Hopkins dominates Tarver in final bout of his career

[-Slap-]

Hopkins was only getting 2-1 in this bout in Vegas, so I didn't pull the trigger and now I'm kicking myself. I knew Tarver was going to have major problems last night. Every time a fighter takes time away from his craft to go make a movie, like Tarver did for Rocky Balboa (and other projects), he comes back and gets his ass kicked all over the ring.

It happened when Lennox Lewis went to film Ocean's 11 and then promptly got drilled by Hasim Rahman and it happened again last night. Reports are Tarver had to lose as much as 40 pounds to get down in weight for this fight.

Hopkins dominates Tarver in final bout of his career (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/more/06/11/bc.box.hopkins.tarver.ap/index.html)

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/more/06/11/bc.box.hopkins.tarver.ap/p1_hopkins-getty.jpg
Bernard Hopkins, left, dominated
Antonio Tarver, who was a 3-1 favorite.
Al Bello/Getty Images

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- Bernard Hopkins got his Hollywood ending.

Capping his career with a stunning upset, the 41-year-old Hopkins won a unanimous decision over the younger, taller Antonio Tarver on Saturday night, using aggressive offense, smart defense and the ring savvy borne of 18 years of boxing.

It was a Capra-esque ending: Coming off a two-fight losing streak, Hopkins chose to fight at 175 pounds -- jumping up two weight classes -- in hopes of putting an exclamation point on his career.

His opponent was a bruising lefty with two victories over Roy Jones Jr. and a world of confidence.

It was a longshot. Oddsmakers had IBO champion Tarver as a 3-1 favorite. But Hopkins pulled it off, cheered on by a partisan crowd of 10,200 in Boardwalk Hall, 55 miles down the road from his hometown Philadelphia.

"Yes, I told you people you would be surprised at how easy of a fight it would be," Hopkins said. "I could have fought in three different weight classes a long time ago. I knew all I had to do was negate his jab and he wouldn't have anything else."

Hopkins, who reigned for 11 years as middleweight champion before a pair of losses last year, tied Tarver (24-4) in knots from the opening bell -- literally and figuratively.

When he wasn't scoring with lunging right leads, he was keeping Tarver at bay whenever Tarver tried to get close, flailing away with rapid-fire combinations or forcing him into a clinch.

Tarver, who'd agreed to pay $250,000 to a charity of Hopkins' choosing if he didn't knock him out in five rounds or less, found himself fighting for his life in the fifth.

After missing Hopkins with a right, Hopkins (48-4-1) countered with a right lead that caught Tarver flush in the face, knocking him backward. Referee Benjy Estevez ruled it a knockdown because Tarver's left glove touched the canvas as he struggled to stay on his feet.

The crowd rooted him on with shouts of "B-Hop! B-Hop! B-Hop."

Hopkins stayed in control in the later rounds, waiting for Tarver to swing and then unleashing five- and six-punch combinations as he chased him across the ring. By the end, Tarver's right eye was nearly swollen shut, and the other one didn't look much better.

The 37-year-old Tarver, who recently served as Sylvester Stallone's on-screen opponent for the upcoming final installment of the "Rocky" series, was confounded.

Stymied by Hopkins, he fought the later rounds the way he fought the early ones -- tentatively, rarely landing punches and seemingly disinterested in doing so. Even when it became clear he needed a knockout to win, his strategy didn't change.

All three judges scored it 118-109.

"It wasn't my night," Tarver said. "You have days like this. No excuses. I give all praises to Bernard Hopkins."

It was a retirement party from the start.

Hopkins' sisters, wife and two of his schoolteachers were brought into the ring before the bout, and a video tribute to his career played on the scoreboard above it.

The gritty middleweight, who never achieved stardom until he beat Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, ended his career where he began it. In 1988, he debuted at 175 pounds, losing a decision to Clinton Mitchell in a fight held in Atlantic City.

Now, he can ride off into the sunset. Although it didn't take long for him to open the door to another day in the ring.

Asked by HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant if he would consider coming back for a $20 million payday, Hopkins replied: "I might come out of my grave for that kind of money."

[Jason in LA]

I wish I had seen the fight. I was kind of worried about Hopkins moving up in weight, but looks like there was no need to worry. I'm glad Hopkins is going out with a big win. He's been one of the greats.

It kind of makes me wonder if he could control that division for a few years.

As for Lewis, I wonder what else he was doing instead of training. His part in Ocean's 11, which is one of my favorite movies, Couldn't have taken more than a day to shoot. I think he just got big headed and blew off the training, and combine that with his glass jaw.

[-Slap-]

When I get tightassed and talk myself off a fight, sometimes that hurts more than losing. At least when you lose, you took your shot, bad handicapping, bad luck, whatever.

[RhymesayersDU]

****, I totally spaced that this fight was last night. Wanted to see it.

[Jason in LA]

I don't get boxing sometimes. It's a great sport, even with all it's problems. The public loves a good fight. But it seems like boxing doesn't promote itself well.

I also totally spaced that the fight was last night. I got home around 9:30 and thought to myself "I hope that fight wasn't tonight". Boxing doesn't promote itself well at all. Would any of us forget when the Super Bowl was, or any other NFL game? How many of us aren't aware that the NBA Finals game 2 is coming on tonight? We'll all know when the MLB All-Star game is. They'll start hyping it up a couple weeks before.

On Monday, when we all flip on sports radio, there won't be much of a mention of this fight. Last night I flipped on ESPN, and was looking at their sports ticker on the bottom of the screen, and it had no mention of this fight.

Boxing needs to step it up on the promotion end. Get the national public back. This used to be the biggest sport in the country, along with baseball. So there is a huge interest.

[dbfan4life]

I think one of the biggest problems is that almost every damn good fight is PPV. I love boxing but it's a but riduculous when you have to pay for every fight. I mean, throw us a championship fight every now and again without having to shell out $50. Anyway, I think Hopkins has been underestimated his entire career. He's always been criticized for the fights he's taken and fights he hasan't taken but he's almost always won. He done things his way and didn't care what anyone else thought. he deserves to go out on top.

[Spider]

i didnt think Hopkins would do it ..... I thought tarver had enough time to drop the wieght .................

[gunns]

I think one of the biggest problems is that almost every damn good fight is PPV. I love boxing but it's a but riduculous when you have to pay for every fight. I mean, throw us a championship fight every now and again without having to shell out $50. Anyway, I think Hopkins has been underestimated his entire career. He's always been criticized for the fights he's taken and fights he hasan't taken but he's almost always won. He done things his way and didn't care what anyone else thought. he deserves to go out on top.

I agree. They've lost something by putting on all the good fights on PPV. I haven't ordered one since Tyson took out Spinx in about a minute. $45 down the drain. I'm thrilled for Hopkins, he has proven himself one of the greats.

[BroncoInferno]

I think one of the biggest problems is that almost every damn good fight is PPV.

Usually, although the Jermaine Taylor-Winky Wright fight will be on regular HBO next weekend. I'm looking forward to that fight. It should be very interesting. No one has been able to solve the Winky puzzle yet, and I doubt the inexperienced Taylor will be the first. Still, it's a gutsy move on Taylor's part. And he's got Steward in his corner, who has a habit of elevating guys. Should be good stuff.

[Spider]

Usually, although the Jermaine Taylor-Winky Wright fight will be on regular HBO next weekend. I'm looking forward to that fight. It should be very interesting. No one has been able to solve the Winky puzzle yet, and I doubt the inexperienced Taylor will be the first. Still, it's a gutsy move on Taylor's part. And he's got Steward in his corner, who has a habit of elevating guys. Should be good stuff.
I like Taylor , but I think Winky wins it

[BroncoInferno]

A lot of people talked about how Hopkins accomplished something his idol Sugar Ray Robinson falied to do. Let's keep this in perspective. Robinson was a natural welterweight (and former World champion in that weight class) who ended up dominating some of the best middleweights of all-time. Had he beaten Joey Maxim for the light heaveyweight championship it would have been one of the greatest acheivements in boxing history for a natural welterweight to become the undisputed light heaveyweight champion. And, had it not been for a heat wave, he would have pulled it off. He dominated Maxim before 110 degree weather drained him and forced him to quit on his stool before the 14th.

Nevertheless, this is still a big win for Hopkins legacy. He dominated the middleweight division for 12 years, but it was during a time when there really weren't any other great middleweights. His biggest wins were against overstuffed welterweights in De La Hoya and Trinidad. Moving up two weight classes to beat one of the best fighters in the world really solidfies his standing in boxing history.

[BroncoInferno]

I like Taylor , but I think Winky wins it

Yeah, Winky's defense and jab are just too damn good. No one has been able to figure out how to hit him.

[DB-Freak]

Boxing needs to step it up on the promotion end. Get the national public back. This used to be the biggest sport in the country, along with baseball. So there is a huge interest.

The answer is a HW division with a deep pool of talent with dominant players. To the general public, it's the HW's division that draws the most attention. Unfortunately, the talent pool is shallow.

There are a lot of athletic HW's out there, but they all seem to be playing another sport.

Plus less weight divisions and belts. Easier to keep up with the sports.

[-Slap-]

The answer is a HW division with a deep pool of talent with dominant players. To the general public, it's the HW's division that draws the most attention. Unfortunately, the talent pool is shallow.

There are a lot of athletic HW's out there, but they all seem to be playing another sport.

Plus less weight divisions and belts. Easier to keep up with the sports.
The weight divisions aren't a problem. Although, you do make a good point bringing up the old axiom, "as go the heavyweights, so goes boxing".

Its really about the governing bodies. During boxing's last Golden Age of the early to mid 80s, there was really only the WBA, and Don King and Jose Sulaiman's puppet organization, the WBC. It was when the IBF and other groups started horning in, and further fracturing the belts, that the sport really began to wane.

[BroncoInferno]

The weight divisions aren't a problem. Although, you do make a good point bringing up the old axiom, "as go the heavyweights, so goes boxing".

Its really about the governing bodies. During boxing's last Golden Age of the early to mid 80s, there was really only the WBA, and Don King and Jose Sulaiman's puppet organization, the WBC. It was when the IBF and other groups started horning in, and further fracturing the belts, that the sport really began to wane.

I think even the current crop of heavyweights, while not ideal, would be sufficient to spark interest if you didn't have fakes like John Ruiz, Chris Byrd, and Hasim Rahman holding on to title belts for years because their promoters refuse to match them with worthy opponents. If you could get an undisputed champion crowned, and then have him take on the worthy challengers rather than having greedy promoters prevent potentially solid fights from taking place, you might be able to solve the problem.

[DB-Freak]

The weight divisions aren't a problem. Although, you do make a good point bringing up the old axiom, "as go the heavyweights, so goes boxing".

That's with every sports with weightclass unfortunately.

Bigger the better.

And I do think there is a bit of a problem with the Weight divisions. If a man can compete in 3 or 4 weight divisions, they kind of losing their meaning of weight division.
17 divisions seem to be alittle excessive and it gets alittle ridiculous as the weight division goes down where weight differences are only like 3 or 4 pounds between divisions.

[broncos love]

Yeah, Winky's defense and jab are just too damn good. No one has been able to figure out how to hit him.
I might agree with you if it was a couple of years ago but with Winky getting older and JT not even being in his prime I like Taylor. And with the Amazing performance of Hopkins last night I think Tayor wins and becomes the poster kid for boxing for the next 5 years.

[-Slap-]

That's with every sports with weightclass unfortunately.

Bigger the better.

And I do think there is a bit of a problem with the Weight divisions. If a man can compete in 3 or 4 weight divisions, they kind of losing their meaning of weight division.
17 divisions seem to be alittle excessive and it gets alittle ridiculous as the weight division goes down where weight differences are only like 3 or 4 pounds between divisions.
This is what made Henry Armstrong's accomplishment so incredible. In 1938, Homicide Hank held the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight championships simultaneously. Amazing that one man held three of the eight recognized title belts at the same time.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/00/Henry-Armstrong.jpg/200px-Henry-Armstrong.jpg

[BroncoInferno]

I might agree with you if it was a couple of years ago but with Winky getting older and JT not even being in his prime I like Taylor. And with the Amazing performance of Hopkins last night I think Tayor wins and becomes the poster kid for boxing for the next 5 years.

Taylor's 'wins' against Hopkins were slim at best, and, in my opinion, Hopkins should have gotten the decision in the first fight. What we saw from Taylor in both bouts was an enormously talented guy, but who still doesn't have a whole lot of ring savvy. I think Winky is the toughest man to beat in all of boxing, with the possible exception of Mayweather, and I just don't see Taylor as having the savvy necessary at this point in his career to solve the Winky riddle.

[DB-Freak]

I think a brawler dominant as Marciano would do this sport alot of good.

A guy with an iron chin and crippling power and unparalleled tenacity. A guy who can make every fight he fights a potential fight of the year,

[Atlas]

I'm glad Hopkins won. Tarvar was doing all sorts of talking before the match.

[-Slap-]

I think a brawler dominant as Marciano would do this sport alot of good.

A guy with an iron chin and crippling power and unparalleled tenacity. A guy who can make every fight he fights a potential fight of the year,
Yeah, him or another Smokin' Joe Frazier. I think they would win belts today and possibly unify, but it wouldn't be easy in this era of huge heavyweights.

[-Slap-]

I'm glad Hopkins won. Tarvar was doing all sorts of talking before the match.
Brought a rocking chair for Bernard to one press conference.

[freak6]

Taylor's 'wins' against Hopkins were slim at best, and, in my opinion, Hopkins should have gotten the decision in the first fight. What we saw from Taylor in both bouts was an enormously talented guy, but who still doesn't have a whole lot of ring savvy. I think Winky is the toughest man to beat in all of boxing, with the possible exception of Mayweather, and I just don't see Taylor as having the savvy necessary at this point in his career to solve the Winky riddle.

Good post, Winky has a devasting right jab, and he is so smart. He sticks to his game plan, and he has incredibly fast hands.

Taylor on the other hand has finally stepped up the competition his last 5 fights, and he met his match in Hopkins with the narrow wins. I like Wright also because of his defense and the huge advantage of being a Lefty. Taylor is arguably the more talented fighter, but I'm still not completly sold on him. Wright is peaking, Taylor I think plateaued and will lose a close decision. It's gonna be a great chess match for boxing fans.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Glad to see Hopkins kick his butt.

[Atlas]

Brought a rocking chair for Bernard to one press conference.

Yeah he said that after the fight Hopkins could sit in it and watch the tape of him getting knocked out. LOL

I'm sure it was all schtick to sell tickets but it gave me a reason to root for Hopkins.

[OrangeShadow]

that was an awesome fight. I thought hopkins would pull it out,plus i dont like tarver so it was sweet