So Hopkins later sought his phone and the mug shot as an example why he didn't put stock in the words of Dawson and Dawson's promoters.
"See the way that guy was talking up there, talking all that crap?" the 47-year-old Hopkins said of Dawson, 29. "He has no knowledge of where my mental toughness comes from. He has no knowledge. So when a guy questions me, and to question who I am . . . "
Hopkins trailed off as Gary Shaw, Dawson's promoter, walked by. "See you April 27th!" Dawson said, pointing toward Hopkins. Hopkins nodded his head, then continued with his thought.
"I don't have to disprove or argue my credentials," Hopkins said. "We all have resumes . . . That's what you're judged by. You're judged by your priors and you're judged by your deeds."
Hopkins then twisted Dawson's claim of being a "punk" with a line about his time in jail, another in a string of witty retorts that Hopkins offered. He said he didn't stare down Dawson because he doesn't get that close to someone if he's not going to kiss the person, and Hopkins didn't plan on kissing Dawson. He compared the first fight - halted after two rounds - to taking a woman on a date, kissing her at the end of the night but not having sex. "If you get a chance to do it again, you'll do it a different way," Hopkins said, "because you know the first time, you got a 'Good night.' "
