Hopkins’ nasty side expected to come out today

By Joe Scalzo

Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik will appear at a pep rally to promote their fight

YOUNGSTOWN — In July, 2001, Bernard Hopkins appeared at a public press conference in Puerto Rico before his fight with Felix Trinidad.

In front of a large audience, he insulted the country and its fighter, made obscene gestures to the crowd and stomped on a Puerto Rican flag.

The crowd responded by throwing bottles, rocks and chairs.

“He had to run out of the place before they killed him,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.

Hopkins escaped with bruises and scratches (he reportedly lost his watch) but he didn’t leave with much remorse. Throughout his career, Hopkins has enjoyed being the villain.

“He loves to go into the belly of the beast,” said Arum. “He enjoys going into the other guy’s hometown and getting them riled up.”

He’ll get another chance today, when he and middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik appear at a 1 p.m. pep rally at the Chevrolet Centre to promote their Oct. 18 bout in Atlantic City.

So far, Hopkins has been (strangely) complimentary of Pavlik.

Arum expects that to change.

“Bernard ain’t gonna be nice [today],” said Arum, Pavlik’s promoter. “Bernard will be Bernard. He’s gonna put on a show.

“It’s gonna be nuts.”

The event is free and open to the public. Team Pavlik is hoping several thousand people attend the event, which features a sign/banner contest. The three winners (judged by the fighters) will receive a pair of tickets to the fight.

Promoters use these rallies to build interest in the fight, but it only works if the fighter has a strong fan base. Although Pavlik hasn’t fought in Youngstown since November 2006, thousands from the Valley have followed him to Atlantic City and Las Vegas for recent bouts.

“Doing a press conference in Kelly’s hometown sends a huge, huge message throughout the Midwest and the rest of the country,” said Arum. “Youngstown has become like a brand. When people write about politics, Youngstown is almost a symbol of the whole Rust Belt.”

Arum flew into Pittsburgh on Tuesday from Nice, France, where he said the people know about Youngstown because of Pavlik and the role it has played recently in politics.

“It’s amazing,” Arum said.

Although the 43-year-old Hopkins isn’t the fighter he once was, his name still carries weight in the boxing world.

“He’s [Pavlik] fighting a legend,” said Arum. “Nobody has beaten up Hopkins and if Kelly can knock Hopkins out or beat the hell out of him, he’ll be on top of the world.”

Arum said there are fewer than 4,000 tickets remaining for the bout — that already tops the 7,000 tickets sold for June’s Pavlik-Gary Lockett bout at Boardwalk Hall — with the $500 and $350 tickets sold out and the $700 seats almost gone. The $200, $100 and $75 seats are still available.

Arum expects the fight to sell out and said it has gotten more attention in Europe than the upcoming bout between Joe Calzaghe of Wales and Roy Jones Jr.

“The English people don’t give a [expletive] about Jones and Calzaghe,” Arum said. “People say they can’t wait for Kelly and Hopkins. You can sense that Kelly’s fan base is really expanding.”

Since Calzaghe has vowed to retire after the Jones bout, Arum will next turn his attention to a fight with IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham of Germany, most likely in early 2009.

scalzo@vindy.com