Photos: Usyk-Mchunu, Shabranskyy-Barrera, Diaz-Garcia Presser

LOS ANGELES - Former two-division world champion and Future Hall of Famer Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (55-7 2, 32 KOs) and Joe Smith, Jr. (22-1, 18 KOs) today hosted the final press conference ahead of their battle for the WBC International Light Heavyweight Championship on Saturday, December 17 televised live from Inglewood, Calif.'s "Fabulous" Forum on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Photos by Tom Hogan/Hoganphotos.

In addition to Hopkins and Smith, Jr., co-main event fighters Joseph "Jojo" Diaz, Jr. (22-0, 13 KOs) and Horacio Garcia (30-1-1, 21 KOs) who will fight for Diaz, Jr.'s NABF Featherweight Title; and Oleksandr Usyk (10-0, 9 KOs) and Thabiso Mchunu (17-2, 11 KOs) who will battle for Usyk's WBO Cruiserweight Title on the December 17 undercard were also in attendance along with Vyacheslav "Lionheart-Chingonskyy" Shabranskyy (17-0, 14 KOs) and Sullivan Barrera (17-1, 12 KOs) who will face off as the main event on the Friday, December 16 HBO Latino® card at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

Below are what the fighters had to say at today's final press conference:

JOSEPH "JOJO" DIAZ, JR., NABF Featherweight Champion:

"I want to thank Oscar and Golden Boy Promotions and HBO as well for giving me another opportunity to showcase my talent. Man, this is a historic event with the legend Bernard Hopkins. It's a blessing to be the co-main event. I want to tell everyone that I've been through an extensive training camp. My opponent Horacio Garcia will go out there and prove himself, but we're ready and I'll see you guys Saturday at the Forum."

HORACIO GARCIA, Featherweight Contender:

"I am very motivated to give a great fight. I form a part of Canelo Promotions and am part of the team with Eddy and Jose "Chepo" Reynoso and Canelo Alvarez. We have done a lot of work and have a great strategy for this fight."

OLESKSANDR USYK, WBO Cruiserweight Champion:

"Hello my name is Oleksander Usyk. I will be fighting this Saturday. Thank you to everyone, and I will be ready for this Saturday."

THABISO MCHUNU, Cruiserweight Contender:

"Thanks to HBO and Golden Boy Promotions for this opportunity to showcase my talent. With every good opposition you always rise to the occasion. Thank you."

VYACHESLAV "Lionheart-Chingonskyy" SHABRANSKYY, USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion:

"Good afternoon everyone. I will fight this Friday at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, and you're welcome to watch me. I'd like to thank everyone at Golden Boy Promotions and would like to wish Bernard Hopkins luck on Saturday."

SULLIVAN BARRERA, Light Heavyweight Contender:

"I want to say thank you to Golden Boy Promotions, Kathy Duva and HBO for this opportunity. I want to say that this is a great fight for boxing fans, and I'm inviting everyone to go this Friday to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. I think it's a great show for everyone. Thank you for coming, and thank you for the support."

NICK SPAMPANATO, Senior Vice President West Coast and General Manager of The Forum:

"We are proud to continue our rich boxing tradition by hosting the final fight for one of boxing's living legends - Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins as he faces Joe Smith, Jr. this Saturday, Dec. 17. It's set to be an exciting night and one for the history books."

KATHY DUVA, CEO of Main Events:

"Before I start I'd like to congratulate Bernard. We're very happy to be here. I'd like to thank HBO. The only way to consistently present good events is by all working together and that's what we've done here. Sullivan [Barrera] proved his medal when he risked his number one position against Andre Ward, and he is coming to win on Friday night. Thank you so much and we're all looking forward to it on Saturday.

"We met Thabiso Mchunu when we met Sullivan Barrera. This [cruiserweight] is the division I believe that you will see action. I have a good feeling about our fight and have a great opponent in Oleksandr Usyk. We're looking forward to our fighters putting on the best show as possible."

TOM LOEFFLER, Managing Director of K2 Promotions:

"This is a great boxing weekend. Friday and Saturday shows as Oscar [De La Hoya] had said are tremendous shows. It's all possible because of the living and fighting legend, Bernard Hopkins. Everyone is here to pay tribute to Bernard. They're getting the opportunity to showcase their skills on the same fight as this legend. Thank you to everyone at Golden Boy Promotions, and I'd like to thank Kathy Duva and Main Events. Certainly Mchunu wasn't our first choice; he has a tricky style with southpaw, but this is a true quality HBO matchup. It's been 13 years since HBO has showcased a cruiserweight championship fight."

TONY WALKER, Director of HBO Sports:

"I'd like to thank Oscar and all of Golden Boy Promotions for putting together a great night of boxing. This is the greatest collection of promoters on one card we have put together, and I wish we could do this more often.

"This is the final World Championship Boxing show of 2016, and we are finishing it with a bang with this triple-header. This show is unique for all the different stories - you have Diaz who fights out of LA who is taking on a fighter who is trained under the famous Eddy Gomez. We have a cruiserweight bout with Usyk and Mchunu, which is historic since we haven't had a cruiserweight bout on World Championship boxing since 2008.

"This will be Bernard Hopkins 23rd and last fight with HBO who will be fighting a young lion - and Bernard would have it any other way. The last images of Bernard fighting, with a scowl over his face with his arms crossed as the executioner pose will be seen by his followers from all over. We welcome him as part of the HBO family as he continues his plans post retirement."

Hopkins vs. Smith, Jr. is a 12-round WBC International Light Heavyweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Star Boxing. Diaz, Jr. vs. Garcia is a 10-round NABF featherweight title match presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Usyk vs. Mchunu is a 12-round WBO Cruiserweight World Title battle presented by K2 Promotions in association with Main Events. The event is sponsored by "Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD" and Casa Mexico Tequila. The event will be televised live on Saturday, December 17, 2016 from Inglewood, California's "Fabulous" Forum on HBO's flagship series beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for Hopkins vs. Smith, Jr. are on sale and are priced at $25, $50, $75, $105 and $205, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or the Forum Box Office (Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. PST to 7:00 p.m. PST) at (310) 330-7300.  Tickets are also available for purchase at or .