IBF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION BERNARD"THE ALIEN" HOPKINS DEFEATS KARO MURAT, RETAINS TITLE AND BREAKS HIS RECORD AS THE OLDEST FIGHTER TO DEFEND A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin Retains WBO Middleweight World Championship with Controversial Stoppage Of "King" Gabriel Rosado; Heavyweight Sensation Deontay Wilder Remains Undefeated And Registers Thirtieth Knockout Saturday's SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Telecast Will Replay Sunday Morning At 9 a.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME® and Tuesday, October 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME® CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PHOTOS Photo Credit: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME ATLANTIC CITY (October 27, 2013) - IBF Light Heavyweight Champion Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins (54-6-2, 32 KO's) became the oldest fighter in history to defend a world title, breaking his own record by defeating European challenger Karo Murat (25-2-1, 15 KO's).  The 48-year-old "Executioner" turned "Alien" out-worked and out-brawled his 30-year-old challenger and won via clear unanimous decision in front of his hometown crowd at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.   The fight, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Caesars Atlantic City, headlined an entertaining three-fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event. Hopkins appeared to start the night slow, but Hopkins' combinations, speed and power grew each round.  By the seventh, Hopkins and Murat exchanged wild power shots in spurts for the rest of the bout.  Amidst these exchanges, Hopkins used his signature defense, angles and gamesmanship to mentally and physically deflate Murat.  The judges scored the fight 117-110 and 119-108, twice for the champion. "Richard Schaefer said we needed to be crowd pleasers," said Hopkins, the oldest champion in sports history.  "The crowd wanted to see skill and blood so I had some blood to give them.  I am an entertainer and this is what people want to see... He was a game number one contender." When asked by SHOWTIME ringside reporter Jim Gray if Murat brought out the best in him, Hopkins answered, "Not really, but he didn't bring out the worst either."  Regarding the slow start, Hopkins said, "That was the plan. That was the bone on the string so that the dog could follow him into a dark alley and then realize someone was waiting on him. And that dog was me." Hopkins continued, "He throws pretty good punches and he is no one to sleep on.  He is going to give some light heavyweights a bit of a problem." When Gray asked Hopkins how he stays in such phenomenal shape at age 48, Hopkins replied, "I'm a freaking alien." Gray then spoke to Murat who said, "Bernard is a good boxer and I lost concentration due to the two cuts which came by head butts. I know that when I am in good shape I can beat him, however, the cuts disturbed me." In the co-main event Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin (30-0, 21 KO's) remained undefeated and retained his WBO Middleweight title by defeating "King"Gabriel Rosado via technical knockout.  The fight was stopped at 40 seconds of the tenth round by the referee on the advice of the doctor due to a deep cut on Rosado's left eyelid.  Quillin came out of the gate as the more confident and powerful of the two, dropping Rosado in the second.  But by the fourth, Rosado found rhythm and confidence of his own.  Rosado pressed forward and took the momentum away for virtually the rest of the fight. But Quillin was counterpunching and keeping each round close.  In the ninth, with less than a minute left, Quillin landed a snap jab that sliced open Rosado's eyelid which began to pour blood.  In between rounds, the ringside physician cleared the challenger for the tenth.  But referee Allan Huggins soon called for another look at which point the ringside physician changed course and advised Huggins to halt the fight.  Said Quillin after the fight, "I'm not a judge.  I'm not an elected official.  I did what I had to do as a fighter and I respect the call.  The referees and doctors ringside did what they had to do to make sure the fighters are safe. "I never expect an easy payday or an easy fight.  I work hard every time for each fight...  When you dedicate to win a title you need to give that person a sense of being able to achieve what they want.  I am a world champion and I work hard.  He has never been a champion and he doesn't know. "I'm ready for anybody.  I am a fighter and I worry about fighting.  If it is a rematch, then I don't care.  I work hard to be in this ring and I work hard to defend my title against anybody.  I don't care if it is against my own mother." Of the stoppage, Rosado told Gray, "I felt like that was B.S.  This is a championship fight.  We were going into the championship rounds.  This was a competitive fight.  I never complained  about a cut.  When the doctor saw my eye, I told him that I could see. It was not giving me any problems up to that point. "I noticed if I backed him up with a jab that I was hurting him and I was doing that.  But then the doctor called me over and stopped the fight. This is boxing. What about Gatti-Ward? They didn't stop that fight. Corrales-Castillo. We are warriors.  "I never even complained that I couldn't see. Of course I want a rematch.  This is the story of my life.  I'm the real Rocky Balboa." In the opening bout of the evening, Deontay "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder (30-0, 30 KO's) remained undefeated with a stunning fourth-round knockout over Nicolai "Stone Man" Firtha (21-11-1, 8 KO's).  It was only the third time that the promising young heavyweight from Tuscaloosa, Ala., has ever been into the fourth round.  To date, he has a remarkable 17 first-round knockouts and is looking to move into a championship fight.  The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast, featuring another historic performance by Hopkins, will replay Sunday at 9 a.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME and Tuesday, October 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME.  It will be availabe on SHOWTIME On Demand beginning October 27.  Results from tonight's SHOWTIME EXTREME televised preliminary bouts: Dominic Wade (13-0, 10 KO's) defeated Roberto Ventura (15-8, 14 KO's) via technical knockout at2:08 of round 1. Braulio Santos (11-1, 10 KO's) defeated David Clark (6-3, 4 KO's) via technical knockout at 1:49 of round 1. Zachary Ochoa (5-0, 3 KO's) defeated Michael Doyle (2-6, 1 KO') via unanimous decision.  The SHOWTIME EXTREME undercard bouts will re-air on Wednesday, October 30 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME. Hopkins vs. Murat was a 12-round bout for Hopkins' IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship, presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Caesars Atlantic City and sponsored by Corona and AT&T.  In the co-main event WBO Middleweight Champion Peter Quillin put his title on the line against Gabriel Rosado in a 12-round bout.  Plus, opening the tripleheader, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder faced Nicolai Firtha in a 10-round showdown.  The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast began live at 9 p.m. ET/PT and was available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).  Preliminary bouts aired live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

BERNARD HOPKINS VS. KARO MURAT FIGHTER MEDIA ROUNDTABLE QUOTES AND PHOTOS

Click HERE To Download Photos Photo Credit: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME® Atlantic City, NJ (Oct. 24, 2013) - The six fighters that will be featured on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast this Saturday night gathered with media members at Caesars Atlantic City to discuss their respective matchups.  Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins, Karo Murat, Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin, "King"Gabriel Rosado, Deontay "Bronze Bomber" Wilder and Nicolai Firtha answered questions candidly about the in-ring challenges taking place at Boardwalk Hall on Saturday night. Below please find quick-hitting quotes from each fighter. Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins, IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion "Coming to Atlantic City brings out a lot of emotions in me.  To be back here, healthy with a legacy and doing historic things is a blessing. "I am motivated by being in a place where it all began.  There is extra energy for me to give serious beat downs here.  "Karo Murat is hoping, like others before him, that he is lucky enough that I got old in the gym.  "There's no magic spell that hits you over the head that says, 'You're old.' "As far as I'm concerned, old to me is not old to the average person.  What is old? "I'm getting the interest on the investment I have made in my personal life. "I'm not just fighting Karo Murat.  I'm fighting politics.  I made a 360-degree turn.  I'm back in Atlantic City.  I've been here a few times.  You hear Hopkins and Mayweather.  You hear Hopkins fighting other light heavyweights.  People want to put a time frame on what you're supposed to be doing. "I remember everything about the Clinton Mitchell fight [Hopkins' professional debut]...I remember I lost. "How many urban stories have ended up like mine? How I have been disciplined in the gym and in business.  "Some people might get tired of hearing me talk, but not the young ones, the young boxers.  I can tell they don't get tired of hearing me talk to them. "My fight [Saturday night] is another page of my legacy.  We want people to think this is a tough fight, but it's a fight that is going to lead to bigger things." Karo Murat, Top Light Heavyweight Contender "I had a lot of practice in Germany and in many of my other fights.  This is a fight against a legend, but I can handle it. "I think it is a sign from God that I am here to end Bernard's career. He is an old man and needs to stop now. "I know that I don't have to knock Bernard out in order to get a fair decision in America. "I don't have a strategy.  I will see during the fight what I can do to beat Hopkins. "The biggest crowd I have fought in front of was 6,000 people." Peter Quillin, WBO Middleweight World Champion "Sometimes you work so hard you surprise yourself, but it's not for you to be over confident.  You have to continue to work hard. "It's important not to look ahead and to stay present and focus on the now. "I look at myself like a more polished champion because I wouldn't be here if God didn't want me to be. "I learned early in my career that every fighter has small window to make money and you need to make sure to save your money, pay your taxes and set yourself up for the future. "Rosado is still trying to find himself out.  He lost already; he took some bumps in roads with losses. "Nothing that Rosado does in the ring is going to be good enough. "When I get in the ring my trunks are my office suit.  Outside of the ring I have the business suit on. "I want to challenge myself to go to every level I possibly can and challenge my own records." "I don't know how to speak about any other story besides establishing myself and explain myself through these [holding fists up]. "Before I fight I say to myself I'm already ready. Let me get more ready."  Gabriel Rosado, Top Middleweight Contender "I will fight in my back yard or in anyone's back yard.  I am comfortable fighting anywhere. "I have a lot of people that have shown me love faithfully since the beginning, so what I do is buy 50 tickets and give them to those who have been there supporting me along the way." "I know I will have a lot of opportunities to take advantage of Quillin in the ring because not only did I study him in his past fight but I also studied my past fight and looked for ways to improve my fight. "Without a doubt I have fought the bigger names like Soto-Karass and Kassim Ouma. I have the better names on my record. "It's going to be a great fight ...Its about who is the smarter guy." "I feel really great about this camp and sparred with three guys that weighed 190 lbs.  My strength and conditioning coach [Jason Sargus] are working together again and I feel really strong and prepared. "I think if I would have had everything along the way handed to me on a silver platter,  I wouldn't be here.  The route that I took makes me what I am today.  I am a lot more mature now.  I am turning 28 years old and I feel that mentally I am at a stage that I have never been at in my career.  I want to be a world champion [On his personal life and his career]  "The adversity I went through would break most men but it made me better." "Kid Chocolate has been on my mind for a while.  I have never called him out because I wanted it to play out naturally and get the fight.  "I am fighting Kid Chocolate because I want this fight.  I expect him to bring his A-game.  I am ready for his fight." Deontay Wilder, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion "I know that Firtha doesn't move his head and that's a dangerous thing to do, especially in the heavyweight division and with a puncher like me.  To his credit, when he comes he comes to fight. "I can take this opportunity as a blessing or be scared and be a participant like my opponents have done. But I fear no man.  I only fear God. "If he goes hard, I will go harder. "If I am fighting for another person than that makes me fight harder.  I don't want to let that person down.  I don't like that feeling of letting anybody down." Nicolai Firtha, Heavyweight Contender "Before you compete against the best, you don't know if you can beat them.  You don't know until you actually fight them. "I want my abilities, tools and skills to speak for me.  Not only can I fight the best, but I can beat the best. "I don't take his [Wilder's] record lightly at all.  He has done what he has to do in serious fashion. "I will have a very serious problem dealing with Deontay's power if I stand there in his way to be hit. "My trainer tells me to use my good jab and my movement to my advantage." # # # Hopkins vs. Murat is a 12-round bout for Hopkins' IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship, presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Caesars Atlantic City and sponsored by Corona and AT&T.  In the co-main event WBO Middleweight Champion Peter Quillin puts his title on the line against Gabriel Rosado in a 12-round bout.  Plus, opening the tripleheader, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder will face Nicolai Firtha in a 10-round showdown.  The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9 p.m. ET/PT and is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Tickets priced at $300, $150, $75, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-736-1420 or at www.ticketmaster.com.

BERNARD HOPKINS VS. KARO MURAT NEW YORK CITY PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES AND PHOTOS

Click HERE To Download Photos Credit: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins, IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion "I'm coming to show you all that not only am I different and I don't get tired of doing what I do. I love winning opportunities and situations to win. "Saying 'I'm getting old,' is getting old. "[Gabriel] Rosado and "Kid Chocolate" [Quillin] have the opportunity to steal the show. The undercard is so great. The co-main event is the middleweight belt and it is in good hands. "I'm only doing what some of the greats have done before me in any sport. Hit and not get hit. Doesn't mean to run. "I am different. I am not you. So what do you do if you're a smart man with your bought degrees? You sit, you listen, you learn and you change your own ignorant ways. "I'm in an almost 10-year [knockout] drought, maybe that's due to my age. I haven't had a knockout since I fought De La Hoya. "I was loyal in the streets and was loyal in the corporate world. When they come to me for that fountain of knowledge, I have an opportunity and an obligation, to give them the pure water because I'm not polluted. "[To Peter Quillin, Gabriel Rosado, Deontay Wilder and Zachary Ochoa] You are the future. You hold the power. I'm here making historic fights when they can happen. The bigger the name, the bigger the event, obligations are obligations and I if want to stay in the race at this age, the belt seems to be the carrot that the young guys want to have. "If you take a page out of every champion's book, something that can help you in your career, is to learn how to be multi-talented in many things. "If you could learn the game of chess early, so you don't go through suffering, you'll be advanced in your careers because your opponents only have chess boards. "If you learn to play chess instead of checkers, and wait that 10-15 years, you'll be mega superstars. You'll be advanced beyond your peers, because they just have a checkerboard." "I am a business man, don't get misconstrued by anything. Because I have belts lined up in the trophy case. "I'm an alien, I don't get old if they're waiting for that. "If it was a dollar to fight him, you'd see me up here promoting like I was getting 20 million. Why? Because I have a better plan. "I'm coming to defend my title and look for bigger things next. "Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray would be considered boring, because they're not TV friendly. Because they're smooth and they don't get hit." Karo Murat, Top Light Heavyweight Contender "It's the first time for me to ever be in the United States. It was my dream of mine to come and actually fight one day here, particularly against someone like Bernard Hopkins. "There's only a few days left, and I'm well prepared. I am ready to go. I am excited. This really motivates me to be here. "I want to thank my promoter, Wilfred Sauerland. I know I should have had that fight in July, but I had some problems with the visa. But here I am. I know that this will be an exciting fight. I have been waiting for this opportunity to fight in America and I will not let it go. "Make sure you are all going to be there and you are going to witness a young boy from Germany who's going to come here to Bernard's home turf, and he's going to take the title from him and take it home." Peter Quillin, WBO Middleweight World Champion "This is a tremendous fight, you got Bernard Hopkins, the legendary guy that can inspire a lot of people that at any age you can do whatever. "We have an American heavyweight telling you that he is the next champion. That's the American dream right there. "We got Rosado, who is going to come try to take my belt that I worked so hard for. "In this training camp I learned so much about myself and who I am as a fighter. "Nobody's struggle is grander than the next person's struggle, everybody's challenge in life is to find who you are and be comfortable with that. "Me believing in myself has gotten me where I am right now, through all of the hard times. I'm not the most talented fighter but I fight with a lot of effort. I've never fought in Atlantic City, but I can guarantee you if Gabe had fought me in Atlantic City he would not be undefeated. "My bumps in the road only got me better as a man and as a fighter. Every time I step out there I fight with that pride. "Wherever I go, I touch people in a special way. "I'm not saying I'm going knock him out, but I'm going do me. "No one can explain what I'm doing, I just hope you guys can support me, support Bernard." Gabriel Rosado, Top Middleweight Contender "Never did I think I'd have the opportunity to fight on the same card as Bernard. I thought by the time I had the opportunity he'd be gone, but he's still here kicking ass. Its crazy how that played out and I'm just blessed to have been around Bernard in so many training camps and to learn old school boxing, which is a lost art now. "I had a shot at the world title already and I fell short. I didn't put my head down when I lost that fight. I knew I belonged. I made the best of this opportunity. Mentally this is the most prepared I've ever been for a fight. "This fight is in Atlantic City. I'm undefeated in Atlantic City. This is like a hometown fight for me. I'm willing to go through whatever it takes to be victorious. I'm ready to go through hell." Deontay Wilder, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion "I'll tell you right now, when my name is being announced in the future, everybody is in that building will stand and applause, because they will be applauding the heavyweight championship of the world. "Everyone wants to be a heavyweight champion, and I'm going to bring it back to America. "I'm excited to be on the East Coast, in New York, I'm super pumped I'm super excited. I've said many times I love my job, it's a dangerous sport we sign up for. But I love this job, I don't see me doing anything else but knocking people out. "Guys don't want to see me in the ring, but this guy Firtha took the opportunity. I heard what you said, 'That Wilder is good he hits hard, but he has never been hit and I intend to hit him.' I respect that, he says he's coming to fight not lay down. "I want to say it's a big pleasure to be fighting on the legend Bernard Hopkins card, the things this guy has done, the thing that gets me is with the age he is to go the distance with the younger guys. That motivates me to get in the gym." Nicolai Firtha, Heavyweight Contender "Wow New York City, this is where everything happens. It seems like just yesterday I was watching pay-per-view fights with Oscar De La Hoya, and now I get to fight on one of his fight cards. Not only am I having a big fight but it's just a blockbuster card and it adds to the luster of the fight. "I didn't come to the sport until I was 20-years-old and here we are, it's a dream come true. "My guy is 29-0 with 29 knockouts none getting past the third round, from a fighter's perspective it doesn't get any better than that. I love it, I invite the opportunity. I'm just tickled." Zachary Ochoa, Brooklyn Light Welterweight Rising Star "Its an honor to be fighting on Bernard Hopkins undercard. I've always looked up to him. Bernard is a very clean person in and out of the ring and that's the reason he lasts so long in the sport." "He doesn't just rely on his talent, he relies on the basics. I go to the gym everyday work on my basics, work on my talent, you got to keep everything sharp all the time. We train hard for everybody no matter who it is, we don't sleep on anybody." Naazim Richardson, Bernard Hopkins' Trainer "I've watched a lot of these young guys, 'Bronze Bomber', 'Kid Chocolate' and Rosado, that sounds like a dish, you know they're going to mix it up. "I can't call a trainer to ask him, 'What did you do with your 50-year-old fighter to get him ready for a world championship? What did you do when you were getting a 50-year-old ready for a title? This is unchartered territory. Even the great living trainers, Buddy McGirt, Freddie Roach, I can't call any of them and say what did you do with your 50-year-old? "You've never seen a Hopkins fight, win or lose, where you couldn't find someone in the room thought Hopkins won that fight. He's been competitive at every point. "We are starting to lose an understanding of what boxing is. I'm watching certain people get on networks and down talk kids who are trying to box smart. Why would you ever downgrade someone for something intelligent? "There's a time for things, come Saturday it might be time push the envelope. I take nothing away from Karo Murat except for the victory. Tough young man, you can't underestimate a man like this, you don't know a lot about him. He comes out of a sport where he gets kicked in the face, so you know a punch in the face isn't going do anything to him. "You swim without getting wet, you want to box without getting hit. "Appreciate the art form that still exists. With this particular athlete I want you to watch and study and see that this is boxing, not fighting." Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions "When you look at the fighters on the card including, the non-televised fights and opening bouts, you see that boxing is about opportunities. "To see Wilder, Quillin, Hopkins on same card and then you look at who they fight. Karo Murat, Gabriel Rosado, and Nicolai Firtha you see fighters who know that this is their opportunity, the opportunities that fighters are waiting for. "You might not be familiar with these three guys [pointing at Murat, Rosado and Firtha], but they all have the same in common. They know that a win on Saturday night will be a life changing moment for them, and that in itself makes them that much more dangerous. "Hopkins knows that, and so do Quillin and Wilder. That's why I expect great action at Boardwalk Hall on Saturday. "For the price of a movie ticket you are going to be able to see this great card. "Watching Bernard Hopkins continue making history... history doesn't come that cheap. "Bernard Hopkins is one of the greatest ever to lace up the gloves." Chris DeBlasio, Vice President of Sports Communications at SHOWTIME Sports "We're excited to be back at Boardwalk Hall again. Boardwalk Hall is a national historic landmark and has hosted everything from Miss America pageants to Democratic National Conventions, to a Beatles concert and some of the most dramatic and significant fights in boxing's rich history. "2013 has been a banner year for boxing on our network. Through our partnership with Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, SHOWTIME executed the most successful pay-per-view event in history. On our network, we have televised two of the top four most watched bouts on record for the nearly thirty-year history of boxing on SHOWTIME. And for the second consecutive year, we have increased our viewership average by over 30 percent. That's an unprecedented and unheard of number in television. So, we're very proud to be here and we expect the excitement to continue on Saturday night." Wilfried Sauerland, Karo Murat Manager "In Europe, we are looking forward to a good American heavyweight. We have four of the Top 10. "For Karo it is a big occasion. He is a huge underdog. I had a similar situation when Shulz fought George Foreman. "You're going to witness how a young boy from Germany capture his dream." Aaron Davis, Commissioner, New Jersey State Athletic Control Board "We have the best referees and best judges. There's a lot of things going on in boxing and sometimes people don't give their best and the referees, judges, and time keepers I hope on Saturday night you will see the best. "We are really excited about this fight." # # # Hopkins vs. Murat is a 12-round bout for Hopkins' IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship, presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Caesars Atlantic City and sponsored by Corona and AT&T.  In the co-main event WBO Middleweight Champion Peter Quillin puts his title on the line against Gabriel Rosado in a 12-round bout.  Plus, opening the tripleheader, WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder will face Nicolai Firtha in a 10-round showdown.  The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins live at 9 p.m. ET/PT and is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® beginning at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Tickets priced at $300, $150, $75, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, by calling 800-736-1420 or at www.ticketmaster.com.