On Saturday, December 17, 2016, Bernard Hopkins took on Joe Smith Jr. in a scheduled 12-round fight, live from The Forum in Inglewood, California.
Smith Jr. successfully defending his WBC International Light Heavyweight title against the future hall of famer.
The bout was promoted as “Final 1,” because it marked the end of Hopkins’ storied career which includes legendary fights against the likes of Roy Jones Jr., Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya and Sergey Kovalev.
Also featured on the three-fight HBO telecast were Joseph Diaz and Horacio Garcia in a 10-round bout.
Opening up the televised portion of the card was Ukranian WBO Cruiserweight champion and star-in-the-making, Oleksandr Usyk, taking on Thabiso Mchunu in a scheduled 12-round fight.
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Round By Round Boxing Results
Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Smith Jr.
Joe Smith Jr. ends Bernard Hopkins’ career with a knockout. #Boxing #Final1 #KO #RBRBoxing pic.twitter.com/ukMF6bHrZu
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) December 18, 2016
Hopkins was knocked out and thrown out of the ring in Round 8 by Smith.
Hopkins put a great effort, but being thrown out of the ring made it very hard for him to get up.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Thabiso Mchunu
Usyk scored a ninth-round TKO stoppage against Mchunu.
Usyk scored three knockdowns, one in Round 5 and two in Round 9, the final of which caused the stoppage.
Joseph Diaz vs. Horacio Garcia
Diaz scored a ten-round unanimous decision victory against Garcia.
Jason Quigley vs. Jorge Melendez
Quigley scored three knockdowns before stopping Melendez to earn a first-round KO.
“Me and Manny Robles were ready to go all ten rounds if necessary,” said Quigley.
“He wanted the knock out more than I did – he was coming forward and risking heavy punches to his own detriment. We are 110% ready for anything that is coming in the future.”
Ryan Garcia vs. Jose Antonio Martinez
Garcia, who was making his Golden Boy debut, scored a second-round TKO victory against Martinez.
“I was a little nervous since this was my first timer as a Golden Boy Fighter,” said Garcia.
“I set him up perfectly for me to utilize my straight jab, and found a way to maneuver his awkward style. I’m going to look back at the tape and just keep on improving and taking off my Golden Boy career,” said Garcia.
Yamaguchi Falcao vs. German Perez
Falcao scored a first-round KO against Perez. The fight was stopped at the 0:27 mark of Round 1.
“I wasn’t expecting getting the knock out so early,” said Falcoa.
“I kept my distance and just looked for the perfect opportunity to land an overhead punch, and when I did – I felt that I hurt him and unleashed on him. I can’t wait to start 2017 rejuvenated and at a top notch level.”
Carlos Morales vs. Charles Huerta
Morales scored a split-decision victory against Huerta.
“I’m glad I get to take the belt back home,” said Morales.
“He was on his game, and it was a tough fight. I was caught completely off guard by his left hook, and I think that slowed me down, and the cut on my nose was a result of four hard rounds of boxing,” said Morales.
Christian Gonzalez vs. Jonathan Perez
Gonzalez scored a third-round KO against Perez.
“My plan was to go in to the ring and practice what I had worked on in the gym, which was working on my jab,” said Gonzalez.
“We knew we were facing an experienced opponent, and not much would surprise him, but my team and I trained hard on our plan and I’m very happy to have taken the knockout.”
Joet Gonzalez vs. Jairo Ochoa
Gonzalez scored a fourth-round TKO victory against Ochoa.
“I’m glad we got the stoppage in the fourth round,” said Gonzalez.
“I was expecting him to come forward more, and I think he was a bit cautious of my power blows. Overall I’m satisfied with my performance tonight.”
Ivan Delgado vs. Roberto Carlos Rivera
Delgado scored a sixth-round TKO victory against Rivera.
“I feel great about my win, I knew I had to keep at my opponent in order to secure the knockout,” said Delgado.
“I went heavy on the offensive, and I hadn’t studied my opponent much before—but I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy fight. Next stop is a state title in 2017.”
All Photos by Hogan Photos for Golden Boy Promotions
