Former middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins got what he wanted on Tuesday, a rematch with Jermain Taylor. Hopkins felt he was robbed in their first encounter in July. Hopkins had plenty to say about Taylor and their first fight at the press conference to announce their December 3rd fight. He had even more to say during a conference call with the press. Here's some of what 'The Executioner' had to say.

-On Taylor being more vocal for this fight- I've played a role in him becoming more 'speakative' now. Back in July he was telling everyone that he was speech impaired and that he was shy. I'm not poking fun at this, but I have helped him, and he doesn't even know it. He's been cured, because he's more vocal now. I've helped him, and Duane Ford has helped cure him.

-On Taylor thinking he won the fight- He has a false sense of security, a false sense of what's been said to him. He's delusional if he thinks he actually won. He's had three months to convince himself with help. Deep down in the athlete's soul when the Lou Dibella's and the Pat Burns'  are not there, he will look in the mirror and see that he didn't win that fight.

-On what he thinks Taylor should know going into this fight- Going into this fight he has to know that everyone who's stepped in the ring with Bernard Hopkins a second time has not had a good outcome. Not just for that night, but for their careers. There's been at least 5-6 guys like Antwun Echols, Robert Allen, or Joe Lipsey that could have been champs, and their careers turned when they fought me a second time. What Taylor should be doing is thanking Duane Ford and realize that he got a gift, but he's delusional. He's the disputed champion, while I was considered undisputed. There was never any doubts about the title being disputed until July 16th. But, now we have a dispute and when you have a dispute it has to get settled.

-On what adjustments he will make for this fight- Come December 3rd I just got to revisit what I've already done. The only adjustment is no surprise, and I'm putting it out there right now: I must and I will knock out Jermain  Taylor. I cannot let Taylor stand to get another victory. I must stop him and I felt this same way when I fought Tito Trinidad.

-On Taylor calling him a dirty fighter- He called me a baby and a whiner, and that I hit him in the back of the head, and I'm whining. Has this guy ever watched old fights with Rocky Marciano or Jersey Joe Walcott, or Ezzard Charles. Does this guy have any history of guys who fought before our time. I'm not saying that I have done these things, or done them on purpose. But when you're in the ring and you are throwing and ducking, and he's leaning forward and I'm leaning forward, then things are going to happen. But, if he's indicating that I intentionally done those things, and that the ref didn't do his job, then come on man. Not to be knicking and picking, but how about when he turned his back on me like a coward when he was hurt. Look at the tape, he turned his back twice when he got hurt, looking for help.

-more on Taylor and the dirty fighter comments- If I was doing these things then do it back to me. I was told from day one in a four round fight at the Blue Horizion. If he does something the first time then it's a mistake, but the second time is intentional. So, if he's sitting there complaining that I'm dirty, why don't he do something about it. Look, I'm in the hurt business, and I'm not looking at coming out of this squeaky clean, but I've been fortunate to have never been cut in over 50 fights. So, when he complains about stuff that he can take into his own hands, to me that's a guy who has a sensitive part in his body that needs to be exposed.

-On what he would change in the first fight if he could- Now that it's marinated, now that I've seen the tape over and over. Now that people have seen it over and over. I have heard that Taylor was aggressive in the early rounds, but not effectively aggressive. So, I wouldn't change anything that I did that night, I would add on to it. I'm called The Executioner, and when he gets hurt this time, and he will get hurt, I will execute him. So, I was guilty of not fulfilling my name, because the executioner is supposed to execute, and I didn't and I payed for it. I didn't finish him, but he was holding on for dear life, especially in the 12th round. Ya'll will see this time that I will get him hurt and then finish him. Then I will leave the game and take his future with me.

-On why he believes the decision went the way it did- I know why it happened, it had to do with Bernard Hopkins period. One reason is the different stances that I have taken against the Boxing upper ups. I'm not saying people got in a room and came up with a strategy or a plan. Boxing is a small world controlled by a few people. They were billing me as the old man and him as the heir apparent HBO house fighter. When you're up against that situation, you're in trouble. Jermain Taylor has to be destroyed to where there is no controversy. I always made the stakes high against me. For years some writers have wrote about this so called paranoia that I had against the industry. I don't think it's paranoia, I think I'm just aware. I think July 16th proved that, 80% of the ringside media had me winning the fight, so I don't think it's paranoia.

-More on Taylor and the first fight- If 80% of the media saw it my way, then how can Jermain  Taylor convince himself or look in a mirror and think that he won. He's just as animated as I am about this rematch, Why? Because he knows he has to get back in there and make it right. This is where he will play into my hands. He's confident and not as worried or nervous. So, what better time to expose him. What better way to end a chapter, to end a career than to beat the house industry fighter, the corporate champion, the paper champion and go out my way. To do it Frank Sinatra style and be able to say that I've done it my way.

-On whether he'll retire after this fight- This is my last meaningful fight. I'm contracted to fight one more time after this, and then I'm retiring.

-On why he couldn't finish Taylor off in the first fight- Credit to Jermain  Taylor ,as big as he is that he was able to absorb punches that other middleweights can't. He probably has to kill himself to make 160 pounds. He's a bigger guy and can sustain more punishment. But, before July 16th our fight was being billed as the young versus the old. But I reversed that in the middle and late rounds. He was the one who wore down and tired. There not even mentioning the old versus the new during this promotion, even though I heard it at least 20 times during the last one. That's all I heard Lou DiBella say, he's old this and that. But, the so called old man during the championship rounds was the one who finished strong and fresh. Look who had their head down in their corner, and who had their hand up getting cheered by 10000 fans after the fight. Then when the decision came, silence.

-On his strategy for this fight- My strategy will be the same, except I will finish him this time. He is going to be more brave this time, with something to prove and that plays into my hands. He's talking a lot now, you should have heard him earlier, I cured the guy. He was even banging on the table and everything.

-More on the scoring decision- Every poll that I've seen on Boxing websites had at least 70% saying that I won. When Taylor went to one of DiBella's card in October, and they announced him as the undisputed champ, he got booed. People know he got a gift. You could look at Taylor's body language that night and see. The first thing he said to Larry Merchant after the fight is that he'll try harder next time. They had to wake him up with questions, like hey you won the fight, what are you talking about. Then they tried to put a spin on it by saying that he's just hard on himself, Bullshit. He knows what happened, his corner even looked defeated, look at the tape if you don't believe me.

-On what he has to do to win the rematch- I'll say it right now, if I don't knock Jermain Taylor out then I won't win, plain and simple as that. I know what I'm up against based on the outcome of the last fight. There might be two Duane Fords at this fight, who knows. I have to tell the system that it's powerful, but it's not God, so I gotta knock him out, and show them that I will have the last laugh when all is said  and done. December 3rd will be the last meaningful fight of my legacy and my career.

-More on what he has in store for Taylor- Not only will I destroy Jermain Taylor, but I'm going to destroy their future on both ends, like all the other fighters who fought me a second time. They won't be able to recycle his confidence or his career. So, they helped me on July 16th, when they thought they were hurting me.


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