ATLANTIC CITY–The ageless Bernard Hopkins yet again held back the clock as he scored a 12 round unanimous decision over unheralded mandatory challenger Karo Murat at Boardwalk Hall.
Hopkins took a few rounds getting adjusted to Murat who came to win.
The bout was entertaining and featured many furious exchanges that aren’t common in most Hopkins bouts. Hopkins had Murat hurt on several occasions as his vaunted straight right hand was on point and began to bust up the face around Murat’s left eye. In between the action there was some holding that was precipitated by Murat and he was docked a point by referee Steve Smoger in round seven.
In round eight, the man known as “The Alien” became more entertaining as he engaged in an exchange with Murat while talking to the television cameras on the apron. Hopkins desperately wanted a knockout was aggressive and had Murat hurt down the stretch. Murat did mount an effort but came up short on this night to the 48 year-old legend.
Hopkins outlanded Murat 247-565 to 147-486. The hopkins tally included 184 power punches.
Hopkins, 172 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 119-109, 119-109 and 117-110 (same as 15rounds.com) and is now 54-6-2. Murat, 174 lbs of Berlin, Germany is 25-2-1.
“Richard Schaefer said we needed to be crowd pleasers,” said Hopkins, the oldest champion in sports history. “The crowd wanted to see skill and blood so I had some blood to give them. I am an entertainer and this is what people want to see… He was a game number one contender.”
When asked by SHOWTIME ringside reporter Jim Gray if Murat brought out the best in him, Hopkins answered, “Not really, but he didn’t bring out the worst either.”
Regarding the slow start, Hopkins said, “That was the plan. That was the bone on the string so that the dog could follow him into a dark alley and then realize someone was waiting on him. And that dog was me.”
Hopkins continued, “He throws pretty good punches and he is no one to sleep on. He is going to give some light heavyweights a bit of a problem.”
When Gray asked Hopkins how he stays in such phenomenal shape at age 48, Hopkins replied, “I’m a freaking alien.”
Gray then spoke to Murat who said, “Bernard is a good boxer and I lost concentration due to the two cuts which came by head butts. I know that when I am in good shape I can beat him, however, the cuts disturbed me.”
Peter Quillin retained the WBO Middleweight title with a 10th round stoppage over Gabriel Rosado when the challenger was deemed unable to continue due to a cut over the left eye.
In round two, Quillin landed a left hook to the side of the head that sent Rosado to the canvas. Rosado fought back valiantly and started to get into fight with some solid right hands. the two traded off rounds with Quillin throwing less but landing harder. Rosado landed the flashier punches and seemed to be picking up momentum in various parts of the fight.
In round nine, a bad cut appeared around the left eye of Rosado that was ruled from a punch. Just forty seconds into round ten, ringside doctor Blair Bergen thought the blood was too much and stopped the fight.
Quillin, 159 1/4 lbs is now 30-0 with 22 knockouts. Rosado, 160 lbs is now a hard luck 21-7.
Said Quillin after the fight, “I’m not a judge. I’m not an elected official. I did what I had to do as a fighter and I respect the call. The referees and doctors ringside did what they had to do to make sure the fighters are safe.
“I never expect an easy payday or an easy fight. I work hard every time for each fight… When you dedicate to win a title you need to give that person a sense of being able to achieve what they want. I am a world champion and I work hard. He has never been a champion and he doesn’t know.
“I’m ready for anybody. I am a fighter and I worry about fighting. If it is a rematch, then I don’t care. I work hard to be in this ring and I work hard to defend my title against anybody. I don’t care if it is against my own mother.”
Of the stoppage, Rosado told Gray, “I felt like that was B.S. This is a championship fight. We were going into the championship rounds. This was a competitive fight. I never complained about a cut. When the doctor saw my eye, I told him that I could see. It was not giving me any problems up to that point.
“I noticed if I backed him up with a jab that I was hurting him and I was doing that. But then the doctor called me over and stopped the fight. This is boxing. What about Gatti-Ward? They didn’t stop that fight. Corrales-Castillo. We are warriors.
“I never even complained that I couldn’t see. Of course I want a rematch. This is the story of my life. I’m the real Rocky Balboa.”
Deontay Wilder made it 30 for 30. 30-0, 30 knockouts that is as he scored a four round destruction over Nicolai Firtha in a scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout.
Firtha came rushing out and made Wilder stumble from a left hand. Wilder came back string in the round as he floored Firtha twice in the round. The first knockdown came from a hard right hand while the second was from a right to the side of the head. Firtha began to gush blood from his nostrils. Wilder kept up the power assault in round two and then dropped Firtha from a huge power right in the third.
Wilder ended things with a huge right hand that sent Firtha flat on his back and the fight was stopped at 1:26 of round four.
“This is what i wanted. To box and have fun. I told everyone that Firtha was coming to fight. I am right there at the door. Everytime you see me, you know what you are going to get and that a knockout.”, Said Wilder
Wilder, 224 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is now 30-0 with 30 knockouts. Firtha, 252 1/2 lbs of Akron, OH is now 21-11-1.
Zachary Ochoa remained undefeated with a four round unanimous decision over Michael Doyle in a Jr. Welterweight bout.
Scores were 40-36, 39-37 and 39-37 for Ochoa, 140 1/2 lbs and is now 5-0. Doyle, 137 lbs is 2-6.
Braulio Santos disposed of David Clark in round one of their scheduled eight round Featherweight bout.
Santos rocked Clark with two vicious power shots and then connected on a devastating left hook that sent Clark down. Clark got to his feet but referee David Fields called the bout off at 1:49 of round one.
Santos of Puerto Rico is now 11-1 with 10 knockouts. Clark is 6-3.
Dominic Wade opened the show up with a first round destruction over Roberto Ventura in a scheduled eight round Middleweight bout.
Wade rocked Ventura with a left hook and then dropped him with an overhand right. Seconds later Wade dropped Ventura with an overhand right. Wade finished things with a hard overhand right that sent Ventura down for a third and final time and the bout was stopped at 2:08 of round one.
Wade is now 13-0 with 10 knockouts. Ventura is now 12-8.
