Bernard Hopkins


Bernard Hopkins Jr. is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2016. He is one of the most successful boxers of the past three decades, having held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the undisputed championship at middleweight from 2001 to 2005, and the lineal championship at light heavyweight from 2011 to 2012.
Hopkins first became a world champion by winning the vacant International Boxing Federation middleweight title in 1995. He compiled 20 defenses against 17 opponents, with 19 wins as a result of his no-contest bout against Robert Allen. In 2001, Hopkins successfully unified the middleweight division by defeating Félix Trinidad to win the World Boxing Association , World Boxing Council, Ring |Ring] magazine and lineal titles. A victory over Oscar De La Hoya for the World Boxing Organization title in 2004 cemented Hopkins' status as undisputed champion, while also making him the first male boxer to simultaneously hold world titles by all four major boxing sanctioning bodies. In 2001, Hopkins was voted Fighter of the Year by The Ring and the Boxing Writers Association of America. In 2011, The Ring ranked Hopkins as third on their list of the "10 best middleweight title holders of the last 50 years." As of April 2021, he is ranked by BoxRec as the seventh greatest boxer of all time, pound for pound.
After losing the undisputed title to Jermain Taylor in 2005 and failing to regain it in a rematch the same year, Hopkins achieved further success in 2006 when he moved up to light heavyweight, winning the International Boxing Organization and Ring titles from Antonio Tarver at 41 years of age. Two defenses of the Ring title were made before a loss to Joe Calzaghe in 2008. Three years later, Hopkins defeated Jean Pascal for the WBC and lineal light heavyweight titles, as well as regaining the Ring title. This made Hopkins the oldest boxer in history to win a world championship, at the age of 46, breaking George Foreman's record set in 1994. Hopkins later broke his own record by winning the IBF light heavyweight title from Tavoris Cloud in 2013, and again in 2014 when he won the WBA title from Beibut Shumenov, at ages 48 and 49, respectively.
Nicknamed "The Executioner", and later "The Alien", Hopkins was known among observers for his longevity and ability to continue competing successfully at an advanced age. He is widely considered one of the greatest boxers of the modern era and one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time. Hopkins was a highly strategic and defensive boxer known for his Philly Shell and carrying good speed and power along with counterpunching skills. He credits mastering the boxing fundamentals and a great defense for his longevity in the sport. He was also a very seasoned fighter, being able to take advantage of a wide variety of situations in the ring and implement rough and dirty tactics while fighting on the inside or in a clinch.
In the last years of his active career, Hopkins also became a minority partner with Golden Boy Promotions, with which he still remains post-career.

Early life

Born to Bernard Hopkins Sr. and his wife Shirley, Bernard grew up with his family in the Raymond Rosen housing project in Philadelphia. Although he was a promising amateur boxer who won the Philadelphia Jr. Golden Gloves championship at age 9, eventually compiling an amateur record of 95–4, Hopkins turned to crime early in his life. By the age of thirteen he was mugging people and had been stabbed three times. At seventeen, Hopkins was sentenced to 18 years in Graterford Prison for nine felonies. While in prison he witnessed the murder of another inmate in an argument over a pack of cigarettes, but also rediscovered his passion for boxing. After serving almost five years, Hopkins was released from prison in 1988. He then decided to use boxing as an escape from his previous life, and converted to Islam. While Hopkins was leaving the prison for the final time, the warden told him he'd "see again when you wind up back in here", to which Hopkins replied "I ain't ever coming back here." Later, Hopkins attributed his personal discipline to his experiences and time spent in Graterford Prison.

Professional career

Middleweight

Early career

Hopkins immediately joined the professional boxing ranks as a light heavyweight, losing his debut on October 11, 1988, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Clinton Mitchell. After a sixteen-month layoff, he resumed his career as a middleweight, winning a unanimous decision over Greg Paige at the Blue Horizon on February 22, 1990.
Between February 1990 and December 1992, Hopkins scored 21 wins without a loss. He won 16 of those fights by knockout, 12 coming in the first round.

Hopkins vs. Jones I

Hopkins met Roy Jones on May 22, 1993, for the vacant IBF middleweight title. Hopkins was out-pointed throughout most of the fight, en route to losing a unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 116–112 for Jones.

Middleweight title

The IBF came again knocking at Hopkins's door on December 17 of that year, matching him with Segundo Mercado in Mercado's hometown of Quito, Ecuador. Mercado knocked Hopkins down twice before Hopkins rallied late and earned a split draw. It has been argued that Hopkins was also not properly acclimated to the altitude of nearly 10,000 feet.
The IBF called for an immediate rematch, and on April 29, 1995, Hopkins became a world champion with a seventh-round technical knockout victory in Landover, Maryland.
In his first title defense he defeated Steve Frank, whom he stopped in twenty-four seconds. By the end of 2000, he had defended the IBF title 12 times without a loss, while beating such standouts as John David Jackson, Glen Johnson, former champion Simon Brown, and knockout artist Antwun Echols.

2001 Middleweight Tournament

The arrival of former welterweight and light middleweight champion Félix Trinidad into the middleweight ranks set off a series of unification fights between major middleweight title-holders. The boxers involved in the tournament were reigning IBF champion Bernard Hopkins, WBC champion Keith Holmes, WBA champion William Joppy, and Félix Trinidad.

Hopkins vs. Holmes

On April 14, 2001, Hopkins won a unanimous decision over WBC champion Keith Holmes in New York City. Trinidad, however, knocked out Middleweight mainstay William Joppy in an impressive five rounds. This led many to believe that Félix Trinidad was simply too much and too strong for Hopkins.

Undisputed middleweight champion

Hopkins vs. Trinidad

On September 29, 2001, WBA champion Trinidad challenged Hopkins for the undisputed middleweight championship in Madison Square Garden. The fight was originally scheduled for September 15, but the 9/11 attacks postponed it by two weeks.
For the first time in many years, Hopkins was an underdog in the betting, which led the confident Hopkins to place a $100,000 bet on himself to win the bout. During promotion for the bout, Hopkins caused huge controversy by throwing the Puerto Rico flag on the floor in press conferences in both New York City and Puerto Rico, the latter conference leading to a riot in which Hopkins had to be run to safety from the angry mob.
During the fight, Hopkins was on his way to a lopsided decision victory when, in the 12th and final round, he floored Trinidad. Referee Steve Smoger called a halt to the fight after Trinidad's father entered the ring to stop the fight. It was the first loss of Trinidad's career, and it made Hopkins the first undisputed world middleweight champion since Marvin Hagler in 1987. 'The Ring' magazine and the World Boxing Hall of Fame named Hopkins as the 2001 Fighter of the Year.
He defended the undisputed title six times. Hopkins bested Carl Daniels on February 2 surpassing Carlos Monzón's division record of 14 defenses, 2002, by tenth-round technical knockout; Morrade Hakkar on March 29, 2003, by eighth-round TKO; William Joppy on December 13, 2003, by unanimous decision; and Robert Allen on June 5, 2004, also by unanimous decision.

Four belt champion

Hopkins vs. De La Hoya

In the highest-paying fight of his career, Hopkins fought six-division titleholder Oscar De La Hoya for the undisputed middleweight championship on September 18, 2004, in Las Vegas. They fought at a catch weight of 158 lbs, two pounds below the middleweight limit of 160 lbs. Hopkins won the bout by knockout in the ninth round with a left hook to the body and thus became the first boxer ever to unify the titles of all four major sanctioning bodies. At the time of the stoppage, Hopkins was ahead on two of the scorecards, with De La Hoya ahead on the other. Hopkins earned a career high of $10 million and De La Hoya made $30 million.
In November 2004, De la Hoya invited Hopkins to join his boxing promotional firm, Golden Boy Promotions, as president of its new East Coast chapter.
At 40 years old, an age at which most boxers are retired, Hopkins reached the middleweight record at the time of 19 consecutive title defenses on February 19, 2005, against ranked #1 WBC contender Howard Eastman, the European middleweight champion. Hopkins dominated the fight from start to finish, winning 119–110, 117–111 and 116–112.

Hopkins vs. Taylor

In his next fight on July 16, 2005, Hopkins lost his undisputed middleweight championship to Jermain Taylor via a split decision. Hopkins started slowly but came on strong over the final four rounds. Many press row writers scored the fight for Hopkins. Five months later, Hopkins and Taylor had a rematch, Taylor winning again, this time by unanimous decision.

Light heavyweight

Hopkins vs. Tarver

Following his two losses to Jermain Taylor, Hopkins at 41 decided not to retire and made the decision to jump two weight divisions to face off against The Ring light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver on June 10, 2006. Going into the fight, Tarver was a 3-to-1 favorite and had been the first man ever to TKO Roy Jones Jr. Many now placed Tarver among the sports top competitors. He was constantly ranked in the P4P rankings. However, Bernard Hopkins picked up a lopsided unanimous decision, scoring 118–109 on all three judges scorecards.
Antonio Tarver also lost a $250,000 bet with Hopkins, after he failed to stop Hopkins in the first six rounds.

Hopkins vs. Wright

On July 21, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Hopkins defended The Ring light heavyweight championship against former undisputed junior middleweight champion Winky Wright. During the weigh-in, Hopkins shoved Wright with an open-hand to the face, igniting a brawl between both fighters' entourages. Hopkins was fined $200,000 for instigating the brawl. Hopkins prevailed with a unanimous decision victory by scores of 117–111, 117–111 and 116–112.

Hopkins vs. Calzaghe

On April 19, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Hopkins lost The Ring light heavyweight title to Joe Calzaghe via split decision. Hopkins started the fight well, dropping Calzaghe in the first round and using his ring savvy to confuse the challenger. Calzaghe did however quickly adapt to the style of Hopkins and caught up in the middle to later rounds using his superior hand speed and output volume, leading to a split decision win for the Welshman.

Hopkins vs. Pavlik

On October 18, 2008, Hopkins met middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in a non-title fight at a catch-weight of 170 lbs. Fans and pundits alike felt that Pavlik, known for his formidable punching power, would become the first man to knock Hopkins out. Pavlik was a 4–1 betting favorite heading into the contest. On the night of the fight, Hopkins turned back the clock to produce a performance he claimed to be the best of his career winning a unanimous decision ' over the undefeated Pavlik.
Hopkins prepared for this fight in the late summer heat at his second home, Danny Hawk's "World Famous" Normandy Gym in Miami Beach, Florida.
During the Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao media conferences before their fight on May 3, 2009, Hopkins stated he would be "interested" in a proposed fight with British super middleweight champion Carl Froch.
On December 2, 2009, Bernard Hopkins fought in his home city of Philadelphia for the first time since 2003 beating Enrique Ornelas via 12-round unanimous decision ' in what served as a tune-up bout for the 44-year-old Hopkins who had not fought since his October 18, 2008 12-round upset victory over undisputed middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.
The bout was supposed to be a tune-up for a scheduled March 13, 2010, rematch with Roy Jones Jr. The rematch was later postponed as a result of Jones Jr. falling to a first-round technical knockout loss to Australian Danny Green.

Hopkins vs. Jones II

Hopkins and old foe Roy Jones Jr. agreed to fight in a rematch on April 3, 2010, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The two boxers fought again 17 years after their first bout in 1993. Hopkins defeated Jones by a unanimous decision in a 12-round bout marred by illegal blows and a skirmish at the end of the sixth round involving ring entourage, the referee and security guards. Judges Don Trella and Glenn Trowbridge scored it 117–110 for Hopkins, while Dave Moretti favored him 118–109. The Associated Press had it 119–108, scoring 11 of 12 rounds for Hopkins.
He then challenged WBA heavyweight champion David Haye who had successfully defended his title against John Ruiz. Following Hopkins challenge, Haye ruled out the fight stating Bernard was only looking for a payday. Hopkins later stated his intentions to fight Lucian Bute following Bute's third-round technical knockout victory over Edison Miranda. Golden Boy Promotions also tried to approach retired boxer Joe Calzaghe for a potential rematch in 2010, but Calzaghe, who stated he no longer had the appetite, turned the offer down.

Hopkins vs. Pascal I & II

At 45 years old, Hopkins fought Lineal/WBC/The Ring light-heavyweight champion Jean Pascal on December 18, 2010, at the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The bout ended in a majority draw decision. Judge Steve Morrow had it 114–112 for Hopkins, but was overruled by Claude Paquette and Daniel Van de Wiele. Following the controversy of the fight, WBC chairman José Sulaimán sanctioned an immediate rematch.
On May 21, 2011, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Hopkins defeated Pascal by unanimous decision to capture the lineal/WBC/The Ring light-heavyweight championships. The official scores were 115–113 from Guido Cavalleri of Italy, 116–112 from judge Rey Danseco of the Philippines, and 115–114 from Thailand's Anek Hongtongkam. With the win, Hopkins became the oldest man in the history of the sport to win a major world title, supplanting George Foreman, who had previously held the distinction after his knockout victory over Michael Moorer. Hopkins won at 46 years, 4 months, 6 days, while Foreman was 45 years, 10 months. After the bout, ESPN columnist Dan Rafael stated: "Bernard Hopkins already had lived several boxing lifetimes, but he was born yet again in Saturday's decision over Jean Pascal, becoming the oldest champion in history."

Hopkins vs. Dawson I & II

Hopkins told the world of boxing that his next fight was going to be against former champion Chad Dawson. They fought on October 15, 2011. Hopkins lost via TKO for being unable to continue after injuring his shoulder when Dawson threw him off of his back.
After an investigation by the WBC following a protest filed by Oscar De La Hoya, the WBC ruled that Dawson intentionally fouled Hopkins and returned the belt to Hopkins. The Ring magazine also decided to continue to recognize Hopkins as their champion pending the California State Athletic Commission's ruling on a protest filed on behalf of Hopkins. Also on December 13, California State Athletic Commission has ruled that the decision will be overturned to a no-contest upon official review and the testimony of referee of the bout, Pat Russell.
A rematch with Dawson was set for April 28, 2012. Hopkins lost the bout via majority decision, and did not fight again in 2012, making it the first calendar year since 1989 that he did not win a fight.

Hopkins vs. Cloud

Hopkins made his return to the ring on March 9, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, against IBF Light Heavyweight Champion and Ring No. 2 ranked Light Heavyweight, Tavoris Cloud. Hopkins broke his own record becoming the oldest man in the history of the sport to win a major world boxing title, by defeating Cloud by unanimous decision.

Hopkins vs. Murat

Hopkins defended the IBF Light Heavyweight Championship against Karo Murat on October 26, 2013. The mandatory title defense was originally scheduled for July 13, 2013, but was later postponed due to visa issues for Murat. In the meantime, the IBF originally made Sergey Kovalev Hopkins's new mandatory challenger, but Kovalev instead faced and beat then WBO champion Nathan Cleverly to win the title, so Murat was reinstated as the IBF mandatory challenger and the bout was rescheduled for October 26, 2013. Hopkins won by unanimous decision with two scores of 119–108 and one of 117–110.

Hopkins vs. Shumenov

Hopkins fought Beibut Shumenov in a championship unification bout on April 19, 2014, where Hopkins was defending the IBF Light Heavyweight title and Shumenov was defending the WBA Super and IBA Light Heavyweight titles, the latter not on the line for Hopkins. On fight night Hopkins knocked down Shumenov with a jab and followed with a powerful overhand right that nailed Shumenov on the side of the head and dropped him with just over two minutes left in the eleventh round. Hopkins won by split decision with scores of 113–114, 116-111 and 116–111, becoming the oldest boxer in history to unify titles in a weight division.

Hopkins vs. Kovalev

Shortly after Sergey Kovalev defeated Blake Caparello in a second-round knockout on August 2, 2014, Hopkins announced he would face the former in a match where his WBA Super and IBF titles would be on the line against Kovalev's WBO title. The match was signed after neither fighter could secure a contest with WBC and lineal champion Adonis Stevenson. The fight took place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on November 8, 2014, and was televised by HBO; this marked the end of a feud between Hopkins' promoter Golden Boy Promotions and the network which saw HBO cut ties with Golden Boy fighters.
In a one-sided fight, Hopkins was knocked down in the first round by Kovalev. Although he became the first fighter to take Kovalev past eight rounds, Hopkins lost every single round on all three judges' scorecards and took a 120–107, 120–107, 120-106 unanimous decision defeat, losing his titles.
In 2015, Hopkins called out Carl Froch again stating he would like to fight him in a farewell match, only for Froch to decline the offer calling it a "lose-lose situation". Hopkins also eyed James DeGale and Gennady Golovkin.

Hopkins vs. Smith Jr.

Hopkins made an announcement confirming he wanted a final farewell fight before the end of 2016, which was his first fight in over two years since losing to Kovalev in a lopsided unanimous decision. Hopkins also confirmed he would retire after this fight, whether it be at cruiserweight or light heavyweight, putting an end to his 28-year career.
A deal was made in October for Hopkins to fight American boxer Joe Smith Jr., who last fought Fonfara in June knocking him out in less than 3 minutes. The fight was a HBO main event on December 17, 2016, at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Originally a co-feature with Salido vs. Muira until Salido injured his lower back and pulled out of the fight, making the Hopkins farewell the sole main event of the card. Later it was confirmed that another co-feature fight has been signed, as Oleksandr Usyk would be defending his WBO cruiserweight title against Thabiso Mchunu. Both boxers weighed in at 174 pounds.
Hopkins did not contact trainer Naazim Richardson to train him for his final bout, instead having Kovalev's trainer John David Jackson, a former boxer whom Hopkins defeated in 1997, train him.
On fight night, in front of a 6,513 crowd, Hopkins lost to Smith via TKO when he was knocked out of the ring in the 8th round and failed to make it back into the ring as referee Jack Reiss made a 20 count. Smith Jr. outboxed Hopkins through most of the first seven rounds, then, in the 8th round, Smith caught Hopkins in the corner and landed five shots to the head that knocked him out of the ring. Hopkins said he was hurt and couldn't get back in the ring. He insisted that he had been pushed out of the ring, but replays showed it was not a push. Hopkins said to HBO in the post fight interview, "He shoved me out of the ring. My ankle got twist when I fell out of the ring. I couldn't stand on my feet. If I wouldn't have been pushed out of the ring, I believe he was starting to fade... I can't believe they gave him a TKO. They can call it a no contest but not a loss. The momentum from his body pushed me. I went out like a soldier. I'm not in a denial." Hopkins sat down with HBO's Max Kellerman in the locker room after the fight and confirmed this would be his final fight. Smith Jr. retained his WBC International light heavyweight title. Hopkins' reported purse was $800,000, compared to Smith's $140,000. According to RingTV, the fight averaged 934,000 viewers, peaking at 1.035m on HBO.

Coaches

Hopkins was coached by Philadelphia-based English "Bouie" Fisher from 1989 until their split in 2002 which resulted in Fisher taking Hopkins to court, claiming he was underpaid by $255,000. They re-united in 2003, but split again in 2005, again with Fisher claiming to be underpaid, this time to the tune of $200,000. Naazim Richardson, Fisher's long-term assistant took over as Hopkins' head coach from 2005.
Fisher won the Boxing Writers Association of America, for Trainer of the Year">Sugar Ray Robinson Award">Boxing Writers Association of America, for Trainer of the Year in 2001. He died aged 83 in June 2011. Richardson died in July 2020.

Statements on race

On December 7, 2007, Hopkins and Calzaghe met face to face in the media room set up for the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton fight. Hopkins and Calzaghe began shouting insults and taunting each other, with Hopkins shouting, "You're not even in my league! I would never let a white boy beat me. I would never lose to a white boy. I couldn't go back to the projects if I let a white boy beat me." Hopkins later explained his comments, saying that it was not meant to be taken as a racial slur or a reflection of his feelings on white fighters, but simply said to create some hype for his fight with Calzaghe. On January 23, 2008, the fight was officially announced to take place on April 19, 2008, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Hopkins lost the fight.
In late 2010, Hopkins suggested that African American fighters who possessed what he described as a "slick" inner-city style of fighting would be successful against Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao. "Maybe I'm biased because I'm black, but I think that this is what is said at people's homes and around the dinner table among black boxing fans and fighters. Most of them won't say it because they're not being real and they don't have the balls to say it. But I do think that a fighter like the Ray Leonards or anyone like that would beat a guy if they come with their game. Listen, this ain't a racial thing, but then again, maybe it is. But the style that is embedded in most of us black fighters, that style could be a problem to any other style of fighting."
On May 11, 2011, Hopkins questioned Minnesota Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb's racial credentials in a Philadelphia Daily News online article. Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that according to Hopkins, McNabb had a privileged childhood in suburban Chicago and, as a result, is not black enough or tough enough, at least compared with, say, himself, Michael Vick and Terrell Owens. Hopkins said, "He's got a suntan. That's all... McNabb is the guy in the house, while everybody else is on the field... He's the one who got the extra coat. The extra servings... He thought he was one of them."
In late 2013 he again suggested that African Americans possess a "slick" style of boxing which is superior to other styles. "The great Sugar Ray Leonard, right now, if he was boxing, the way that they want you to fight, the people that pull the strings of the puppet, he would be boring today. Ray Robinson – the great Robinson – would be boring today...Because the feeders of the people that buy entertainment. They're being fed that if they duck, don't buy it. If they're slick, and they beat nine out of the 12 rounds, and the guy just can't hit him because they were slick and smart enough to hit and not get hit, 'He's not crowd-pleasing, he don't sell tickets.' Because they done fed the followers and they done fed to the customers. The customers will drink anything that you give them if it's promoted right...But when you take away the skill and you take away the slick, and you take away the boxing ability and say that's not entertaining, or that's not entertainment, then, to me, it's like trying to erase a culture that you know has dominated the sport way back then where you were slick. And I'm talking about black fighters. Yes, I said it", said Hopkins.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateAgeLocationNotes
67LossJoe Smith Jr.TKO8, 0:53Dec 17, 2016The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.For WBC International light heavyweight title
66Loss55–7–2 Sergey KovalevUD12Nov 8, 2014Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Lost WBA and IBF light heavyweight titles;
For WBO light heavyweight title
65Win55–6–2 Beibut ShumenovSD12Apr 19, 2014D.C. Armory, Washington, D.C., U.S.Retained IBF light heavyweight title;
Won WBA , and IBA light heavyweight titles
64Win54–6–2 Karo MuratUD12Oct 26, 2013Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained IBF light heavyweight title
63Win53–6–2 Tavoris CloudUD12Mar 9, 2013Barclays Center, New York City, New York, U.S.Won IBF light heavyweight title
62Loss52–6–2 Chad DawsonMD12Bernard Hopkins vs. [Chad Dawson II|Apr 28, 2012]Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Lost WBC and The Ring light heavyweight titles
61NC52–5–2 Chad Dawson2, 2:48Oct 15, 2011Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S.WBC and The Ring light heavyweight titles at stake;
Originally TKO win for Dawson, later ruled NC after an incorrect referee call
60Win52–5–2 Jean PascalUD12May 21, 2011Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaWon WBC, IBO and The Ring light heavyweight titles
59Draw51–5–2 Jean Pascal12Dec 18, 2010Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City, Quebec, CanadaFor WBC, IBO and The Ring light heavyweight titles
58Win51–5–1 Roy Jones Jr.UD12Apr 3, 2010Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
57Win50–5–1 Enrique OrnelasUD12Dec 2, 2009Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
56Win49–5–1 Kelly PavlikUD12Oct 18, 2008Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
55Loss48–5–1 Joe CalzagheSD12Apr 19, 2008Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Lost The Ring light heavyweight title
54Win48–4–1 Winky WrightUD12Jul 21, 2007Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained The Ring light heavyweight title
53Win47–4–1 Antonio TarverUD12Jun 10, 2006Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Won IBO and The Ring light heavyweight titles
52Loss46–4–1 Jermain TaylorUD12Dec 3, 2005Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.For WBA, WBC, WBO, and The Ring middleweight titles
51Loss46–3–1 Jermain Taylor12Jul 16, 2005MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Lost WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring middleweight titles
50Win46–2–1 Howard EastmanUD12Feb 19, 2005Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S.Retained WBA , WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring middleweight titles
49Win45–2–1 Oscar De La HoyaKO9, 1:38Sep 18, 2004MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight titles;
Won WBO middleweight title
48Win44–2–1 Robert AllenUD12Jun 5, 2004MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight titles
47Win43–2–1 William JoppyUD12Dec 13, 2003Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight titles
46Win42–2–1 Morrade HakkarRTD8, 3:00Mar 29, 2003Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight titles
45Win41–2–1 Carl DanielsRTD10, 3:00Feb 2, 2002Sovereign Center, Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight titles
44Win40–2–1 Félix TrinidadTKO12, 1:18Sep 29, 2001Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Retained WBC and IBF middleweight titles;
Won WBA and vacant The Ring middleweight titles
43Win39–2–1 Keith HolmesUD12Apr 14, 2001Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title;
Won WBC middleweight title
42Win38–2–1 Antwun EcholsTKO10, 1:42Dec 1, 2000The Venetian Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title
41Win37–2–1 Syd VanderpoolUD12May 13, 2000Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title
40Win36–2–1 Antwun EcholsUD12Dec 12, 1999Miccosukee Resort & Gaming, Miami, Florida, U.S.
39Win35–2–1 Robert AllenTKO7, 1:18Feb 6, 1999Convention Center, Washington, D.C., U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title
3834–2–1 Robert AllenNC4, 2:57Aug 28, 1998Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.IBF middleweight title at stake;
Hopkins unable to continue after the referee accidentally pushed him out of the ring
37Win34–2–1Simon BrownTKO6, 1:00Jan 31, 1998Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title
36Win33–2–1Andrew CouncilUD12Nov 18, 1997The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title
35Win32–2–1Glen JohnsonTKO11, 1:23Jul 20, 1997Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio, California, U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title
34Win31–2–1John David JacksonTKO7, 2:22Apr 19, 1997Municipal Memorial Auditorium, Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title
33Win30–2–1William Bo JamesTKO11, 2:02Jul 16, 1996Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title
32Win29–2–1Joe LipseyKO4, 2:50Mar 16, 1996MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title
31Win28–2–1Steve FrankTKO1, 0:24Jan 27, 1996Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.Retained IBF middleweight title
30Win27–2–1Segundo MercadoTKO7, 1:10Apr 29, 1995USAir Arena, Landover, Maryland, U.S.Won vacant IBF middleweight title
29Draw26–2–1Segundo Mercado12Dec 17, 1994Coliseo General Rumiñahui, Quito, EcuadorFor vacant IBF middleweight title
28Win26–2Lupe AquinoUD12May 17, 1994Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Retained USBA middleweight title
27Win25–2Melvin WynnTKO3, 0:48Feb 26, 1994Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
26Win24–2Wendall HallTKO3, 0:28Nov 23, 1993The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.Retained USBA middleweight title
25Win23–2Roy RitchieTKO7, 1:47Aug 3, 1993Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.Retained USBA middleweight title
24Loss22–2Roy Jones Jr.UD12May 22, 1993Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C., U.S.For vacant IBF middleweight title
23Win22–1Gilbert BaptistUD12Feb 16, 1993McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado, U.S.Retained USBA middleweight title
22Win21–1Wayne PowellTKO1, 0:21Dec 4, 1992Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Won vacant USBA middleweight title
21Win20–1Eric RhinehartKO1, 1:47Sep 14, 1992Eli's Pier 34, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
20Win19–1James StokesKO1, 1:44Aug 28, 1992Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
19Win18–1Aníbal Miranda10May 21, 1992Cirque d'hiver, Paris, France
18Win17–1Randy SmithUD10Apr 3, 1992Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
17Win16–1Dennis Milton4, 3:00Jan 31, 1992The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
16Win15–1Willie KempUD10Dec 13, 1991Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
15Win14–1David McCluskeyTKO7 Nov 26, 1991The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
14Win13–1Ralph MoncriefTKO1, 1:28Sep 23, 1991The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
13Win12–1Danny MitchellTKO1, 3:00Jul 9, 1991The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
12Win11–1Pedro MárquezTKO1 0:56Jun 20, 1991Aspen Hotel, Parsippany, New Jersey, U.S.
11Win10–1Steve LangleyTKO3, 1:10Mar 18, 1991The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
10Win9–1Richard QuilesKO1 Feb 26, 1991National Guard Armory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
9Win8–1Mike SappTKO1, 0:35Nov 17, 1990Lee County Civic Center, Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.
8Win7–1Darren OliverTKO1 Oct 20, 1990Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
7Win6–1Percy HarrisUD6Aug 5, 1990Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
6Win5–1Khalif Shabazz1, 0:36Jun 30, 1990Trump's Castle, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
5Win4–1Jouvin MercadoTKO2, 0:43May 31, 1990War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, New York, U.S.
4Win3–1Eddie TylerTKO1 May 18, 1990Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
3Win2–1Keith Gray1 Apr 26, 1990The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
2Win1–1Greg Paige4Feb 22, 1990The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
1Loss0–1Clinton Mitchell4Oct 11, 1988Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.

Titles in boxing

Major world titles