http://planetill.com/2010/02/bernard-hopkins-vs-roy-jones-jr-the-rivalry-press-conference/
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Bernard Hopkins Vs. Roy Jones Jr.: The Rivalry Press Conference
By Odeisel
(New York, NY 2/9/2010)-The Hard Rock Café was ground zero for the preliminary festivities concerning the 17 years in the making rematch between legends Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins. The event, entitled “The Debate” featured a moderator and a referee asking both combatants six rounds of questions.
Jones, for his part repeatedly referred to Hopkins as “Big Head” and drew an analogy between “The Executioner” and a pair of pants, comparing his previous victory to the coming fight as putting back on a new pair of pants that still fit. To this, Hopkins responded that the pair of pants were “out of style bell bottoms” with stripes that no longer carry any relevance. At the heart of Jones Jr.’s argument was precedent: he beat Hopkins once, and he can do it again. Hopkins’ main retort: The Bernard you beat was a different fighter.
While the two traded barbs back and forth awkwardly, what was plainly evident was their inherent dislike for each other. What else was apparent was their begrudging respect for each other’s legacy as a Hall of Fame fighter.
Their initial bout was 17 years ago, before both fighters had cemented their brilliant careers. Roy Jones managed a unanimous decision despite fighting with a bad hand for the bulk of the fight. Following that loss, the second blemish on his record at the time, Hopkins wouldn’t take another loss for over 12 years, owning the middleweight division including stunning wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad. While he has seemingly seasoned like wine with age, this one loss has burned in his memory for almost two decades. Jones Jr. went on to decimate the light heavyweight division for the remainder of the decade and in 2003 became the first ex middle weight in over a century to win the heavyweight championship with his 12 round dismantling of John Ruiz.
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