Bernard Hopkins wins split decision, unifies titles

Bernard Hopkins wins split decision, unifies titles

Bernard Hopkins celebrates after his split decision victory over Beibut Shumenov at D.C. Armory.
 
Judges Dave Moretti and Jerry Roth scored it 116-111 for Hopkins.

"That is complete (B.S.)," Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, who promoted the card, said of Padilla's scoring after the fight. "That's another judge that should be retired."

Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) used a hard right hand -- "my hardest punch in years" -- to drop Shumenov in the 11th round as the crowd chanted "B-Hop, B-Hop, B-Hop." He said he tried hard for his first knockout since stopping Oscar De La Hoya in 2004, but Shumenov stood his ground and last the rest of the way.

Looking as relaxed as could be in his 63rd professional fight, the only time Hopkins showed his age all night was when he referenced a '70s TV character in talking about his calm demeanor in the ring. "I was so in my living room watching Archie Bunker," he cracked.

Hopkins, playing to the Washington crowd by wearing the colors of the Redskins, burgundy and gold, started slowly, throwing little in the first two rounds. But he came alive in the third round and connected with several rights against Shumenov, who fell to 14-2 with 9 KOs.

Hopkins connected on several hard rights again in the fourth round, mixing it up with hard jabs and using the type of counterpunching that the wily veteran has perfected in 26 years in the ring.

After that, it was all Hopkins as the Philadelphian, now known as "The Alien," schooled Shumenov throughout the fight, getting the partisan crowd of 6,823 worked up into a frenzy.

Shumenov landed just 20% of his punches while Hopkins landed an amazing 49% of his 383 punches thrown.

"I didn't do that when I was 30," he said. "He was really surprised the way I could stand there and let him miss.

"Boxing is a science. If you don't have to get hit, don't. You don't want someone else counting your money."

Hopkins said he will let the historians decide where he belongs in the history of the sport, but said, just nine months before he turns 50, that he should be among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

"The pound-for-pound best fighter in the world right now is Floyd Mayweather," Hopkins said. "I'll tell you, behind Andre Ward, who I believe is second and should be, I'm not that far from the top three. My age and the way I'm doing it.

"I'm just telling you, I'm not done yet."