Pavlik, Hopkins exchange first war of words

By Joe Scalzo | October 9, 2008 at 12:06a.m.

Pavlik and Hopkins Youngstown rally

Pavlik is a 4-1 favorite when the two fighters meet Oct. 18 in Atlantic City.

Kelly Pavlik gets asked about his weight, Bernard Hopkins gets asked about his age.

Pavlik gets asked about winning by knockout, Hopkins gets asked about losing his recent fights by controversial decisions.

Pavlik gets asked about his next fight. Hopkins gets asked, “When’s your last fight?”

Not surprisingly, Pavlik is a 4-1 favorite for their bout Oct. 18 in Atlantic City. But the 43-year-old Hopkins said people will eat their words.

“If I’m not the same person I was in 2001, I want someone to prove that by putting me on my [butt], by making me look like I shouldn’t be in the ring,” he said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to relax and not get caught up in trying to prove something to people I’m not fighting in the ring.”

Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs) will not defend his middleweight title in the 170-pound bout, but both fighters will be defending their legacy.

Pavlik, who has few challengers remaining at the middleweight level, is trying to secure a win over a boxing legend who many feel hasn’t been beaten decisively. Hopkins is trying to prove he still has something left in the tank after a 20-year career at the top.

“I’m an old baseball man,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, whose company represents Pavlik. “The home run is very dramatic, but I’ll take singles and doubles as long as my team has more runs at the end of the game.

“If the knockout comes, great. If it doesn’t come, we won’t be disappointed.”

Pavlik has won 10 of his last 11 bouts by knockout — his lone decision came against Jermain Taylor, who he had already knocked out — and has made a career out of flooring the un-floorable. He said knocking out Hopkins — who has never been knocked out and hasn’t been knocked down in more than a decade — would be a “huge statement.”

“That would be ... one of the biggest statements of the last 40 years in boxing,” Pavlik said. “The question is, What happens when he gets hit flush? Eventually his defense is going to lapse a few times.

“I have to take advantage of that.”

Hopkins, a defensive counterpuncher, is confident he knows enough tricks to school the 26-year-old, and said the fight is a good matchup.

“An offensive guy and a defensive veteran — that’s a perfect match,” he said. “Can Bernard Hopkins derail the Mack truck? I’m going to flatten his tires, slow it up and then it will conk out.”

Pavlik is winding down his training camp and is scheduled to spar 12 rounds today. He bruised his left elbow a month ago — that revelation caused a stir on the Internet — but said it’s nothing ice couldn’t fix.

He also said he weighed between 171-172 pounds Wednesday and won’t have any trouble making the 170-pound limit or being sharp at the higher weight.

“It’s an advantage to me,” he said. “I can eat more, so I’ll have more energy and more snap on my punches. I walk around at 175-176, so I don’t have to kill myself to make weight.

“I’ll be ready to go.”

Hopkins’ trainer, Freddie Roach, said a few months ago that he thinks Hopkins should retire. But the self-proclaimed “fitness fanatic” said people should ignore his age and focus on his ability.

“A lot of people are concerned about me,” said Hopkins. “I will be OK. I’m not a fool. I’m a thinker. I’m a guy who likes to take big challenges.

“I will beat [Pavlik] impressively and show the world Bernard Hopkins is a great champion.”

scalzo@vindy.com