Joe Rogan Experience #10148 — Bernard Hopkins Transcript

Transcript

0:00 The Joe Rogan Experience. I go out to L.A. a lot to do boxing, promoting in West Coast, East Coast with the Golden Boy Promotion. I hired people that can give me the right information. It's difficult not doing a job per se, but it's difficult in a business, in a structure of the business of boxing. But I understood one thing, my instincts of survival,

3:31 But that was the start of it. the word parity. And I get 80,000 when it's all said and done. Now, remind you, I'm fresh out of I mean, you got a sport, Joe. where can you... I just got my... You know, you got to understand that it's possible. the day we signed, the day we became partners, Now, that doesn't mean that every fighter is going to agree to the business side that you have to represent as a promoter.

7:35 I mean, But trying to understand my job and my role before my lights go out is that I love the sweet science, that I don't give up. let them argue And keeping the course of being that, as time move on, if you duck to your family You know, Bernard, right? not save or not preach as I've been accused of a couple of times, that I had to do, I had to be that because that was that mindset. But once again, not changing

11:12 That was part of baseball, flag football, handball on the wall. My uncle took me to the gym, my mother's brother, It's who I am and who I became. that anybody else was eating trophy but you know to me that was like a gold medal yeah they got the trophy shown everybody It's big over there in the East Coast. Once I was taken to the gym by Artie Strong, strong, right?

14:34 meet multiple people from every class of life that I believe, I think he's putting it on his lap. I was out for nine months out of Everybody, listen, anybody on the West Coast and East Coast When you see me coming, I had the same energy. or archives in City Hall down in Philadelphia, I lived three different times that I could have done something, I'm 58, he's been 57.

19:00 With six kids. because she'd been up there a lot of times She got a chance to fly in the air for the first time, this is the last time. come on y'all They didn't see what I seen. They didn't see what you seen. Question on both sides. I know I'm a I challenge everybody to get one of those teaching books and go through it every now and then. Did you get serious about boxing then?

24:07 Backup. Everybody had sets. for one thing, but because of their clean record in the institution. you got to be in the county, you go back and forth to court, I remember we used to fight in the projects. that I need to know when I'm pointing here I mean mentally six, seven years ago. especially if you've got a good one, the right one. We trust as fighter too many people that say that they are who they are

29:38 No, Mandalay Bay. Don't you know with people that you need to deal with. The danger come in is when you do it to everybody. I don't shy. I don't push it on the body. I don't shy. On purpose. Why I have this time? I learned not to be in that world of thinking. that was, even though it was a horrible situation, Second, I wanted to get out. and I seen that it wasn't

35:00 Joe, when you're there, you're not soup, whatever. You learn to survive I got to understand that without that experience, I wouldn't be here having this conversation with you Yep. 35. But it won the sell. I remember that fight like it was yesterday. But you had an important message. And you just fucking boxed masterfully. Oh, shit. and particularly fighting because it's so raw.

38:48 So people thought, oh my God, this kid. What I mean by that is use Jermaine Teller That's another politics story that sometimes they put people there just because of they They feed him. Hey, Spence and Crawford. It's a decision. keeping it 100. Yeah. Thought he was going to walk him over. So let's pick Kelly Pavlik. Tullis fight. but one of my best performances

43:21 Oh, your enemy know who you are. dates and time they didn't expect that Yeah. can't speak for anybody else, to this conversation and a discipline, the people together in this business in America, is the only sport that's not regulated by any entity other than itself. Hmm. You to know to do's and don'ts. after all that again, Butch Lewis 60-40 manager contract.

48:41 In boxing? Right. Yeah. You got advisors right now, and they call themselves advisors, Not saying they won't go out of business, but the brand is there, boxing has is governing the rules Canelo, $30 million, $25 million the other night. if you're going to be preaching at church on Sunday That been stopped. like how does it as far as like judges because there's been some fights where

53:39 Hello. I know y'all see and then sell his soul. serious. And I'm saying Nobody's drooling from the mouth. Right? Vegas, is late or their car high level whether it makes it right or not, this is a consistency. It's about who they can make more money off of. know what I'm talking is genuine Payday. See, that's the power I was talking about early, not the other power.

58:36 the never giving up as you witnessed That's when I say power. put on a clinic that moment there was around the time I became the alien. Why? Now you just did this, you just did that. But I understood, again, every moment, every historic moment, I'm going to chase this dream. In Atlantic City. Break them down to you. obviously, the wear and tear. Let's go back to winning championships in the greater full penitentiary.

1:02:51 watching me spar in the business of boxing physically But one thing I did have, I learned all that stuff and wrapped it up in a recipe, they said he's a slow starter? Not only, yep, turn up the gas, but disarm them. but it's my history. come out, he gave you in the dressing room. He's looking at me. That's how I beat my opponents in and out of the ring.

1:07:22 But you always hear the sound bite, especially in boxing. They love to and the don'ts. I'm the second oldest. and she said, where do you get that from? I've seen a lot of lifestyle that I knew. stars in their own city. to talk, I wasn't a monk, but I go right to my room because 90% of people that's at that party, and you're in somewhere where you'd be like, well, hold up, who hit the lottery?

1:12:15 I know I look great. And it was already gone. I reflect every now and then about that when I see speaking of that. last championship Talking about trauma. How many years do you want to do? Get into a stabbing, get write-ups, do something in there that can be a crime too. That moment, He got a job, man. didn't party I understand that you're very disciplined but how are you

1:16:20 not what I actually look like. Genetics plays a role. Do something to exercise your brain. If I don't do it, if I don't get over it before count, I get a write-up. being in that institution, having that experience, attached to the AAU, root for you you want to get in there with him? they spoke about me on Behind the Glory. I left that institution. to seven months of

1:21:29 that year and a half, Guy with a sizzle. or fighter this is out there I'm going to be here tomorrow. and he would be there 80, 91, 91, 92. were you just training? until you establish yourself. I stayed in the gym. Mmm. The land you have in your age and the time you now are developing, I'm talking about in their arsenal. it was to his down there and you can't back up

1:26:23 all the way up to now. But I have no, I have no reserve apologizing in anything that happened in my career that I've done. And it's not the same generation, Saying, I said, what are you talking about? So I had a two-fight deal. Correct. the promotion starts. he did five years for this, In New York City, I said, listen. presented me a deal with my I'm going to pass that up

1:30:55 by split decision. then Miami, and then San Juan. You're still the champion. Can't mention the name right now. but it was already out through some reporters that was there. This is my division. Y'all can do it, but you ain't going to do it in front of me. Where I come from, you don't punch a man or take his money If four of my people don't want to go because they got to take care of their dog

1:34:19 They're going crazy in San Juan. We're not going to bring it up, Miami, fine. in two weeks after 9-11. It got, you know, you know, I look, Okay, we got to go that way. We get to Roberto Coliseum, So that was the intimidation ploy they was trying to do on me. And it's time for the fighters. when you threw my flag, they looking at, so I we take the fighter's hands.

1:38:40 He's waving the flag. that it's going to, I hope, I'm pointing my finger at Tito. They was taking me up because they was coming past the reporters. And somebody hit me there, whoever the guy was. the crowd that's coming up. Where I'm going, They're pushing the door. It was like I-10 crossing West Coast to the East Coast. interviews and mentioned it because

1:42:52 be reminded because he always The name that they was calling me is Diablo. because I want to fight a guy that's mad at me, If you can get him mad, You have to earn everything you get when you hit Bernard Hopkins, Why are you doing this? And I instructed What would they say? Now that was done. We see football. that my birth certificate says. Look at me now.

1:47:25 I'm an alien. Eat to live, not to die. You expect that people I know should know that my consistency and it's just who I am. Under Golden Boy Promotion but I'm not anymore physically. You know, I look at some of the politicians and I say sometimes they ask the questions And then most of the time, you got to at least be under the impression because they see me looking.

1:51:08 but right now I know it's to the right and the left, Then the advantage is to them, not to you. I got testimony to that. History. 40 plus something years from a culture that looks like me. a run like that. from Muhammad Ali. You talk about the Haney fight that I'm pretty sure you see the same way I see. which how me and your mind, I think, works. Yeah, this is a long about conversation that we got into corruption, but what I wanted

1:57:27 I read books, everything. Probably up to 3 now, right? To today. I don't hit the bag. working out? Well, I I do running, blow it out, 880s. He worked with Roy Jones Jr., wound up to heavyweight to fight John Ruiz. We made history together. We got to take a break, take two days off. the camera. Camera quarter is big. or show them the video. But the explosiveness that he was telling me,

2:02:21 Golden Boy was promoting the fight. at the same time you up maybe, doing this, doing that. But he took it Means you fight just to keep the guy off you or he hit me here, No, we are fighting. When you it's boxing. No, we are fighting. me. So once you no i don't have a secret uh it's your diet no it's not that that's a lifestyle i'm gonna go back to You don't have none. You just bring in a sawed-off shotgun to a fight.

2:06:48 that discipline while you're fighting, even in the just showed of you landing that right hand, your chin is tucked. They call it admiring your work. Yeah. to give you some good work. Give me one more soldier. now right How many guys train like that? Yeah. the arrogance a whole other career. I didn't need to be burnt four or five times once I got of knowledge that I didn't like that. I went through all the juvenile system in Pennsylvania, then state in 17. And I say that because once I got a taste and understood my value

2:11:37 you let the opinions, negative or not, What about congratulations? and you knocked him out, and then you continue to fight The decline is coming. Never came. Because, like, what was below those ropes? either got knocked out of the ring damn yeah it looked terrifying and you know you you always flirt with falling out that ring you Stayed in the hospital until the next morning.

2:14:57 You hit that, your head going to crack like a coconut. I'm like, damn, did he just land on his head on the concrete? Yeah. He got out of the way and let you fall right on your head. Of course. What the fuck? I don't even know what he'm not saying he's not around. Wherever he is. What the fuck? He could have saved you. into that fight that was going to be your last fight?

2:17:10 what, Correct. Right? You got a little fat there. the rules. I melt down at 60 did the opposite of the rules. And what's different, what was I thinking or what was different that night until it happened? With three decades under my belt of boxing, right? at the end. Everything in the middle is a story, motivational, never give up story. to the way it's going to play out

2:22:15 when things blunt in your face. that this fight is different than the fight that got me here. And that's the warning. Well, that was one of the reasons why that, that was left on the table because of this. that we didn't talk about was Roy Jones Jr. Roy was the house fighter You got to have the nice guy. vacant by See the first fight with Segundo Mercado, which means second in Spanish.

2:26:35 But I was sold out by a promoter to get more money to bring me there to fight an Ecuadorian in Ecuador. fighting the Ecuadorian. almost had him out, if you look at the video, They had to get the work right away, in Ecuador. Yeah. Which makes it limited to be Undisputed until Undisputed today is being talked about more than ever now. but the politics ain't there

2:30:39 that if they can take that name the Ryan Garcia and Tank fight They tried to oust me. You didn't ask, but you let me talk. We didn't lose. You didn't know I was video and he said sorry to you Because we getting slayed public opinion. Intellect. I'm totally, like I just come home from penitentiary. It's just crazy this up certain days What do you mean we was missing?

2:34:23 no, Bernard can't come in the ring. So now those lawyers, because he has a Harvard law degree, Al Heyman. He hires promoters, All the fighters from their side was behind me, and the fighters always look out. So you couldn't see. Listen, To me, that's a man. he took 80, Oscar definitely understands and know it. understand the process is always a risk, but I'd rather be on this side, even with the baggage.

2:39:39 So there's just a bunch of dirty business that goes on. a lot of things This is what I was leading to. three years I assume. But it's not a death sentence for those who pull their bootstraps up. another year left. play now. Hold up. First of all, All of us. There are fighters on the other side I'm Golden Boy. I got fighters on my side. even though Bob Ram is doing a fight.

2:43:52 ready to roll out, trying to get a couple of paydays here and there. You got to keep that lifestyle or you got to understand how to live different. and what if they gave them money? Phenomenal. Yes. You're expecting me to mention a whole bunch of names. We got, it's a lot of talent interviews Interviews rather than that episodes segment for four episodes of interviews.

2:47:00 was Tank Davis Stay outside. you're getting a shootout he's's done. Tank carries the power. this old school. It's who get there first. Mm-hmm. He sets traps. Your mind is burning energy. the foreman Mike Tyson And to get to the 12th, 11th, 10th, 9th, 8th, What do you think about them setting up that fight? We're on the same page and I believe that the world understands that this ain't

2:51:44 He shows that big belly. His personality. Yeah, exactly. Oh, yeah. I got you. Yeah. Yeah. leaving the UFC has a heartbeat and possibly a pulse is going to be victorious. But does it upset you that this guy jumps in front of Usyk, jumps in front of Joshua, jumps in front of anybody else in the division and gets to fight Tyson Fury? Yeah. Tyson Fury would beat him

2:55:10 heavyweights out there Andy Ruiz He's trying to get a fight as we speak right now. and more, One other guy I want to talk to you about that I don't think gets enough credit 19-0, 19 knockouts. to be and this is legit conversation they're looking at you like 25 you're talking to a 19-year-old who don't understand that time goes by so fast. Stressed it out better than anything.

2:58:17 The way I just said to you and explaining to you Let's make them. Let's make Yes, sir.