Hopkins’ Defense Is Set for Staples

Bernard Hopkins will defend his middleweight title for a 20th time when he meets Howard Eastman in a World Boxing Council-sanctioned fight on Feb. 19 at Staples Center, it was announced Tuesday.

Eastman, a native of Guyana who lives in England, preceded Hopkins to the podium.

“Many people say you are the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” Eastman said, looking at Hopkins. “I don’t share that view.”

He then added, “No disrespect to you.”

Hopkins, still sitting down, said, “You just did.”

Eastman went on to say, “I only have a few words. I’m here to do a job. Those who haven’t seen me box will see me fight.”

He said it with such conviction, Oscar De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy Promotions is behind the fight, said, “All I can say is I’m glad I’m going down to 147.”

De La Hoya, fighting Hopkins in the 160-pound middleweight division in September, was stopped in the ninth round.

Hopkins, 40, has a 45-2-1 record with one no-contest and 32 knockouts.

Hopkins hasn’t lost since 1993, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Roy Jones. His other loss came in his first pro fight in 1988.

Eastman, 34, is 40-1 with 34 knockouts. His loss was a 12-round majority decision to William Joppy for the World Boxing Assn.’s vacant middleweight title in 2001 in Las Vegas.

Eastman has fought eight times in the last two years, scoring knockouts in six of those fights.

Hopkins called Eastman a worthy opponent and deserving of his position as No. 1 challenger.

“I know his hunger,” Hopkins said.

But he also said he would win, adding, “And 99.9% of what I say, I deliver.”

Hopkins, from Philadelphia, will receive $3.2 million for the fight, Eastman $850,000. The fight will be televised by HBO.

The other fight on the card that will be televised has middleweight Daniel Edouard of Haiti (16-0-2, nine knockouts) challenging Jermain Taylor of Little Rock, Ark. (22-0, 16).

Also on the undercard will be middleweight Kingsley Ikeke (21-1, 11), welterweight Demetrius Hopkins, Bernard’s cousin from Philadelphia who is 16-0-1, and super-bantamweight Abner Mares of Los Angeles, a 2004 Olympian in his second professional fight. Opponents will be announced later.

There also will be a six-round preliminary fight featuring Vicente Escobedo, a member of Mexico’s 2004 Olympic team, in his pro debut against Abraham Verdugo (2-3).

De La Hoya announced that $1 from every ticket sold -- the prices range from $50 to $350 -- will go to a tsunami relief fund and that he would personally match that. Staples Center’s Tim Leiweke said the host arena would do the same, and Hopkins said he would too.