Smith Jr. Becomes the First Man to Stop the Legendary Hopkins – Press Release

Joe "The Beast" Smith Jr. became the first fighter to knock out the legend Bernard Hopkins as he knocked Hopkins completely out of the  ring with a vicious 4 punch combination in the 8th round. Hopkins was unable to beat the 20 count administered by referee Jack Reiss constituting a knockout win by Smith Jr. (the bout was officially declared a TKO victory). The fight was the main event on HBO Championship Boxing. Smith Jr., stalked Hopkins from the opening bell putting pressure on Bernard and landed a telling right hand in round 1 that seemed to wobble Hopkins. Joe was relentless throughout the next 2 rounds and outworked Hopkins easily while Hopkins was limited to landing sneaky pop shots here and there. Bernard was more competitive in the 4th round landing some nice counter punches Read more [...]

The Executioner Bernard Hopkins Returns for “The Final One”

LOS ANGELES  - A boxing legend will look to add an exclamation point to end his professional career with the same style, speed and slickness that has defined him in the ring for nearly three decades, as 51-year-old, two-division former world champion and Future Hall of Famer Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs) prepares to square off against hard-hitting Light Heavyweight contender Joe Smith, Jr. (21-1, 18 KOs) in a 12-round fight from Los Angeles' iconic Fabulous Forum. The bout will take place Saturday, December 17 and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Tickets for the fight - named, "The Final One" -- will go on sale Monday, October 24th at 10:00 a.m. PT. Hopkins' resume reads like a Hall-of-Fame induction ballot. Between holding the record for Read more [...]

Bernard Hopkins, Beibut Shumenov and Peter Quillin New York City Press Conference Quotes for April 19 – Light Heavyweight World Championship Unification

IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard Hopkins and WBA Super World Champion Beibut Shumenov continued their media tour on Wednesday at Lucille's Bar & Grill inside B.B. King's Blues Club in New York to formally announce their world championship unification on Saturday, April 19, live on SHOWTIME®from the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. At 49-years-old, "The Alien" Hopkins (54-6-2, 32 KOs), of Philadelphia, is looking to become the oldest fighter in boxing history to unify world titles, while Shumenov (14-1, 9 KOs), of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, is aiming to become the fastest fighter to unify the light heavyweight division with only 15 professional fights under his belt.  In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® co-main event, undefeated WBO Middleweight World Champion Peter "Kid Read more [...]

Dawson Wins Second Time Around Against Hopkins; Witherspoon Stopped in the Third by Mitchell!

(APR 29, 2012) Last night at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and telecast on HBO, "Bad" Chad Dawson, 29, won a 12-round unanimous decision over Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins, now 47 years old.  Dawson was able to successfully dethrone Hopkins for the Ring and WBC Light heavyweight title, that could have happened in October of 2011, at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California, but in their first fight in October, Hopkins got injured early in that bout.  Dawson was initially declared the winner the night of the fight, which HBN being present at that fight saw the reaction of the crowd who were in shock.  Ultimately their first fight was declared a technical draw after the WBC reviewed the bout. . In last night's bout however, the results were different.  Read more [...]

Hopkins Vs. Taylor- Will History Repeat Itself?

(JUN 25) LOS ANGELES- With unbeaten Jermain Taylor - a rising star with credentials - taking on Bernard Hopkins - the long-reigning middleweight champion who is considered by most to still be at his prime - on July 16 at the MGM GRAND in Las Vegas, it’s interesting to take a look at some of the other bouts from the modern era (1960 - present) that mirror this type of matchup. Let’s start with the Heavyweights: * In 1964, the young, brash, and undefeated Cassius Clay, a Gold Medal winner in the 1960 Rome Olympics at 178 lbs., takes on the fearsome Charles “Sonny” Liston, who was coming off two straight first round knockout wins over Floyd Patterson. Result: A monster upset, as Clay makes Liston retire on his stool after six rounds. * In 1971, it was “Smokin” Joe Frazier Read more [...]

2005: Bernard Hopkins Vs. Jermain Taylor- Will History Repeat Itself?

 (JUN 25, 2005) LOS ANGELES- With unbeaten Jermain Taylor - a rising star with credentials - taking on Bernard Hopkins - the long-reigning middleweight champion who is considered by most to still be at his prime - on July 16 at the MGM GRAND in Las Vegas, it’s interesting to take a look at some of the other bouts from the modern era (1960 - present) that mirror this type of matchup. Let’s start with the Heavyweights: * In 1964, the young, brash, and undefeated Cassius Clay, a Gold Medal winner in the 1960 Rome Olympics at 178 lbs., takes on the fearsome Charles “Sonny” Liston, who was coming off two straight first round knockout wins over Floyd Patterson. Result: A monster upset, as Clay makes Liston retire on his stool after six rounds. * In 1971, it was “Smokin” Joe Read more [...]