With a controversial technical knockout, Chad Dawson claimed the WBC light heavyweight title from Bernard Hopkins, marking the end of Hopkins’s era as the oldest world champion in boxing.
The referee intervened and stopped the bout at 2:48 of the second round, declaring Dawson the victor after Hopkins seemed to sustain a right shoulder injury due to a fall at the Staples Centre.
During a clinch, Hopkins, 46, leapt onto Dawson’s back, which led Dawson to throw him backwards onto the canvas where Hopkins landed awkwardly on his right shoulder.
Hopkins expressed strong discontent regarding the TKO decision, as it marked the first instance in his career where he was stopped inside the distance.
Moreover, he was upset about an incident with Dawson in the ring close to one of the neutral corners.
“This isn’t the UFC or MMA,” Hopkins shouted.
“It should have been ruled no contest. He threw me down with a foul.”
For several minutes, Hopkins remained on the ground while his corner attended to his condition. Meanwhile, Dawson approached him and shouted as the audience at Staples Centre reacted with boos to this unusual incident.
As he fell, Hopkins’s head grazed the bottom rope, and his shoulder endured the impact of the drop. Following the bout, Dawson claimed he believed Hopkins was pretending to be injured.
“He jumped on me and pulled me down,” stated the 29-year-old Dawson, who derided Hopkins for not continuing.
“I pushed him off with my shoulder. I wanted a legitimate fight. I trained for eight weeks for this. He was just faking it. I have wanted this fight for three years, and he did not.
“He boasts about being from Philadelphia and how he is gangster,” Dawson elaborated.
“He is not gangster. Gangsters don’t quit.”
Before the unexpected conclusion, neither fighter had the opportunity to gauge one another effectively, together throwing only 18 punches.
Dawson exhibited more activity in a slow-paced first round, while the lethargic tempo persisted into the second round.
It remains uncertain whether this loss will push Hopkins towards retirement.
In May, he became the oldest world champion in boxing history at 46 by winning the WBC light-heavyweight title with a unanimous decision against Canada’s Jean Pascal, who had previously dethroned the unbeaten Dawson in 2010.
From 1995 to 2005, Hopkins dominated the middleweight division for a decade, with the last four years as the undisputed champion.
He held the title for 10 years, achieving a record of 20 successful title defenses during his 23-year boxing career.
Buford Balony states: Another farcical boxing match. It’s no surprise that MMA is gaining popularity.
