Light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins took the news of Joe Calzaghe’s rebuttal to his training team statement as a sure sign of panic. “This poor guy used up all the air in his boxing gym to spew a bunch of nonsense about nothing really. I said what I had to say in one breathe. He knows what he is up against on April 19 and that’s all that has to be said. All those words are just like his punches-nothing on them and no damage done..”
Hopkins vs. Calzaghe “Battle of the Planet,” is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Frank Warren’s Sports Network and the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The match-up will air live from the Planet Hollywood Ring on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET / 6:45 p.m. PT.
Remaining tickets are priced at $1500, $1200, $750, $450, $350 and $250 and may be purchased by calling 866-USFIGHT or online at planethollywood.com .
Calzaghe: “It’s Just Me And My Pa!”
Hopkins yesterday revealed his ‘Execution Squad’ that includes Freddie Roach, Nazim Richardson, John David Jackson and Mackie Shilstone for the Ring Magazine light-heavyweight Championship showdown who he believes will help him inflict the first defeat on the unbeaten Welshman’s record..
By contrast none of the following specialist are required in the Calzaghe camp: conditioning, southpaw, nutritional, cardiac or confidence. Just one fiery Sardinian taskmaster, Enzo Calzaghe, the Ring Trainer of the Year, and Joe wouldn’t have it any other way.
” That’s a relief. I thought Ol’ Popkins was going to reveal that he had brought in NASA, the US Army and the ER team to help him out!” laughed Calzaghe.
” Does it worry me? Of course not. It’s the old cliché, it will be just be me and him in the ring on the night and the fact that he has all these people working with him tells you something: he’s worried about me,”
” Jeff Lacy had the highly respected Dan Birmingham in his corner but look what happened to him,”
” Poppy’s employed all these people to try and figure out how to beat me but if he can’t figure it out himself then he’s got a problem. There are no big secrets with me, my fights are all out there on DVD and he can get hold of them,”
” These are all just mind games from him. He tried to get to me during the media tour but I wasn’t bothered by him. I’m a strong character and my own man, I’m not going to fall for his bull,”
” Remember, this is the hard guy from Philadelphia who threw a fit because a warehouse was too cold to film a TV commercial in and then sulked off because the producer told him to wear socks!”
He added, “It’s just been me and my dad since I started boxing when I was 8-years-old. I don’t need anybody else and have never wanted to bring in anybody else. It’s worked for over 25 years including my amateur and 44 pro fights and in that time I have unified world titles, held the WBO world title into a record eleventh year and made 21 title defences so I’m not going to change now,”
” All I need for a training camp is my dad, a mountain to run up, clean fresh air, a boxing ring and plenty of sparring parters. That’s it plain and simple. No other experts required,”
” Ultimately it is down to me what happens in the ring on the night and if I haven’t trained properly I will be found out. But I can tell you know now that I have never been more confident preparing for a fight in my career,”
” My dad has been putting me through sheer hell in training, absolutely kicking my arse. I know what is in front of me against Hopkins and all I need is my skill, stamina, heart and unbeatable will to win to beat him,”
” When’s his 10 game plans haven’t worked and he’s forced into going toe-to-toe in the trenches with me, how is Freddie going to show him he has to use his heart to win? He can’t. That’s fighting instinct and I’m going to take him somewhere he has never been before,”
” I’m telling Hopkins now, don’t worry about my dad pulling me out because that situation won’t come up. Just make sure you know which one of your ‘Dream Team’ will have the compassion to throw in the towel when you are getting seriously bust up,”
Calzaghe finished by saying: “Come fight night it’s just you and me in the ring Bernie, the rest of your team will be safely tucked away in the corner and then we will see how you cope.”
Bernard Hopkins trains with his “Execution Squad”
With his entire team assembled at his training camp in Los Angeles, CA, light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins is settling into his intensive routine for what will be the most highly anticipated contest in boxing so far this year. Supported by trainers Freddie Roach, coming off his Saturday night triumph with his other star pugilist Manny Pacquiao; Nazim Richardson, who is the longest reigning member of Hopkins team; and southpaw specialist John David Jackson, who also saw victory this month with Nate Campbell’s win over Juan Diaz, Hopkins is leaving nothing to chance.
“This guy Calzaghe is a tough customer and his record shows that,” said Hopkins. “But I don’t think he and his father can actually “out corner” my corner when it comes to expertise and preparation. I consider my crew the “execution squad”, boxing’s elite and a vital part to my success, which will be the case on April 19. Not only am I going to beat Joe Calzaghe, I’m going to punish him and Enzo Calzaghe will be forced to stop being the trainer and start being the father and save his son for another day, the same way Don Felix Trinidad saved Tito from me.”
Also joining the training trio is conditioning expert Mackie Shilstone, who sports a perfect 5-0 record when it comes to victories for the fighters— the likes of which include Michael Spinks, Riddick Bowe, Roy Jones and Hopkins—he has worked with over the course of his boxing career.
“Bernard might be older but his body responds like a young champion,” said Shilstone. “We work out together and I watch the opponents’ tapes with him too. Trust me, we will be ready.”
Hopkins vs. Calzaghe “Battle of the Planet”, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Frank Warren’s Sports Network and the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The match-up will air live from the Planet Hollywood Ring on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/6:45 p.m. PT.
One of the greatest middleweights of all-time, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs) owned the middleweight title for over ten years before moving up to the light heavyweight division in 2006, and immediately won The Ring Magazine World Championship with a dominating 12 round decision win over Antonio Tarver. In his last fight, on July 21, 2007, Hopkins continued his amazing run at the age of 42, outpointing Winky Wright. Now it’s on to Calzaghe.
Unquestionably one of the greatest super middleweights in boxing history and currently The Ring Magazine Super Middleweight World Champion, Newbridge, Wales’ Joe Calzaghe (44-0, 32 KOs) has never tasted defeat in his pro career and has held the world super middleweight title since he defeated Chris Eubank in 1997 for the World Boxing Organization Championship. Twenty-one consecutive title defenses followed that victory — fourth-best on boxing’s all-time list — and after big wins over undefeated champions Jeff Lacy in 2006 and Mikkel Kessler in 2007 in which he added the International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) championship belts to his collection, he now seek a bigger challenge at 175 pounds where Hopkins awaits.