the best way you want it.
00:01:58Then you've got to get out there and prepare for it.
00:02:00I think he put himself in an excellent position to motivate himself.
00:02:04Why not?
00:02:04Matches his intensity as a fighter.
00:02:06That's part of Bernard Hopkins' stock in trade.
00:02:09Larry Merchant, Keith Holmes' stock in trade is that he is a tall, slick southpaw.
00:02:14That often spells trouble for the opponent.
00:02:16Does it tonight spell major upset?
00:02:19It could spell the fact that he is the dark horse in this tournament.
00:02:24Not only that, but it also spells vegan.
00:02:28The string bean Holmes doesn't eat red meat, poultry, fish, or dairy.
00:02:34He is a true vegetarian.
00:02:36Of course, Bernard Hopkins responds, to fight him, you have to eat nails.
00:02:43Hey, Bernard, Popeye the Sailor Man got all his muscles eating spinach.
00:02:48He's the real dark horse in this tournament.
00:02:50He's the only fighter who likes being called a tomato can, right?
00:02:53Or in his case, a tofu can.
00:02:55So let's take a look at the tale of the tape for the wagon, Keith Holmes, against the meat-eating Bernard Hopkins.
00:03:02And you can see that Hopkins is 36 years old, began his career late after a stint in prison,
00:03:09and surely has as much desire as any fighter that age has ever had in this weight class.
00:03:14They're tall middleweights, 6'1 and 6'2.
00:03:166' reach advantage for Holmes.
00:03:18He'll try to use it to pepper Hopkins with his good jab from the outside.
00:03:22Holmes weighed in 2 1⁄2 pounds under the middleweight limit.
00:03:26And tonight's weights, well, there's a disparity.
00:03:29These are unofficial weights based on an HBO scale.
00:03:33The New York State Athletic Commission has nothing to do with those unofficial weights you see at the bottom.
00:03:37Purely for information, according to our scale, Hopkins weighs 172 tonight, 9 pounds more than Holmes.
00:03:45Punch stat numbers, Larry.
00:03:47Look at their activity.
00:03:48It's roughly the same.
00:03:50Not a whole lot to choose from.
00:03:51Hopkins, a little bit more accurate according to these numbers on total punches thrown.
00:03:58But in the important category of power punches, Hopkins throws many more.
00:04:05He's going to have to do that to get inside of Holmes' long reach.
00:04:12And a comment on the judging of the fight with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
00:04:17Okay, Jimmy, we want to take this time to quickly mention the four points that the judges use to score each individual round.
00:04:23Clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense with a strong emphasis on clean punching.
00:04:32Jim.
00:04:35As you watch tonight, you can log on to HBO.com slash boxing for live trainer audio, CompuBox punch stats, and an open chat room.
00:04:46Talk about what's going on in the fight.
00:04:47Choose which trainer you want to listen to.
00:04:49All available on our boxing website, www.hbo.com slash boxing.
00:04:55Short walks into the ring here at the Garden's theater room at the big house next door, the smaller, more intimate arena.
00:05:07On this night before Easter, Bernard Hopkins enters in his executioner's guard.
00:05:12I watched that Bruce Springsteen concert on HBO last night, Jim.
00:05:39Springsteen, Springsteen, looks for salvation and redemption with rock and roll, Hopkins with rock and style.
00:05:50He has a sincere passion to make up for all of his past mistakes, to overcome all of the political hurdles he's had to go over and around and under to get to this point in his career.
00:06:07Here we go.
00:06:25Surely the most talkative starfighter in the sport.
00:06:31Hopkins has talked his way out of more big fights
00:06:34than Oscar De La Hoya has earned his way into.
00:06:37But here is his chance for prominence.
00:06:39And it is because of all of his political difficulties in the past,
00:06:44his problems with managers, promoters, matchmakers, etc.,
00:06:47that he says, if I don't win this tournament,
00:06:50my career will have come to nothing.
00:06:51Tonight he's gunning for a 13th successful middleweight title bout appearance,
00:06:57which would separate him from Marvin Hagler
00:07:00and put him within one of the record owned by Argentine star Carlos Manzón.
00:07:06And we take a look at the record.
00:07:08Bernard Hopkins lost his first professional fight
00:07:11and lost again on a unanimous decision to Roy Jones in the spring of 1993.
00:07:16Those are the only two losses in his career.
00:07:1928 knockouts for the executioner.
00:07:29Referee Steve Smoger
00:07:30with an initial word to Bernard.
00:07:35And here comes Keith Holmes.
00:07:37YAH SHAPI! YAH SHAPI!
00:07:39YAH SHAPI!
00:07:41Say, he is called one and only.
00:07:44Allah is not sufficient.
00:07:46He is not, nor is it begotten.
00:07:48And there is none comparable to Allah, Allah, Allah.
00:08:00Holmes sees Hopkins as just another neighborhood bully.
00:08:07Among many he's had to deal with in his life.
00:08:14Incidentally, Jim, he's a cousin of Holly Mims,
00:08:19who was an outstanding middleweight in the 50s and 60s,
00:08:23fought Sugar Ray Robinson to the distance.
00:08:29Reuben Hurricane Carter floored him in the first round.
00:08:32Yeah.
00:08:34Lost a decision to Georgia Battle.
00:08:37Mims is an outstanding fighter,
00:08:39and Holmes' cousin never knew him, really.
00:08:44But there is a tradition in his family of fighting.
00:08:49Underdog here tonight.
00:08:53Holmes hails from Washington, D.C.
00:08:55William Joppy, who will be the underdog against Trinidad on May 12,
00:09:00also hails from Washington, D.C.
00:09:06So the final in this tournament could be a neighborhood battle
00:09:10if we see two upsets tonight and again on May 12.
00:09:14The record for Holmes, 35 wins, two losses, 23 KOs.
00:09:19He has deceptive punching power.
00:09:23And now let's go to ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.
00:09:25to kick off the middleweight championship series.
00:09:28Ladies and gentlemen, a very good evening to you,
00:09:36and we welcome you to our featured bout of the evening
00:09:40here at the world's most famous arena.
00:09:43We are at the theater here at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
00:10:00At this time, we present the first round
00:10:03of the middleweight world championship series.
00:10:06It is all brought to you by Don King Productions
00:10:08in association with Madison Square Garden,
00:10:11HBO Sports, and Budweiser.
00:10:14The undisputed king of beers, this Bud's for you.
00:10:18This back coming away is sanctioned by the World Boxing Council
00:10:21President Jose Suleiman, Supervisor Mauricio Suleiman,
00:10:25along with the International Boxing Federation,
00:10:28the President Hiawatha Knights, Supervisor Darrell Peoples,
00:10:32and the New York State Athletic Commission,
00:10:34the Chairman Mel Souther, Commissioners Jerome Becker
00:10:37and Mark Kornstein.
00:10:39Introducing to you our three judges,
00:10:41scoring the bat from ringside, from Harlem, New York,
00:10:44George Colon, from Hillside, New Jersey,
00:10:48Larry Hazard Jr., from Brick, New Jersey, Tom Kazmarek,
00:10:53and the third man of the ring, a referee in charge,
00:10:55working in this his 89th professional bout.
00:10:58Introducing Steve Smoger.
00:11:03All right, fans, here we go with the featured bout of the evening,
00:11:0712 rounds of boxing for the WBC and IBF Middleweight Championship
00:11:12World Championship of the World.
00:11:14And now, ladies and gentlemen in attendance,
00:11:16and boxing fans joining us around the world,
00:11:20live from Madison Square Garden,
00:11:23it's time for the main event of the evening.
00:11:29Introducing to you first on my right,
00:11:32the WBC World Champion fighting out of the blue corner,
00:11:36wearing blue trunks and hailing from our nation's capital
00:11:40of Washington, D.C.
00:11:42He weighed in at a trim and ready, 157 and one half pounds,
00:11:47his record 35 wins, two losses,
00:11:50with 23 wins coming by way of knockout.
00:11:53Here is the two-time WBC Middleweight Champion of the World,
00:11:59introducing Keith Holm.
00:12:06And his opponent across the ring,
00:12:11the IBF World Champion on my left,
00:12:13fighting out of the blue corner.
00:12:15He is wearing black trunks with gold trim,
00:12:18fighting out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
00:12:22He weighed in at 159 pounds,
00:12:26his record 38 wins, two losses,
00:12:29one draw with 28 big wins coming by way of knockout.
00:12:33Ladies and gentlemen, tonight,
00:12:35he is making the 13th defense of his title.
00:12:38Please welcome the IBF Middleweight Champion of the World,
00:12:43introducing Bernard, the executioner Hopkins.
00:12:49Once again, our referee in charge, Steve Smoker,
00:12:56now to give instructions, 12 rounds of boxing schedule.
00:12:59Oh, I'm sorry!
00:13:01Are you all right, babe?
00:13:02Yeah, we're back.
00:13:03Keith!
00:13:07All right, gentlemen, you were giving your instructions.
00:13:12I can weigh in.
00:13:13I want you to obey my commands at all times.
00:13:14Respect the bell, and above all, protect yourself at all times.
00:13:16God bless.
00:13:17Touch him up.
00:13:18Touch him up.
00:13:19Everything is fine.
00:13:20Everything is fine.
00:13:21Don't start.
00:13:22Get in the corner.
00:13:23Get in the corner.
00:13:24You can't hurt me, Steve.
00:13:25You can't hurt me.
00:13:26Sometimes it takes a long time to become young,
00:13:31as Bernard Hopkins has appeared the last couple of years.
00:13:37But you can also get old very fast in this game.
00:13:43And Hopkins is, by at least four years,
00:13:48the oldest fighter in this tournament.
00:13:51Tommy!
00:14:00Keith Holmes is younger, longer, younger, potentially hungrier.
00:14:05But will that hunger mean something against the tenacity
00:14:09and skills of Bernard Hopkins?
00:14:12Holmes has got to be in position to make the big guy,
00:14:15he's talked all the big talk, make him run into something.
00:14:18I wouldn't take any steps forward.
00:14:20Make him come to you.
00:14:22And, of course, Hopkins, he's talked the fire now.
00:14:25He's got to bring the burner.
00:14:28It was interesting, George.
00:14:29I had a conversation with 130-pound star,
00:14:32Sean Bay Mitchell, who, uh,
00:14:35actually 140-pound star Sean Bay Mitchell,
00:14:37who has sparred down in Washington, D.C.,
00:14:39with both Holmes and William Joppy in this tournament.
00:14:42He said Holmes hits very hard
00:14:44if he catches you at the end of his punches.
00:14:47You can limit his power by stepping inside
00:14:49and making him shorten his punches up.
00:14:51Yeah, that's the way it is with most guys,
00:14:53especially with the longer arm.
00:14:54Mm-hmm.
00:14:55They need that extension for power.
00:14:56They need that extension for power.
00:14:59They need that extension for power.
00:15:01Don't come. Step. Step. Step.
00:15:04Step. Step up.
00:15:06...
00:15:14This is where Hopkins wants to be, and Holmes doesn't.
00:15:16Don't come. Don't come. Step up.
00:15:19Let's go.
00:15:21Keep him in there!
00:15:22Get out, baby! Get out!
00:15:24In case you can read Holmes' waistband, that designation,
00:15:30Ben Yehuda, son of Judah, is his name in Hebrew.
00:15:34He's a member of a small sect called the African Hebrew Israelites.
00:15:39Don't punch! Don't punch! Step out! Step out! Step out!
00:15:49Don't punch! Don't punch! Step!
00:15:51Step out! When I say don't punch, you break clean. Come on.
00:15:58Holmes keep that right jab out there for all time.
00:16:02Makes Hopkins have to jump in,
00:16:04and when he's in there, he's out of position.
00:16:05That's why it turns into a clinch.
00:16:09When he's in rhythm,
00:16:10Holmes throws an average of more than 40 jabs per round.
00:16:14That's against other opponents.
00:16:17If he can average more than 40 jabs a round
00:16:19against Bernard Hopkins,
00:16:21Hopkins will have a challenge getting inside.
00:16:24Hands up!
00:16:26They're at those shots.
00:16:44Unexpected...
00:16:46almost an overhand left that Holme is thrown.
00:16:50Whoo!
00:16:52Almost.
00:16:54That's the lead.
00:16:56Round one, a tactical round.
00:16:59If they fight 12 rounds like that,
00:17:01Keith Holmes is gonna be a happy man.
00:17:03Okay, baby.
00:17:06You gotta get busy with the left hand, son.
00:17:08Better to know what the left hand's all about.
00:17:10You're not dabbing enough.
00:17:12Don't worry about a ladder, just let it move, okay?
00:17:14Just let the hand move.
00:17:15Got the towel.
00:17:16If you get any close, let them shots rip inside,
00:17:18all right, baby?
00:17:20Got them rip up inside.
00:17:21Play with him.
00:17:22The only way you're gonna set him up for that straight left hand
00:17:24is off that jab.
00:17:26Keep that jab out in front of him.
00:17:27Okay.
00:17:28Okay?
00:17:29All right.
00:17:32Now, don't stand...
00:17:34Don't stand direct in front of him.
00:17:36Move around him.
00:17:37Don't stand direct in front of him.
00:17:39Okay?
00:17:40Keep the stick in front of him.
00:17:41Keep the stick on him.
00:17:42All right.
00:17:43You gotta do that.
00:17:44Take your time.
00:17:45All right?
00:17:46Stay focused, too, okay?
00:17:48Stay focused.
00:17:52I scored that first round even.
00:17:55And if you're wondering what happens in the tournament
00:17:57if there's a draw, they do it again.
00:18:01CompuBox numbers in the first round.
00:18:05Favorite Hopkins.
00:18:0610 of 31 for 32%.
00:18:07Holmes only 6 of 36.
00:18:10Holmes landing only 2 of 27 jabs.
00:18:13But they stayed at distance.
00:18:16And that's what I was referring to when I said that
00:18:18Holmes would like the fight if it stayed that way.
00:18:21You'll have to be more active.
00:18:25I said that right straight left hand that Holmes threw
00:18:28was unexpected because it had a little power on it.
00:18:31Hopkins tasted something I don't think he's prepared to taste a lot of.
00:18:36He took a fight.
00:18:37Don't punch.
00:18:38Don't punch.
00:18:51Step, step.
00:18:53Here.
00:18:54Don't punch.
00:18:55Don't punch.
00:18:56Step, step.
00:18:57Here.
00:18:59Don't punch.
00:19:03Don't punch.
00:19:05Come on, step, step, step. Step out.
00:19:10Keith Holmes has got eyes like flashlights.
00:19:15You can believe he's using them.
00:19:18He sees the whole body of Hopkins.
00:19:21And Holmes, for his part,
00:19:23says that he thinks Hopkins closes his eyes
00:19:26when he comes in.
00:19:28In fact, he said Bernard's big strength
00:19:31is intimidating fighters before the fight
00:19:33of the fight.
00:19:35If you're fighting a guy with good eyes
00:19:37and reflexes like Holmes,
00:19:38you got to stay real close to them,
00:19:40keep your hand on them at all times
00:19:42because they can see any little slip-up.
00:19:45Cute throw.
00:19:46Straight right hand by Hopkins,
00:19:48partially blocked by Holmes.
00:19:50Now Hopkins goes to the body with success.
00:19:52Let him out, let him out.
00:19:54Don't punch, don't punch.
00:19:56Stop holding him and he'll watch his head.
00:19:59Come on.
00:20:02We're coming out.
00:20:07One, two, three, seven.
00:20:11Quick though punch, don't punch, step it.
00:20:21Don't punch.
00:20:22Hopkins is pretty smart.
00:20:24He watches when the referee is on one side.
00:20:26And he hits down low.
00:20:29He's certain the referee can't see him.
00:20:37Don't punch. Don't punch.
00:20:39Step out. Step out. Step out.
00:20:41Step out. Step out.
00:20:43Step out.
00:20:59This is why you should raise your tall left-handed sons to be relief pitchers, not fighters.
00:21:07The pressure on, baby. Keep the pressure on. Keep it on. Keep it on.
00:21:11Use that left hand a little more inside for me, son.
00:21:13Use it a little more, okay?
00:21:15Give me out his back.
00:21:17I'm gonna get my rhythm this hard.
00:21:19Okay. You're picking it up. You're getting it up.
00:21:21You're getting it up.
00:21:23You got to keep this down.
00:21:25You got it. You got it. You got it.
00:21:27You got to keep it. You got to keep it.
00:21:29You got to keep it. You got it. That's the key right there.
00:21:31Box, baby, okay? Right?
00:21:33Come on, now. You got to use that step.
00:21:35Look, you are going to hit him with that left-handed and hit him with that right judge.
00:21:37That's right.
00:21:39You got to hit him with that through.
00:21:41Come on, now. Hit the struggle with some body shots on the inside.
00:21:43Good.
00:21:44Okay?
00:21:45All right.
00:21:46All right, but keep your jab in front of you.
00:21:47Come on.
00:21:48You got to work it, man.
00:21:52CompuBox numbers through round two.
00:21:54Holmes, seen by CompuBox's punch counters to have landed only eight of 57 jabs.
00:22:00Hopkins with a 22-7 edge in power connects.
00:22:03Round two, much more to Hopkins liking in terms of style.
00:22:11And you heard Holmes' corner asking him to step forward and land the jab so that he can start to set up something else.
00:22:19Hopkins with a hard right hand up the middle.
00:22:22Hopkins trying to make Holmes take the lead and then counter him.
00:22:27Pull out, pull out, pull out.
00:22:28Something Holmes would be uncomfortable with, preferring to counter-touch.
00:22:32When a guy is following you around, hitting you in all kinds of places, like Holmes is doing, like Hopkins are doing Holmes, you find yourself trying to protect yourself more than executing what you're gonna tell you to do.
00:23:01That's what's happening to Holmes now.
00:23:05So Hopkins has managed to put Holmes on the defensive.
00:23:08Hank, don't punch, don't punch.
00:23:09There it was.
00:23:10Just as you said, George, Bernard Hopkins throwing borderline low blows right on the belt line on the side away from Steve Smoker.
00:23:19And the referee isn't tall enough to kind of peep over.
00:23:22George, the referee would have to be about 6'6 to peep over some of them.
00:23:30Well, if you're not tall enough, get around there.
00:23:32You gotta move both sides.
00:23:33You're right.
00:23:34Hopkins diving in to go to the body there.
00:23:37Hank, don't punch, don't punch.
00:23:39You teach your fighter to watch the opponent, but Hopkins is watching the referee.
00:23:45Hank, don't punch, don't punch, Bernard.
00:23:47Bernard Hopkins repeatedly said in pre-fight public appearances leading up to this,
00:23:52if I can't knock out Keith Holmes, I don't deserve to win this tournament.
00:23:57This won't go the distance.
00:23:59Holmes said, let him talk.
00:24:01I've been an underdog all my life.
00:24:03I don't mind being an underdog here.
00:24:05Now, that good combination was instigated with a punchman on a belt.
00:24:09And the referee couldn't stop and warn him because the action got better.
00:24:16This is a smart character, Hopkins.
00:24:18It's starting to become more of a close quarters brawl than a boxing mat.
00:24:36Butch, don't punch.
00:24:37And by all odds and expectations, that should favor Bernard Hopkins.
00:24:43Now, Hopkins has to take a breath after all of those punches.
00:24:46This is when Holmes should be right on him.
00:24:49Get right back on him.
00:24:54As round three comes to a close, Keith Holmes not active enough to put any pressure on Bernard Hopkins.
00:25:02For boxing, mark these dates on your calendar.
00:25:05One week from tonight, heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis takes on Hasim Rahman
00:25:10in a title fight live from the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa.
00:25:14The fight will take place at 5 o'clock in the morning Johannesburg time
00:25:18so that we can show it to you in primetime here on HBO.
00:25:21April 28, KO Nation returns.
00:25:23His undefeated welterweight champion Andrew Sixheads Lewis takes on Larry Marks.
00:25:27And on May 5, Boxing After Dark brings you fiery Fernando Vargas coming back against Wilfredo Rivera.
00:25:33Only on HBO, the heart and soul of boxing.
00:25:36He's still doing it.
00:25:39All right, now get it out there in front of him.
00:25:42Get inside.
00:25:43Bang his body.
00:25:44Bang that body of his on the inside.
00:25:46Okay?
00:25:47Put him downstairs.
00:25:48See if there was a low blow here.
00:25:51It was slightly low.
00:25:53Borderline.
00:25:54Another one on the borderline.
00:25:56You see where Holmes' trunks are very high.
00:26:00Not as high as they sometimes have been.
00:26:02They didn't show the one that really got him low before the exchange started.
00:26:08By CompuBox numbers, round three was huge for Hopkins.
00:26:11He landed 24 punches to only six for Holmes.
00:26:14Holmes' punch output has dropped with each succeeding round.
00:26:18He started out fighting what looked like his fight in the first round.
00:26:22Hasn't been able to sustain it.
00:26:24And in the third round was fighting Hopkins' fight.
00:26:27Push your arm, please!
00:26:28It's got him right back up!
00:26:29It's got him right back up!
00:26:31Let it go!
00:26:33Let it go!
00:26:35Let it go!
00:26:36Let it go!
00:26:37Let it go!
00:26:38Let it go!
00:26:39Let it go!
00:26:40Let it go!
00:26:41Let it go!
00:26:42Let it go!
00:26:43Let it go!
00:26:44Sometimes it's good to let a guy like Hopkins
00:26:47to spend himself by throwing all those low and high blows
00:26:50and just keep your jab in his chest and in his chin, on his chin.
00:26:53Harold, how do you have it through the first three?
00:26:55Okay, Jim, three to nothing, 30 to 27, Bernard Hopkins.
00:26:59Jim, I gotta tell you, Bernard Hopkins, interestingly enough,
00:27:02starts that circling the wrong way.
00:27:03Goes to the right.
00:27:04Keith Holmes should pop him with the straight left.
00:27:06He can't pull the trigger.
00:27:07Another thing, when they get him close,
00:27:09Keith Holmes doesn't grab Bernard behind the elbows.
00:27:12Therefore, Bernard can work on the inside
00:27:14before sport feels great.
00:27:16You gotta grab Bernard Hopkins behind those elbows
00:27:19and tie him up, or he's just gonna keep working inside.
00:27:24Break, break, break. Come on, get out.
00:27:27Oh, you don't wanna bend your neck like that
00:27:29with a guy like that.
00:27:30He's a fish out of water inside, isn't he, George?
00:27:33I mean, he's just not comfortable fighting in close quarters,
00:27:35and it's obvious, yeah.
00:27:36When your neck get bent like that,
00:27:38then the rest of your energy goes.
00:27:39When your neck get bent like that,
00:27:40then the rest of your energy goes.
00:27:43Break, break.
00:27:45Keith, all you're doing is holding.
00:27:47Keep on the reverse.
00:27:49Back there.
00:27:50Fox.
00:27:53And you heard Steve Smoker coaching
00:27:55Keith Holmes there saying,
00:27:56Keith, all you're doing is holding.
00:27:57Fox.
00:27:58He proclaimed to the referee, and that's why.
00:28:00Don't punch, don't punch, snap.
00:28:02He answered him with that.
00:28:04He's got nothing.
00:28:09Hopkins is stepping in and leading with right hands
00:28:11to the chest and the belly.
00:28:13Step out. Step out.
00:28:16Gennard, you gotta keep him up, you understand?
00:28:18Keep him up.
00:28:19Finally, we got a warning.
00:28:21Smoker's got his hands full tonight.
00:28:26Another right-hand lead.
00:28:29This is Holmes' chance now to jump on him.
00:28:32He's trying to coast a little bit.
00:28:34Hopkins is trying to coast.
00:28:36You gotta get right on it.
00:28:37Step, step, step.
00:28:39Keep him up, keep him up, Bernard.
00:28:41Keep him up.
00:28:42Hopkins landed the little low blow.
00:28:43Holmes looked right at the referee.
00:28:45Holmes is about an inch or an inch and a half taller than Hopkins, whose trunks are about four inches taller than Hopkins' trunks.
00:29:08Good observation there.
00:29:15We need it on, Keith.
00:29:18We didn't do it.
00:29:19We don't want him to punch.
00:29:20We do the punch, Keith.
00:29:21Okay, good enough.
00:29:22Good enough.
00:29:23That's the way to go, Steve.
00:29:24Thank you very much.
00:29:25Come on, now.
00:29:26You gotta let them hands go.
00:29:27Are you ready, baby?
00:29:28You gotta let your hands go.
00:29:29Ready?
00:29:30All right.
00:29:31Let's roll, man.
00:29:32Let's roll.
00:29:33Don't let your hands go.
00:29:34Let's get busy.
00:29:35You understand?
00:29:36Come on.
00:29:37Busy with the jab.
00:29:38Busy.
00:29:39Busy.
00:29:40Busy.
00:29:41I want to read for you.
00:29:43Don't give him a whole lot of time.
00:29:44Right there.
00:29:45Right there.
00:29:46Don't give him a whole lot of time in between the brakes, okay?
00:29:49Wrap up on top of him.
00:29:50All right, baby?
00:29:51You're right.
00:29:52You're right.
00:29:53You're right.
00:29:54You're right.
00:29:55You're right.
00:29:56You're right.
00:29:57You're right.
00:29:58You're right.
00:29:59You're right.
00:30:00Thank you, baby.
00:30:01Give him some fint, Tex.
00:30:04Hopkins is trained by the veteran Bowie Fisher.
00:30:07You've seen him many times here on HBO in the past,
00:30:09notably with Ivan Robinson,
00:30:11who had some memorable fights against Artura Gatti
00:30:14and others on this channel.
00:30:16Holmes is trained by Dave Jacobs.
00:30:19Time.
00:30:20Stay right there, Bernard.
00:30:21Who was with Sugar Ray Leonard through much of his career.
00:30:23Now Smoker is gonna stop the action
00:30:25and get a re-tape on Keith Holmes' right glove.
00:30:32All the way around.
00:30:33The thing I've noticed about Holmes, George,
00:30:37is that he isn't really using the jab effectively.
00:30:41He's not trying to throw it hard.
00:30:43He's not working it.
00:30:45Look at that.
00:30:46I mean, he's just throwing it out there nice.
00:30:49He's blocking it.
00:30:50I mean, if that's his asset, his height and his reach,
00:30:54when is he gonna use it?
00:30:55Look at that.
00:30:56Hopkins has been very successful
00:30:58at making this guy protect himself.
00:31:01If he overextends his jab,
00:31:03he thinks that this guy's gonna run into him
00:31:05and hit him somewhere.
00:31:06Well, if he's afraid to throw his best weapon,
00:31:08then he's giving up on the fight.
00:31:10That's it.
00:31:11That's well said.
00:31:14Let him out, come on, let him out.
00:31:20Body shot by Holmes was his most effective punch so far.
00:31:24Hopkins coming back with body shots of his own.
00:31:27I think it's the right time for Holmes to open up.
00:31:30Now Hopkins has been spinning himself,
00:31:32reaching and jumping in as much.
00:31:34Get right back on him. He's tired.
00:31:36Coming into the fight, it was a given
00:31:38that if Holmes wanted to win,
00:31:39he would have to be busier,
00:31:41more active than Hopkins.
00:31:43Hopkins has been averaging
00:31:45at least 10 punches per round more
00:31:47than Holmes in output.
00:31:57Hey, no punch!
00:31:58No punch!
00:31:59No punch!
00:32:00No punch!
00:32:01George, coming into the fight,
00:32:02Keith Holmes and his people were totally preoccupied
00:32:06with the notion that Hopkins would foul them.
00:32:08They were talking about all the things
00:32:09they would discuss with the referee,
00:32:11low blows, holding and hitting,
00:32:13holding behind the head,
00:32:14hitting behind the head.
00:32:15And it accounted for the bulk of their conversation
00:32:18in our fighter meeting.
00:32:19Does a fighter already have an advantage
00:32:21if the opponent is thinking all the time
00:32:23about the possibility that he'll be fouled?
00:32:25Well, the advantage is,
00:32:27and Hopkins is doing all of the above also.
00:32:31So he was worried about them.
00:32:33Now they're helping,
00:32:34and the ref has got to do something now.
00:32:36Time!
00:32:39Time!
00:32:40Low blow.
00:32:43Holmes winks at George Foreman.
00:32:49One point.
00:32:51One point low blow.
00:32:53And a point deduction by Smoker.
00:32:55You're on the other clock.
00:32:57You're on the other clock.
00:32:59One point.
00:33:01One point.
00:33:02One point.
00:33:03One point.
00:33:04One point.
00:33:05One point.
00:33:06One point.
00:33:07One point.
00:33:08One point.
00:33:09One point.
00:33:10One point.
00:33:11One point.
00:33:12One point.
00:33:13One point.
00:33:14One point.
00:33:15One point.
00:33:16One point.
00:33:17One point.
00:33:18One point.
00:33:19One point.
00:33:20One point.
00:33:21One point.
00:33:22One point.
00:33:23One point.
00:33:24One point.
00:33:25When you ask Bernard Hopkins what a Philadelphia fighter is,
00:33:30he said, nuts, bolts, and balls.
00:33:35And keep a left hook waiting on the burner.
00:33:37He's got it to five.
00:33:42All right.
00:33:46Holmes still doesn't look comfortable.
00:33:48Regular clock.
00:33:51But he has sense to going back to the action.
00:33:55There's a swelling that has begun around the left eye of Keith Holmes.
00:34:09Well, the corner can work on that left eye,
00:34:11but those punches below the belt and on the legs
00:34:15that he's got, he's received, can't work on that.
00:34:17Almost two.
00:34:24Hopkins, having already lost one point for low blows,
00:34:27continued to flirt with the belt line there.
00:34:29And again.
00:34:32Holmes has been put in a position where he's got to fight now.
00:34:34Too many rounds built against him.
00:34:36He's got to fight.
00:34:37It's a Bernard Hopkins kind of a fight with five rounds in the books.
00:34:47Go give him no excuse, baby.
00:34:49Go give him no excuse.
00:34:50Good job, man.
00:34:52Take a rest.
00:34:53Don't give him no excuse, sir.
00:34:59Use that left hand a little more and put yourself in a little more closer position
00:35:02and double your shots.
00:35:03Okay.
00:35:04Double your shots.
00:35:05Not one big charge, okay?
00:35:07No.
00:35:08No.
00:35:09You got to go back to his stick, okay?
00:35:10Mm-hmm.
00:35:11You get on the inside, you got to fight this guy on the inside.
00:35:13He felt the power.
00:35:14Don't just don't, just don't sit there.
00:35:15You can't just sit there, Keith.
00:35:17That's work.
00:35:18You cannot sit there, okay?
00:35:19That's the stick.
00:35:20All right.
00:35:21You heard him with his name?
00:35:22Yeah.
00:35:23All right.
00:35:24What's happening here, Larry?
00:35:29Well, Bernard Hopkins had to go to South America to win his middleweight title, and he's
00:35:34still going to South America.
00:35:37Some of those punches are right on the leg where it's really hard.
00:35:41Hard to recover.
00:35:45He's still going to be first.
00:35:46Come!
00:35:47George, you're going to be first.
00:35:48Come!
00:35:49George, you're going to be first.
00:35:50Come!
00:35:51George, you're going to be first.
00:35:52Come!
00:35:53At what point, George, should Holmes consider taking the law into his own hands, hitting
00:35:58fire with fire?
00:35:59fighting fire with fire.
00:36:01He's about two rounds behind on doing fletch.
00:36:04Because we saw a perfect example last week,
00:36:06but, you know, Marco Antonio Barrera,
00:36:08every time he thought he was fouled,
00:36:09he went right back at Prince Nassim
00:36:11with the same kind of activity
00:36:13and didn't wait for the referee to discipline that.
00:36:15What I meant is Holmes should be more aggressive
00:36:17and start jumping on him with punches.
00:36:19Break, break, break!
00:36:20You don't want to hit below the belt
00:36:21and get into that kind of thing,
00:36:22because you can lose.
00:36:24Referee's already taking a point from your opponent.
00:36:26So just fight harder, huh?
00:36:27Just fight harder.
00:36:28Fight him.
00:36:30That's what Dave Jacobs trying to get him to do.
00:36:32He's equally as good a fighter as Hopkins.
00:36:35Jump on him.
00:36:36Make him protect himself.
00:36:51Up, up.
00:36:52Don't punch, don't punch.
00:36:54Step out, step out, step out.
00:36:58Stay up, stay up.
00:37:00Halfway through round six.
00:37:01Keep going, keep going, keep going, stop.
00:37:02Keep going.
00:37:07Get him back, get him back.
00:37:08Get him back!
00:37:09Get him back!
00:37:10HARP WAY THROUGH ROUND 6.
00:37:11Keith Holmes still not getting enough punches off
00:37:17to seize the initiative against Bernard Hopkins.
00:37:20Averaging about 30 punches per round,
00:37:21And this from a guy who averaged 44 jabs per round coming in.
00:37:28The old trick is to hit him below the belt,
00:37:32and before the referee can get in there, bring him up top.
00:37:35That's what he's doing. That's an old trick.
00:37:40Steve Smoger, another warning for Hopkins.
00:37:54You want to get penalized. Let's go, let's go.
00:37:59Well, Steve Smoger is exactly right.
00:38:03Too many borderline punches by Hopkins.
00:38:06Too much holding by Holmes.
00:38:09He thinks Holmes is holding, but what happens when Hopkins misses?
00:38:12He grabs him by the waist and pull him in,
00:38:15put his arms on him to make it looks like he's holding.
00:38:17He's not doing all that much holding.
00:38:23Hopkins is very smart.
00:38:27Grafty.
00:38:30Grafts the right hand like an old-time fighter.
00:38:32Hides his chin behind his shoulder like an old-time fighter.
00:38:37Seizes every possible advantage, does Bernard Hopkins.
00:38:49Don't forget this Wednesday, it's another edition of On the Record with Bob Costas.
00:38:53This season, Bob's guest list has included luminaries such as Bruce Springsteen,
00:38:57George Clooney, Vince McMahon, and Ashley Judd.
00:39:01This week, we'll hear from Kevin Bacon, Bill Russell, and Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick.
00:39:06It's live at 11 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
00:39:13Put your hands in front of him.
00:39:14You've got to throw shots in there, Keith.
00:39:16You're waiting too long.
00:39:17Pull it, Keith.
00:39:18Come on.
00:39:19Now, the more pressure you put on him, the more mistakes he makes, okay?
00:39:21Look at me. Look at me. Look at me right.
00:39:22All right?
00:39:23If you're putting pressure on him and making mistakes, this is your favor.
00:39:25You understand?
00:39:26All right?
00:39:27Just stay busy on the inside, okay?
00:39:30All right.
00:39:32So far, this has not been an auspicious start to this middleweight tournament.
00:39:42Harold, how do you have it through six?
00:39:45Okay, Jim, 59-54, five rounds for Hopkins and one even.
00:39:49In the fifth round, when Steve Smoge took away that point for the low blow,
00:39:53it became a nine-to-nine round, so that's the even round.
00:39:56Jim, I've got to tell you something.
00:39:57A low blow is anything below the belly button.
00:40:01Now, I can't see Keith Holmes' belly button know how.
00:40:04Those trunks are high.
00:40:05So when Bernard Hopkins hits you on the waistband,
00:40:08it's not always a low blow.
00:40:10I mean, either Smoge's got to pull those trunks down
00:40:13or he's got to count the punches on the waistband as legal blows,
00:40:17and that's all there is to it.
00:40:18Holmes is wearing the trunks too high.
00:40:20You're exactly right, Harold.
00:40:21I think he is counting the punches.
00:40:22Yeah, but this guy, he's been hit on the leg now, guys.
00:40:25Those are low blows. You're right.
00:40:28Not on the leg. Hopkins is hitting him on the leg.
00:40:30That has nothing to do with a waistband.
00:40:36There's no question there have been low blows.
00:40:38You're right on target, George.
00:40:40I also think that Smoge is counting the punches
00:40:42on the belt line as legal blows.
00:40:45The low blows are below that.
00:40:57One, two, three right on the belt line.
00:41:00The referee seems to let those go.
00:41:02Yep.
00:41:03But every now and then, he reaches right down,
00:41:04and that leg, I'm gonna tell you something,
00:41:06it'll make you faint when someone hits you on your leg
00:41:08in a boxing ring.
00:41:09Hey!
00:41:10No punch, no punch.
00:41:11Too many miles of road work,
00:41:13plus someone hitting you there,
00:41:14it just doesn't work for you.
00:41:17Sudden shock to the system.
00:41:18Yeah, you don't need those,
00:41:19and I don't know how he can protect you.
00:41:21He needed a protective cuff on his legs.
00:41:26Holmes looking, looking, looking, just not getting it going.
00:41:43Misses with a left, misses with a right.
00:41:47Don't punch, don't punch.
00:41:48Don't punch, don't punch.
00:41:49Slipknot, slipknot.
00:41:50Slipknot.
00:41:51Slipknot.
00:41:52Give him no excuse, Sam.
00:41:53Right back, right back, right back.
00:41:59Hopkins steps in and seizes the initiative
00:42:01with body punching again.
00:42:03Well, and Hopkins is throwing more punches
00:42:06with really mean intentions.
00:42:08Holmes isn't.
00:42:10Don't push.
00:42:11Some of them get through,
00:42:12but they all make an impression.
00:42:15Hiling up the punishment.
00:42:24Holmes is being aggressive
00:42:25without throwing a punch.
00:42:26That doesn't make sense.
00:42:27You've got to throw punches.
00:42:29Well, it's like the dog
00:42:32that chases the car,
00:42:34and then he catches it,
00:42:35and then what does he do?
00:42:36No, no, no, no, no!
00:42:45Steve Smoker patting Hopkins on the butt.
00:42:47All right, all right.
00:42:48Hopkins tried to pat him right back.
00:42:49All right, all right.
00:42:50Get a little closer.
00:42:51You're getting a little closer.
00:42:52Keep on closing in, baby.
00:42:53Keep closing in.
00:42:58Keep closing in.
00:43:00Drop your legs up and down.
00:43:01That's it.
00:43:02Stop moving down.
00:43:03I got him now.
00:43:04You got him.
00:43:05You got him.
00:43:06Just close in.
00:43:07Don't give them no excuse
00:43:08to do anything to you.
00:43:09All right, baby?
00:43:10Turn down.
00:43:11You got to use that jab more, son.
00:43:12All right.
00:43:13Come on.
00:43:14Come on, man.
00:43:15You got to step in.
00:43:16You got to fight this guy on the inside now.
00:43:18Come on.
00:43:20Let your hands go, Keith.
00:43:21You got to let your hands go.
00:43:22Okay?
00:43:23All right.
00:43:24You got to let your hands go.
00:43:26Let your hands go.
00:43:27All right.
00:43:28Give me a jab.
00:43:29All right, man.
00:43:30Okay.
00:43:32Hopkins, largely unmarked.
00:43:38Holmes' left eye continues to swell.
00:43:40Holmes threw only 23 punches by CompuBox count in round seven.
00:43:45Won't get it done.
00:43:46Hopkins, 24-48 in what has become tactically an easy fight
00:43:52for Bernard Hopkins.
00:43:53Keith Holmes just not doing much.
00:43:55I'm not holding it.
00:43:56That's it.
00:43:57Okay.
00:43:58I know.
00:43:59Gotta keep him up.
00:44:00Come on.
00:44:01Let's go.
00:44:03Let him dry the corner.
00:44:05More and more rapidly, we reach the point
00:44:07where it would be obvious that Holmes needs a knockout.
00:44:09He's had four knockouts past the seventh round,
00:44:12none of them against an opponent the caliber of Hopkins.
00:44:15Probably what he needs in his life.
00:44:17Get out there and go for a knockout.
00:44:19Make guys respect you.
00:44:21Now Holmes begins to wake up and fire.
00:44:28He'll have to take Leather to give Leather.
00:44:31Oh!
00:44:41He's got no foul.
00:44:45Be fair!
00:44:47Be fair!
00:44:48He's got no foul!
00:44:50He's still holding back.
00:44:53Get your hands up. Get up.
00:44:56Get up.
00:44:59Get up. Get up.
00:45:02Holmes' corner told him to let those fists go,
00:45:05let the punches go. He's still holding back.
00:45:09Get your hands up. Get up. Get up.
00:45:14Hopkins flirting with the belt line again.
00:45:17Come on, Bernard.
00:45:20Smoger asks them to bring him up.
00:45:23The lead out of this, Hopkins is really a good fighter, you know.
00:45:28I don't know. I am.
00:45:30That's it. Come on.
00:45:32He's certainly an aggressive fighter.
00:45:34Last one. Last warning.
00:45:37I know.
00:45:40Bernard Hopkins is in danger of being disqualified
00:45:44because body punching is what he does,
00:45:49and if he can't do it anymore...
00:45:51Stay there.
00:45:53He has not deducted another point.
00:45:56All right.
00:45:57So having once previously deducted a point
00:45:59from Hopkins for low blows...
00:46:01Well, I don't know if he was saying,
00:46:02one more and I'm gonna deduct the point,
00:46:04or one more and I'm gonna disqualify you.
00:46:06What do you think it was?
00:46:07I think the judge heard it.
00:46:11The normal pattern would be deduct a point,
00:46:14deduct another point, and then disqualify.
00:46:17Harold Letterman was reading him a little louder than me.
00:46:23Harold, what is Smoker doing here?
00:46:26Okay, Jim, my impression was that George was right,
00:46:28that Steve Smoker said one more time,
00:46:31and I'm gonna disqualify you.
00:46:32I mean, to me, it was very clear about it.
00:46:35He really told Bernard,
00:46:37either you keep them punches up,
00:46:38or I'm gonna disqualify you.
00:46:39So why not another point deduction, Harold?
00:46:41He could have.
00:46:42Let's put it that way.
00:46:43You know, you gotta realize,
00:46:44you got two world champions in here.
00:46:46It's a unification fight.
00:46:48He just doesn't want to keep pulling points,
00:46:50but he told him one more time,
00:46:51and he's gonna disqualify him.
00:46:56Seems to me you make the point a lot more clearly
00:46:58if you take another point away.
00:46:59Let's go.
00:47:00Way to five.
00:47:02There you go.
00:47:03There you go.
00:47:05There you go.
00:47:06That's it.
00:47:07Get us out.
00:47:08Fire.
00:47:09Fire.
00:47:10Doing fine.
00:47:11Doing fine.
00:47:12But you gotta work your hands, though.
00:47:13You gotta clean up this corner.
00:47:15No problem.
00:47:16Thank you very much.
00:47:17Give me a tap.
00:47:18Give me another tap.
00:47:19You go with the loop.
00:47:21Go with the loop.
00:47:22The loop will land for you.
00:47:23The right loop.
00:47:24The right loop.
00:47:25The right loop will land for you.
00:47:26The only loop it in there, son.
00:47:27Okay?
00:47:28Don't worry about going to the bottom so much.
00:47:30They're not gonna let you fight the body.
00:47:33All right.
00:47:34You heard in this corner where Hopkins was told
00:47:38they're not gonna let you fight in the body.
00:47:40Nothing gonna stop it.
00:47:41The question now is whether Hopkins can discipline himself.
00:47:44They ain't gonna let you go to the body.
00:47:45They ain't gonna let you go to the body.
00:47:46Hit him on the chin, X.
00:47:47They ain't gonna let you throw body shots.
00:47:48Hit him on the chin.
00:47:49Hit him on the chin.
00:47:50Hit him on the chin.
00:47:51And it's in the computer.
00:47:52It's in there.
00:47:54So, I think it's gonna be awfully hard for Bernard Hopkins
00:47:58to go through four rounds without going to the body.
00:48:00Time!
00:48:01Stay right there.
00:48:02That's where he lives.
00:48:03Is that all right?
00:48:04Yeah.
00:48:13Keith Holmes was slightly more active in round eight.
00:48:15He had the one big attacking flurry.
00:48:17He threw a total of 36 punches.
00:48:19But still, Hopkins threw more and landed more.
00:48:23So, barring a dramatic upset in the scoring,
00:48:26Holmes would need a knockout or a disqualification to win.
00:48:30Looks like he's got a much better chance
00:48:32of getting Hopkins to disqualify himself.
00:48:38Hopkins corner told him to loop him in a little bit.
00:48:41Do the old Philadelphia.
00:48:44Throw the loop, Bowie Fisher said.
00:48:46Throw the right-hand loop.
00:48:48There's Holmes with a straight left.
00:48:50He stands back there and wait on Holmes.
00:48:52He can get himself hurt.
00:48:53That was the right-hand loop.
00:48:54And there's a straight right hand that hurt Keith Holmes.
00:48:57Up the middle.
00:48:58And another straight right hand hurts him again.
00:49:01Push up, push up.
00:49:02Break, don't touch.
00:49:03Don't touch.
00:49:04There you go.
00:49:05In a fight like this, you're almost cool for Hopkins to don't go to the body.
00:49:19Just win the fight on top.
00:49:20Yeah.
00:49:21But you'd hate to see this tournament begin with a disqualification.
00:49:25And I'm sitting here thinking, Galata.
00:49:27Galata.
00:49:28Galata.
00:49:29Yep.
00:49:30Galata.
00:49:31You've seen it before.
00:49:32If you only just win the fight.
00:49:34Keep him up, man.
00:49:35Keep him up, man.
00:49:36Keep him up, man.
00:49:37Keep him up, man.
00:49:38Hey, don't punch, don't punch, don't punch.
00:49:39Come on.
00:49:40Put.
00:49:41Put him up, man.
00:49:42I'll see you next time.
00:49:43Move it right half hour.
00:49:44Move it right half hour.
00:49:45Put you around a half hour.
00:49:47Move it in, man.
00:49:48Push it around.
00:49:58Keep him up, come on.
00:50:00Move it right half hour.
00:50:01Move it right half hour.
00:50:02You gotta hold that damn.
00:50:09You gotta hold that.
00:50:10Hopkin seems to think it's pretty safe
00:50:12to just walk into Holmes' right and left hand.
00:50:16Doesn't even protect himself
00:50:17when he walks over to the right.
00:50:18Nearly slips on a wet spot in Holmes' corner,
00:50:21but keeps his footing and pounds Holmes with the right hand.
00:50:28This has been another low-punch-out foot round
00:50:30for Keith Holmes.
00:50:40Hopkins goes to the body.
00:50:46Take the putts!
00:51:01I think it might be more fun to watch them sweep up
00:51:03after the elephants in the circus upstairs from here.
00:51:08Why don't you go get a look?
00:51:14Tell us what it's like.
00:51:17Don't do it, Larry.
00:51:19You know he might.
00:51:33Be back in time for the decision.
00:51:35There's no doubt too much that round.
00:51:37All right.
00:51:38Okay, pick it up.
00:51:39You got to pick it up some, son.
00:51:40Okay.
00:51:41You're all right, though, right?
00:51:42Yeah.
00:51:43Okay.
00:51:44Pick it up, son.
00:51:45Don't give him too much to go about where that body was, okay?
00:51:47Double them shots to the head and rip the shots around the outside.
00:51:50You loop the shots on the outside, you can't miss it.
00:51:52All right?
00:51:53You're bringing him down.
00:51:54Yeah, you're bringing him down.
00:51:55Come on, take another look.
00:51:56We are, y'all.
00:51:57All right.
00:51:58You're all right.
00:51:59Stay on top, son.
00:52:00Stay on top.
00:52:01Rubble.
00:52:02Rubble.
00:52:03Rubble.
00:52:04Rubble.
00:52:05I wonder what Tito Trinidad over there on the other side of the ring thinks of all
00:52:21of this.
00:52:22It's largely because of him that this tournament is underway.
00:52:28Well, we'll find out in a live interview with Tito and William Joppy at the end of the
00:52:35evening.
00:52:36Harold, how do you have it through 9?
00:52:37Welcome to Philadelphia, Keith Holmes.
00:52:39Okay, Jim, I mean, this is, you know, a typical Philadelphia fight.
00:52:43Bernard Hopkins rushes in, pounds away to the body.
00:52:46Keith Holmes should have caught him with left hands coming in.
00:52:48He doesn't do it.
00:52:49Bernard's just getting inside and ripping vicious shots to the body and winning each round
00:52:53based on clean punching and effective aggressiveness.
00:52:56Keith Holmes, very, very little clean, effective punching.
00:53:05Boy, whoever gets to fight Hopkins next better go to the south line.
00:53:11You better be ready.
00:53:12This guy brings his stuff with him.
00:53:14You better be ready.
00:53:15If he wins tonight, Hopkins will await the winner of Trinidad Joppy.
00:53:23That fight takes place May 12, here in this same arena.
00:53:27The championship to be held September 15, also here at Madison Square Garden.
00:53:33He will be ready.
00:53:34可以.
00:53:35Peace out.
00:53:36Think luckily for him I will see if they should be ahead.
00:53:37This shoot is because--"HOLNS should take a chance".
00:53:38Oh, hat 순간 task now.
00:53:39Go forward!
00:53:40Now you are.
00:53:41Good straight.
00:53:42Left hand, to the jaw.
00:53:43Left hand to the jaw.
00:53:44state escritor ung.
00:53:45chiorg.
00:53:46If there was it.
00:53:48He did it!
00:53:49He did it!
00:53:50Keep there it!
00:53:53Keep there it!
00:53:54Keep there it!
00:53:55Keep there it!
00:53:56Oh, Hopkins pounding him right on the leg, George!
00:53:58Uh, Hopkins pounding him right on the leg, George.
00:53:59chaotic peque auxistering the water.
00:54:02Did it on the side where Smoker wouldn't see it.
00:54:05Yep. No hitting below the belt,
00:54:07but it's okay below the knee.
00:54:32You attack Hopkins and you start crossing his elbows,
00:54:39as if to say, welcome to Philadelphia,
00:54:41as Harold Littleman said.
00:54:45He loves it.
00:54:47Bernard would have been good in the bare-knuckles days.
00:54:49You know, fight to the finish, 76 rounds,
00:54:52Jake Kilrain and John L. Sullivan.
00:54:54That's the kind of fight Bernard would have appreciated.
00:54:58He loves to talk about his degree
00:55:00from the School of Hard Knocks.
00:55:03His five-year penitentiary education.
00:55:08About as smart a guy as you'll meet in the sport.
00:55:13Layer upon layer of considered opinion on everything.
00:55:19Monday night, check out the latest edition
00:55:21of Real Sports with Brian Gumbel.
00:55:23Among the stories, a look at a question many may contemplate,
00:55:26but few articulate, Real Sports does.
00:55:28How is life for white players in the predominantly black NBA?
00:55:32Also, we follow Michael Waltrip of NASCAR
00:55:35as that sport picks up the pieces in the aftermath
00:55:37of Dale Earnhardt's tragic death.
00:55:39This premieres Monday, April 16.
00:55:41Real Sports. Nothing is out of bounds.
00:55:44Trinidad lower left.
00:55:49Felix sitting next to John Ruiz.
00:55:51Rederican heavyweight.
00:55:53And behind Ruiz is William Joppy.
00:55:56Those two ready to fight each other on May 12.
00:55:59Ready to sit with each other and be interviewed here
00:56:02live at the end of the evening.
00:56:07Felix Trinidad moving up in weight from 154
00:56:10to enter this 160-pound championship tournament.
00:56:13You put the four fighters together and physically
00:56:15he looks like the biggest of the four.
00:56:20Keith Holmes has landed only 37 of 208 jabs in this fight.
00:56:26That's an 18% connect percentage,
00:56:28about half of what Holmes is usually able to do with the jab.
00:56:32So he hadn't gotten that element of his game going tonight.
00:56:35That has given Hopkins free reign.
00:56:38Hot shot him inside and out.
00:56:40And there's a solid left hook that wobbles Holmes.
00:56:44And let's see if the executioner can execute him.
00:56:47Up, up, up, up.
00:56:48That was the closest thing to a knockdown
00:56:50that we've seen so far.
00:56:52Stopped him in his tracks.
00:56:54He was on top of the head, too.
00:56:56Nowhere near the low shots.
00:56:58Well, if Holmes wants to do anything here,
00:57:01he's got to take some chances
00:57:02and be wondering if he's going to.
00:57:04Now it's a...
00:57:06Holmes is about protecting yourself.
00:57:08That's the only thing that matters now.
00:57:10Get up, get up, get out of the car.
00:57:16Hopkins looked like he was gonna
00:57:17fall through the ropes.
00:57:18Looked like he was gonna pull Holmes
00:57:19through the ropes with him.
00:57:20Looked like he was gonna pull Holmes
00:57:21through the ropes with him.
00:57:34get up, go.
00:57:36He didn't even sign for this.
00:57:37One last one.
00:57:38Hands a little.
00:57:39Box out.
00:57:40Break, don't punch, don't punch.
00:57:41Step down, step down.
00:57:43Hopkins has got Holmes on the edge.
00:57:46If he could only just go out for the finish now,
00:57:49he could have a knockout.
00:57:51Just gonna take a few jabs.
00:57:53Another left hook, Lance Flux.
00:58:04Break, break, break, break.
00:58:06Step out, step out, move.
00:58:08Step out, step out, step out.
00:58:16Holmes just not doing much to keep Hopkins off of him.
00:58:19Break, break, break.
00:58:23Come on.
00:58:24Get up, get up, get up, get up.
00:58:26Two, get up.
00:58:27Come on.
00:58:28P, get up.
00:58:29Oh, get up.
00:58:30Come on.
00:58:38This is when you need a jam.
00:58:43Tough against a rangy softball.
00:58:49Instead, Hopkins elects to let Holmes lead
00:58:53and try to counter for the knockout.
00:58:55Brings him a little closer to him, he figures.
00:59:13No knockdown, no knockdown, no knockdown.
00:59:15Come on, come on, get over here.
00:59:21A little trickle of blood
00:59:22from the right nostril of Bernard Hopkins,
00:59:24George Foreman points out to me.
00:59:27Well, he needed some kind of a background
00:59:29to show he was in the fight, right?
00:59:31Short right hand, son.
00:59:32Short right hand.
00:59:34All right?
00:59:34Close this one out, right?
00:59:35Yeah, you got to close this one out, baby.
00:59:37You need this round bad, bad.
00:59:39Come on now.
00:59:41I'm telling you what I need to tell you, son.
00:59:43I'm telling you what I need to tell you.
00:59:44Okay?
00:59:45I'm going to lead this round.
00:59:46I'm telling you what's working, dude.
00:59:47You got to fight him now, Keith.
00:59:49Come on now.
00:59:50Come on.
00:59:51You got one more to go.
00:59:52Put them together now.
00:59:53All right, this is it right here, Chad.
00:59:54You got one more to go.
00:59:55It's up to you.
00:59:56It's up to you now.
00:59:57Make all that hard work pay off, man.
00:59:58It's up to you now.
00:59:59Make all that hard work pay off, man.
01:00:00Clean up the water buckets.
01:00:01Come on.
01:00:02Give me some water.
01:00:03Give me some water.
01:00:04Give me some water.
01:00:07Ladies and gentlemen, we're approaching the 12th and final round for this ball.
01:00:10Let's hear him on his head to the center of the rear.
01:00:13This is round 12.
01:00:19Touch him.
01:00:20Touch him.
01:00:21God bless.
01:00:22Let's go.
01:00:25Fascinating corner work there.
01:00:27Hopkins appears to have won virtually every round, but you heard Bowie Fisher telling him,
01:00:32you really need this last round.
01:00:34I'm telling you the truth, son.
01:00:35You've got to have this last round.
01:00:37I didn't hear any of Holmes' people tell him that he ought to be going for a knockout.
01:00:43This is a fight.
01:00:44When you go 12 rounds, it's the judges who count.
01:00:47Harold, how do you have it through 11?
01:00:49That's it.
01:00:50What do you want to get this ball fight for?
01:00:52Come on, Keith.
01:00:53Okay, Jim.
01:00:5410 rounds for Bernard Hopkins.
01:00:56One round.
01:00:57That was not a hard shot.
01:00:58109-99, Bernard Hopkins.
01:01:01This is the knockout that Keith Holmes is looking to get right here.
01:01:05Get up the fight.
01:01:06He's trying to win this fight under disqualification.
01:01:08Go ahead.
01:01:09That was not a hard blow.
01:01:10You're not going to get it that way, Keith.
01:01:23You've got to fight it to win it.
01:01:25There you go.
01:01:26Let's go.
01:01:27Let's go.
01:01:28Keep them up.
01:01:29Hopkins playing to the crowd across the ring.
01:01:32Smoger makes clear to Holmes he's got to come back and fight.
01:01:36Bernard Hopkins shouldn't throw another punch below his shoulders.
01:01:42Which is pretty much what Smoger told him as he sent him to the neutral corner.
01:01:53In my young day, Larry, if you had said that to me, I would have come out of the ring and
01:01:57gotten him.
01:01:58If I'd have said what?
01:02:00But you just had the Holmes in his face.
01:02:04Yeah, but he won't go out and get the guy he's fighting.
01:02:07Why would he come out of the ring and get me?
01:02:09I told you about that corner.
01:02:10You want to use the opponent.
01:02:11Well, that's true.
01:02:12Up, up, up.
01:02:15But it's also true he's made a very feeble effort, George.
01:02:28He's fighting for big stakes, the biggest fight of his life.
01:02:32And he hasn't shown us any will.
01:02:35Hopkins has really been smart about the way he's doing about whipping this guy.
01:02:41He's done a good job.
01:02:44Hopkins would love to finish this up by knocking Holmes out, having said for weeks that if
01:02:52he didn't knock Holmes out, he didn't deserve to be undisputed middleweight champion.
01:02:57As one New York columnist pointed out this morning, the most likely result in the fight
01:03:03is Hopkins by decision.
01:03:04And guess what?
01:03:05If Bernard wins a decision, he ain't gonna give it back, regardless of what he said
01:03:10about how he ought to knock Holmes out.
01:03:12He said it was part height.
01:03:13He said it was part height.
01:03:27Hopkins is so crafty, George.
01:03:30It's like he's playing games in there.
01:03:33He's a good fighter.
01:03:34I don't know what's with the punches below the belt.
01:03:39He's a very good fighter.
01:03:40He doesn't need it.
01:03:41Indemnation, I suppose.
01:03:42And here's the guy who seems to be way ahead, trying to close the show.
01:03:52The guy who's behind has conceded the fight, it appears.
01:04:04A less than thrilling beginning for the thrilling concept of a middleweight unification tournament.
01:04:11By all expectations, Trinidad Joppy will be a better fight.
01:04:26Here's the guy who's in the head of the head of the head of the head of the head of the head of the head.
01:04:31Or becky.
01:04:32I'm making popsicles.
01:04:33You're working.
01:04:34You're working, man.
01:04:35You're working, man.
01:04:36You're working, Keith.
01:04:37Everything's cool, man.
01:04:38You're working.
01:04:39You're working.
01:04:40Come on, man.
01:04:41All right.
01:04:42Let's walk the ring again.
01:04:43Hey!
01:04:44Holy!
01:04:45Let's walk the ring again!
01:04:46Keep him up, move up, walk the ring!
01:04:47Keith Holmes by copy-box numbers through 20 punches in round 12.
01:04:5218 quarter for Larry's point.
01:04:5920.
01:05:00He tied, D block.
01:05:04D block.
01:05:05Under-spinning champ!
01:05:14Bowled tie.
01:05:19I mind beating.
01:05:21I can beat it, so I can beat it.
01:05:22Why?
01:05:23Lost guy.
01:05:24That's right.
01:05:25Lost guy.
01:05:26To the cradle, to the cradle.
01:05:28All right.
01:05:30All right.
01:05:31Hi, Larry.
01:05:32Hi, George.
01:05:33I bet you George is my friend now.
01:05:35He's seen him trying to fake it, but it didn't work, George.
01:05:38Big George, my man.
01:05:40Larry Merchant, Jim Lapney, HBO, Madison Square Garden.
01:05:43You know what?
01:05:44Uppercutton, Delaware, everybody, family.
01:05:46Hopkins showed us tonight that he's a good fighter.
01:05:48I know y'all love it.
01:05:49I'm telling you, whoever's got to meet him
01:05:51in the rest of this tournament, I feel for them.
01:05:53They better go to the hills, and they better stay in the hills.
01:05:56Come down when you're ready.
01:05:57Well, that's gonna be exciting.
01:05:58I'm on my way.
01:05:59The guy is tough.
01:06:00The haters gotta go to sleep.
01:06:01Barring some overwhelming shock here on the scorecards,
01:06:06Bernard Hopkins has fought his way into the final
01:06:08of the middleweight championship series
01:06:10to take place September 15 on TVKO Pay-Per-View.
01:06:16You never know with the judges.
01:06:18You just never know.
01:06:19How you feeling, John?
01:06:20Boy, is that ever true.
01:06:21I was in Atlantic City one night when George Foreman
01:06:24somehow lost a decision to Shannon Briggs in a fight
01:06:27in which I think Foreman won 10 or 11 rounds.
01:06:29Yeah, but you always think I win.
01:06:31Yeah, I do.
01:06:32I think he won tonight, too.
01:06:33Let's go up to Jimmy Lennon, Jr. for the official particulars
01:06:36on this one.
01:06:37Ladies and gentlemen, after 12 rounds of action,
01:06:41we go to the scorecards with a unanimous decision.
01:06:44Here are the score totals.
01:06:45Judge at ringside, Larry Hazard, Jr., scores at 117 to 110.
01:06:51Judge George Colon sees it 118 to 109.
01:06:56Tom Kaczmarek scores the mat 119 to 108.
01:07:01All three in favor of the winner.
01:07:03Now the WBC and the IBF middleweight champion of the world
01:07:08continuing in the series, Bernard the Executioner Humpkin.
01:07:15Hopkins did a good job.
01:07:28So we get the expected scores and the easy unanimous decision
01:07:32victory for Hopkins.
01:07:33CompuBox numbers will underline the route.
01:07:36Hopkins landing 175 more punches, throwing 190 more punches,
01:07:43landing at twice the percentage of Holmes,
01:07:45who really never got going with the jab and the perimeter attack,
01:07:50which was supposed to deliver him a chance to win the fight.
01:07:56Jabs.
01:07:57Hopkins dispensing with the tactic for the most part,
01:08:00landing only 3 of 72.
01:08:02More to the point,
01:08:03Keith Holmes throwing only 225 jabs in 12 rounds.
01:08:07That's fewer than 20 per round from a guy who came in
01:08:10averaging 44 jabs per round.
01:08:13In other words, he couldn't win fighting that way.
01:08:15Let's go to Larry Merchant with the winner.
01:08:17Thank you very much, Jim.
01:08:19Congratulations.
01:08:20Bernard, first question has to be, you said you wouldn't regard it
01:08:26as a victory if you didn't knock him out.
01:08:28You didn't knock him out.
01:08:30You almost schneided him, won all the rounds.
01:08:33What are your thoughts?
01:08:34Well, first of all, I did predict that I would knock him out.
01:08:36And if I didn't knock him out, I didn't deserve to be the
01:08:39undisputed midway champion.
01:08:40And simple as that, I lied.
01:08:42I'm going to move on and go ahead and finish the tournament.
01:08:45Keith is an awkward guy.
01:08:47I was a little anxious, I must say, Larry.
01:08:49And, you know, by the big controversy about the belt,
01:08:52about hitting him low and things like that,
01:08:54it took away from my game.
01:08:55I was real conscious of it.
01:08:56I think a lot of times if people witnessed that I did hit him
01:08:59on the belt line, maybe one or two low, but not intentionally.
01:09:02And that kind of hindered my ability, but I kept pressing though, Larry.
01:09:05Yeah, but you did hit him some clearly low punches
01:09:08as well as the ones on the borderline.
01:09:10Was...
01:09:11I apologize to him.
01:09:12Huh?
01:09:13I apologize.
01:09:14I'm sorry.
01:09:15Things happened, Larry.
01:09:16And then I'd intentionally do it.
01:09:17Yeah, but how close were you, did you feel,
01:09:19to being disqualified in the last four rounds?
01:09:21Well, I didn't think about it until I guess Steve said,
01:09:24Bernard, look, I'm going to have to disqualify you.
01:09:26And I said, Steve, he's pushing my head down.
01:09:28I'm hitting him.
01:09:29He's kind of tall.
01:09:30Got me about an inch or two.
01:09:31But, you know, I did keep him back in my mind, Larry,
01:09:34but I couldn't retreat and let him get courage to move forward.
01:09:38You know what I mean?
01:09:39Look, but were you so conscious of it that you felt,
01:09:42well, I can't even hit him below the shoulders now
01:09:44because I'm winning the fight?
01:09:46Well, Larry, I wanted to, you know, I figured I should hit myself.
01:09:48Maybe I'll get some points for it because, you know,
01:09:50I was scared to hit him anywhere.
01:09:52I mean, to be honest with you, and, you know, I don't want to lose
01:09:55on a disqualification.
01:09:56I better lose on the ground on my back.
01:09:57But, yeah, I was a little leery, Larry.
01:09:59I was a little leery.
01:10:00The next fight won't be that way.
01:10:01All right, we're going to take a look at some of the action in this fight.
01:10:05But it was serious.
01:10:06If we can show some of the low blows.
01:10:08Tell us what's happening here and why.
01:10:10I'm on the belt line.
01:10:11I'm on the belt line.
01:10:12I'm on the hip there.
01:10:13That's the belt line.
01:10:14Right on his name.
01:10:15See, that's legal.
01:10:16That's legal.
01:10:17That ain't legal.
01:10:18You see him pulling me down, though.
01:10:19He's pulling me down.
01:10:20I can't see where I'm hitting.
01:10:21I'm just letting my hands go.
01:10:22My trainer said, always let your hands go.
01:10:23You know what?
01:10:24Steve Smogas, short as he is, caught a break.
01:10:25Because I could have clipped him a couple of times.
01:10:28Not intentionally.
01:10:29But, you know, he's holding him with one hand.
01:10:30I'm whacking him.
01:10:31And I'm whacking him.
01:10:32Watch this shot.
01:10:33Larry, look.
01:10:34That's right on the belt line.
01:10:35On the belt line.
01:10:36Right there.
01:10:37On the belt line.
01:10:38You're going to see another right hand.
01:10:39Right there.
01:10:40Borderline, borderline.
01:10:41Borderline to you is low to everybody else.
01:10:43Hey, I don't know.
01:10:44Maybe my measurement is off, you know.
01:10:47Do you have to fight?
01:10:48Like HBO, think Don King.
01:10:49Do you have to fight that kind of a rough house fight to be effective, Bernard?
01:10:53I think I have to fight the fight that I've been taught in Philadelphia.
01:10:56Hey, maybe I should get on some Prozac or something.
01:10:58I've been taught to blame my trainer.
01:10:59He taught me the rough and tough fighter.
01:11:00You ever seen Benny?
01:11:01Oh, you've seen Benny Briscoe.
01:11:02You come out of Philadelphia.
01:11:03Rough and tough.
01:11:04Elbows, kneecaps, and all nine yards.
01:11:06This is fighting, Larry.
01:11:07People want to see blood and guts.
01:11:09What's going to happen in the second fight of the series?
01:11:14What are you hoping happens?
01:11:16Well, first of all, no more guaranteed knockouts, but I'll win.
01:11:18I will tell you I will win the tournament.
01:11:20I don't care if it's Joppy.
01:11:21I don't care if it's Keith.
01:11:22No, he's done.
01:11:23Trinidad.
01:11:24I will be rooting for both of them.
01:11:25But you know, I got a lot of African Americans behind me to take on them Puerto Ricans.
01:11:30Well, you're going to make a race war out of it.
01:11:32Is that what you're saying?
01:11:33I will make, I guess, you could say a positive situation where you got Spanish people that support their fighters way back in Escalero days, and African Americans will lobby at Hopkins because the Mexicans lobby of Fernando Vargas when he fought Trinidad.
01:11:51So why not the African Americans who are proud people also come together and start what we call a trial against each other.
01:11:58We're the Mandingo trial.
01:11:59They will be the San Magago trial.
01:12:03All right.
01:12:04Tribal warfare.
01:12:05Just what we need.
01:12:06I love you, Larry.
01:12:07Got a nice haircut, man.
01:12:09Thank you, Bernard.
01:12:10So we've started this experiment in a middleweight tournament.
01:12:17You know, there have been some middleweight and heavyweight and other tournaments in the past.
01:12:22Something frequently happens to stop it from reaching its final goal.
01:12:27Somebody wins a fight, starts to think they're worth a whole lot more money.
01:12:31And before you know it, it all falls apart.
01:12:34That's been known to happen.
01:12:36Still and all, it's not a bad idea.
01:12:39Madison Square Garden deserves a lot of credit for putting up some money.
01:12:44Tito Trinidad deserves much of the credit because he's the one that makes this happen.
01:12:50And to give the devil, the true devil his due, Don King deserves the credit for putting it together as well.
01:12:57Jim?
01:12:58Well said, Larry.
01:12:59And here are the two men who we hope will give us a much more presentable and interesting fight when they meet on May 12.
01:13:07Felix Tito Trinidad, 154-pound world champion, moving up to fight 160-pound titleist William Joppe.
01:13:13We'll be back to talk to them about what they saw tonight and what they expect in the future after this look at some upcoming fights.
01:13:20Throughout April and May, HBO will continue to deliver a lineup loaded with powerful matchups,
01:13:26as well as the continuation of tonight's middleweight tournament to determine the best 160-pound fighter in the world.
01:13:31The unification series continues on May 12 with Felix Tito Trinidad.
01:13:35Fresh from his epic battle with Fernando Vargas, Trinidad moves up a weight class to join the middleweights.
01:13:40His opponent, WBA titleist William Joppe, plans on making this a visit to remember.
01:13:45The winners will meet later this fall to decide the undisputed middleweight championship.
01:13:50The only thing bigger than that would be a heavyweight event for the ages.
01:13:54Lennox Lewis fulfills his pledge to Nelson Mandela to defend his title in Johannesburg, South Africa.
01:13:59Fighting for the first time since his shutout of David Tua,
01:14:03Lewis will look to parade his talents versus Hasim Rahmans in defense of the heavyweight crowd.
01:14:08KO Nation closes out the month of April with Andrew Sixhead Lewis
01:14:13and his first title defense as a welterweight belt holder.
01:14:16He dominated former titleist James Page to become Guyana's first world champion boxer.
01:14:21In May, Boxing After Dark hosts fiery Trinidad former foe Fernando Vargas.
01:14:27His passion and explosive skills will be on display as Vargas sets out to prove he's still a major force.
01:14:34On May 26, Floyd Mayweather returns home to Michigan in grand style for his seventh title defense.
01:14:42Boxing's biggest stars are spotlighted in April and May here on HBO.
01:14:48The heart and soul of boxing.
01:14:53We bring it back live to ringside at Madison Square Garden in a moment.
01:14:56I'll be asking middleweight titleist William Joppy for his thoughts on the fight that he just saw.
01:15:00But first, let's start out with Felix Tito Trinidad with the help of interpreter Robert Abramowitz.
01:15:05What did he think of the fight that he just saw and of Hopkins' performance in it?
01:15:09What did you think of the fight that you just saw and how you saw Hopkins?
01:15:12Well, Hopkins was strong.
01:15:15He looked very strong.
01:15:16I thought that he was going to win the fight and that's what happened.
01:15:22As you look forward to the possibility of fighting Hopkins in the fall, do you already know what plan you would use against him?
01:15:29He says, first I've got to beat William Joppy who's a great champion at 160 and then after that we'll see what happens.
01:15:34More on that in a second.
01:15:35William, what did you think of the fight and were you disappointed that your fellow Washington D.C. native Keith Holmes didn't put up more of an aggressive fight against Hopkins?
01:15:44Well, you know, I'm not really worried about who won the fight.
01:15:47Long of them will be standing there September 15th for the winner.
01:15:51Um, Benard Hopkins did what he had to do, you know, um, that was just fighting rough tactics, the inside fighting.
01:16:02Keith Holmes couldn't really deal with it and, um, um, Benard Hopkins prevailed.
01:16:04about who won the fight. Long of them will be standing there September 15th for the winner.
01:16:09Bernard Hopkins did what he had to do. That was his fight and rough tactics, the inside fighting.
01:16:14Keith Holmes couldn't really deal with it. Bernard Hopkins prevailed.
01:16:19Holmes' people coming into the fight talked incessantly about Bernard's rough tactics
01:16:24and all the things they wanted the referee to do to try to prevent Hopkins from fouling.
01:16:29When a fighter's that preoccupied with what the opponent might do, has he already lost before he
01:16:34comes in? Exactly. See, this is fighting, just like Bernard Hopkins said. Now, if Bernard Hopkins hit me low, hit him back low. It's fighting.
01:16:40You know what I mean? And it's just the way Keith Holmes went about it wrong, complaining to the ref already, so already Bernard Hopkins got in his head.
01:16:47You're the 160-pound fighter. Felix is moving up from 154. And yet, a lot of people in the sport seem to see your matchup as a battle
01:16:55between Tito's punching power and your speed. How do you see that? I have punching power, too.
01:17:00He comes in up to 160 pounds, and he feels he can deal with the middleweight, but I'm going to show him that he doesn't belong at the middleweight division.
01:17:08Would you be a more elusive, speedier, more moving target than he's faced in the lowerweight classes?
01:17:14It's going to be like the matador versus the bull, but I'm going to show him a bull, too.
01:17:18All right, William. Good luck to you.
01:17:21Ask Tito for me. What does he know of Joppy's skills, and what specifically about Joppy impresses him?
01:17:28What do you know of the technique of Joppy, and what does he impress you about?
01:17:31Joppy is a great player, a player who is quite intelligent in the ring, but I want to go up to the ring, and win, and that's what I'm going to do.
01:17:49When Tito moved from 147 to 154, I felt that he became more stable on his feet and a stronger, more well-rounded fighter.
01:17:58Does he expect the same thing to happen moving up to 160?
01:18:01He says, I'm going to be stronger, and I'm dedicating this fight to everybody in Puerto Rico, especially the mothers.
01:18:26He's the reason this tournament is taking place, because he's willing to move up to 160 instead of staying at 154 to seek big money fights with De La Hoya and Mosley.
01:18:37Why is he doing this?
01:18:38He says, this is a great opportunity for him in 160, and he says, when they wanted to fight.
01:19:08If they want to fight them at that weight, they haven't done it.
01:19:10All right, so he'll wait and see whether they want to come up and meet him at 160, right?
01:19:14So he'll wait and see whether they want to come up and meet him at 160, right?
01:19:19He says that he's going to win this tournament, and then he's going to wait for everybody, Oscar, Sugar Shane, and Roy Jones Jr. as well.
01:19:34Muchos gracias, Tito.
01:19:36Buena suerte.
01:19:37Many thanks, William.
01:19:39Best of luck.
01:19:40Okay.
01:19:40We'll see them both on May 12 in this same arena when we continue with the middleweight championship series.
01:19:47Hopkins has already moved into the September 15 final.
01:19:50Who will take the other spot?
01:19:52Will it be Trinidad or Joppy?
01:19:54We'll have a final word on what happened here in the ring tonight in just a moment.
01:19:58Right now, let's look ahead to some upcoming programs again here on...
Recommended
1:13:57
|
Up next
1:19:54
1:08:35
50:54
1:26:44
54:21
1:18:14
36:30
1:28:02
Be the first to comment