Peter Quillin Added To Bernard Hopkins vs Beibut Shumenov April 19 In D.C.
Photos by Rich Kane for Golden Boy Promotions
by Sarah Deming
NEW YORK–A dark bar beneath BB King’s in Midtown was the setting on Wednesday as Golden Boy hosted the New York press event for Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins’ title unification versus Beibut Shumenov next month in Washington, D.C.
The April 19th Showtime card at the D.C. Armory will also feature undefeated middleweight Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin in a title defense against Lukas Konecny of the Czech Republic.
Kid Chocolate rolled in behind the beat, dressed like a jazz musician. He told his adorable Cuban father to bring his belt to the podium.
“That’s my old ass pops,” said Quillin, holding up the bling. “I worked my whole life for this, even when people told me I couldn’t be anything but a criminal entering your house when you’re not there.”
Quillin said his wife, who had a miscarriage during his last training camp, is now pregnant again.
“Thanks to all the media who are going to write about me,” he concluded. “Negative or positive, I don’t give a fuck.”
A slim man in an expensive suit with careful, excellent English, Beibut Shumenov seemed more like a corrupt CEO than a boxer. A member of Kazakhstan’s 2004 Olympic team, the 30-year-old has shot through the pro ranks under the shadowy guidance of Al Haymon, winning the WBA title in just his tenth pro fight.
Shumenov is just as well-connected back home: The Consul General of Kazakhstan was in the house, the Ambassador apparently came to Tuesday’s presser in DC, and Hopkins’s trainer Naazim Richardson – who had briefly trained Shumenov as well – says, “His daddy is a billionaire.”
Finally the Alien himself took the podium. He began slowly with a lecture on legacy, which contained the fascinating contention that waiting around for another Bernard Hopkins would be like waiting for another black president.
“Let’s talk about Father Time,” he said. “He is undefeated, because Time is undefeated. I’m not fighting him. I haven’t drunk anything for three decades. I eat right. I have one of the best defenses in boxing. Me and Floyd.”
“Y’all talk about boxing. I live boxing.”
Now Hopkins was really getting going.
“You ask me about my age.” He stabbed his finger at the press. “But I see you back there eating bagels. Your stomachs are out to here. Look at mine.”
The Alien lifted up his dress shirt so we could see a few inches of trim abdomen, shining softly beneath the dim bar lights. Even though I had not touched the bagels, I felt chastened.
One of the kids from my gym was there, a Junior Olympic champion called Little B-Hop (above) because he shares something of the Alien’s fighting style and gift of gab. Big B-Hop has given Little B-Hop his blessing in re: name appropriation, but Naazim Richardson wasn’t convinced.
“What’s your real name?” asked the legendary Philly trainer.
“Chris Colbert.”
“Listen, Chris, it doesn’t pay to be in anybody’s shadow. What if one day you end up doing more than him?”
Naazim told us some stories. He said there was another little kid who used to want to grow up to be Bernard Hopkins, was always calling Naazim asking a million questions: What does B-Hop eat, how much does B-Hop run, et cetera.
That was Andre Ward. He went on to succeed where his idol had failed, defeating Chad Dawson, after which he called up Naazim and said, “That one was for you.”
The boy who wanted to be the next Jeff Lacy ended up being Andre Berto. But worst of all was that kid running around California calling himself a little De la Hoya. One day, Fernando Vargas looked across the ring and found himself fighting the original.
Naazim said people got mad at Floyd Mayweather Jr. for comparing himself to Sugar Ray Robinson, but Floyd had the right idea. And Muhammed Ali called himself great long before he ever knew he was.
“Don’t be Little B-Hop. Be Big Chris.”
