Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Smith Jr. Results: Hopkins’ Career Ends After Being Knocked Out Of The Ring

Welcome to Fightful.com’s live viewing party of Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Smith Jr. It is the last fight of Hopkins’ legendary career. We’ll be bringing you full, round-by-round coverage of the televised card which will be broadcasted on HBO.

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Here’s the main fight card (HBO, 10 p.m. ET):

Joe Smith Jr. defeated Bernard Hopkins via TKO, round 8, 0:53, to retain his WBC International Light Heavyweight Title

Joseph Diaz Jr. defeated Horacio Garcia via unanimous decision (100-90, 100-90, 100-90) to retain his NABF Featherweight Title

Oleksandr Usyk defeated Thabiso Mchunu via KO, round 9, 1:53, to retain his WBO Cruiserweight Title

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MAIN CARD

Oleksandr Usyk (c) vs. Thabiso Mchunu: WBO Cruiserweight Championship Fight

Round 1: The first minute is uneventful with Mchunu only throwing a couple of weak body jabs to Usyk. Mchunu throws a couple of body hooks and Usyk uses jabs to find the range. Mchunu keeps throwing the right hook but isn’t doing any damage. The crowd boos both men in the lackluster first round. Mchunu did not throw a single left hand in the whole round.

Fightful scores round 1 for Mchunu 10-9

Round 2: Mchunu throws a left body jab and Usyk responds with one as well. The crowd continues to boo the inactivity of both men. Usyk is using the jab once more to find his range. Mchunu goes for a strong right hook but misses. Usyk connects on a right jab to Mchunu’s jaw but isn’t doing a ton of damage. Neither man is barely throwing a left hand punch.Mchunu connects on a three-punch combo to Usyk’s body to end the round.

Fightful scores round 2 for Mchunu 10-9

Round 3: Mchunu connects on a left body hook and Usyk is still using the jab to find his range but is connecting on his target more consistently. Mchunu connects with a right hand to Usyk’s sternum. He hits a 1-2 to Usyk’s right cheek. Usyk is becoming more active, throwing more punches, but Mchunu is defending against those punches well. Usyk has yet to really land a clean hit.

Fightful scores round 3 for Mchunu 10-9

Round 4: Usyk is leading with the right jab and is landing on Mchunu more. Mchunu connected on a right hand to Usyk. The champion connects on three straight right hooks to Mchunu’s face. Usyk is now the more active boxer in this round. Mchunu lands a good left body shot counter. Round ends with Mchunu landing a left body hook and then a left jab.

Fightful scores round 4 for Usyk 10-9

Round 5: Usyk closes the distance between the two and is throwing punches to Mchunu’s head. Mchunu with a left hook and then a right jab. Usyk moves to the corner as Mchunu throws two body shots and then an uppercut, but Usyk defended well. Mchunu’s right eye is starting to swell up. Usyk with more power punches to end the round.

Fightful scores round 5 for Usyk 10-9

Round 6: Usyk starts off with several short punches to Mchunu. Usyk does the same again as Mchunu could only get a couple of weak hooks in. Usyk lands six straight punches and is putting a ton of pressure. Mchunu is pushed to the ground but isn’t called a knock down. Mchunu goes for a strong jab and connects it to Usyk and Usyk knocks down Mchunu. Round ends and Mchunu is still up.

Fightful scores round 6 for Usyk 10-8

Round 7: Mchunu pushes Usyk to the ropes and lands an uppercut but usyk guards against it well. Mchunu with a good counter left. Usyk is now moving around the ring and then lads an uppercut followed by a couple of hooks. Usyk with a strong left jab followed by a left body hook.

Fightful scores round 7 for Usyk 10-9

Round 8: Mchunu with a left body jab. Usyk then goes for four straight body jabs. Usyk goes for another 5-punch combo, all hooks. Mchunu hits a strong hook. Mchunu then switches to the defensive as Usyk is now throwing several combinations. Mchunu is also throwing his fair share of hooks, but they are barely connecting now.

Fightful scores round 8 for Usyk 10-9

Round 9: Mchunu and Usyk trade punches as Usyk continues to throw and land the strong hook punches that are set up by his right jab. Mchunu goes down again and then Mchunu then unloads on Usyk. Usyk knocks down Mchunu again and referee stops the fight and Usyk retains his title.

Official Result: Oleksandr Usyk defeated Thabiso Mchunu via KO, round 9, 1:53, to retain his WBO Cruiserweight Title

Joseph Diaz Jr. (c) vs. Horacio Garcia: NABF Featherweight Championship Fight

Round 1: Diaz and Garcia start off similar to the first fight on this televised card with both men barely throwing anything. Garcia starts to throw more punch combinations to the body. Diaz is using the jab sporadically and trying to find his range and timing. Diaz is moving around the ring with Garcia in the middle. Diaz with a body hook and then is moved to the ropes, where he lands a right hook to Garcia’s head to end the round.

Fightful scores round 1 for Diaz Jr. 10-9

Round 2: Garcia starts to work the body with hook shots. Diaz with a couple of hooks find their way to Garcia. Diaz then hits a three-punch combination to Garcia and then Diaz lands right body shot. Diaz connects with a straight jab and lands a strong three-punch combo that started with a good right uppercut.

Fightful scores round 2 for Diaz Jr. 10-9

Round 3: Diaz in the corner as he connects his punches more and more. Garcia is barely landing anything at this point. Garcia connects on a three-punch combo. Garcia pressures Diaz to the corner, but Diaz dodges Garcia’s punches and moves out of the corner easily. Garcia hits an uppercut and Diaz is on the ropes as the round ends here.

Fightful scores round 3 for Diaz Jr. 10-9

Round 4: Garcia misses a couple of punches and Diaz pushes him away. Garcia hits a straight jab, but Diaz lands a good uppercut counter at the same time. Garcia is putting the pressure on Diaz, pushing him to the ropes and then Garcia lands several body shots. Diaz connects on a right body shot. Diaz gets out of the ropes and the two trade several punches. Garcia is using the jab more and more as Diaz uses the hooks and uppercuts more often. Garcia misses two uppercuts to end the round.

Fightful scores round 4 for Garcia 10-9

Round 5: Diaz connects with two right hooks, followed by a straight jab. Garcia with a left body hook. Diaz with a strong right hook. Diaz connects on two straight hooks and Garcia followed it up with an uppercut. Diaz connects on an uppercut and hook combo. Round ends with a Diaz jab.

Fightful scores round 5 for Diaz Jr. 10-9

Round 6: Diaz dodges a couple of punches from Garcia and lands a body shot. Garcia then lands several punches when Diaz is on the ropes. The two constantly exchange several punches and Diaz then landed a couple of hooks. Diaz then throws a left hook. Garcia then throws several punches to Diaz’s head to end the round.

Fightful scores round 6 for Diaz Jr. 10-9

Round 7: Diaz lands a left body shot, then a jab. Garcia goes with a left, fakes and hits Diaz with a right uppercut. Garcia hits a strong body shot. Diaz is now blocking body shots that Garcia are throwing. Fight stops momentarily as Garcia’s mouthpiece falls out of his mouth. Diaz continues to go to work on Garcia’s face and finishes the round with a strong hook combination.

Fightful scores round 7 for Diaz Jr. 10-9

Round 8: Diaz is now pressuring Garcia to the corner very briefly as he lands several punches. Diaz continues to use several hooks to damage Garcia. Garcia’s face is showing the damage that is being inflicted upon throughout the round. The two men clinch and afterwards, Garcia is throwing a lot of punches, but he is not connecting on them.

Fightful scores round 8 for Diaz Jr. 10-9

Round 9: Diaz throws a four-punch combo to Garcia as Diaz moves to the corner. Diaz lands a straight jab. Garcia lands several jabs and Diaz just continues to throw unrelenting punch combo after punch combo. Diaz starts to throw the jab more and is using it to set up his bigger punches. Garcia connects on a left hook as the round ends.

Fightful scores round 9 for Diaz Jr. 10-9

Round 10: Garcia has some life left in him as he throws a strong body shot followed by a good right hook. Garcia puts Diaz in the corner where he’s landing a solid punch combo. Garcia lands a couple of hooks and Diaz follows it up with an uppercut. Diaz comes out with a strong jab. Garcia lands an overhead right punch to Diaz. Fight ends with the two men trading punches.

Fightful scores round 10 for Diaz Jr. 10-9, making it 99-91 for Diaz Jr.

Official Result: Joseph Diaz Jr. defeated Horacio Garcia via unanimous decision (100-90, 100-90, 100-90) to retain his NABF Featherweight Title

Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Smith Jr. (c): WBC International Light Heavyweight Championship fight

Round 1: The fight begins with Smith throwing a wild overhead right punch as the two clinch in the corner. The two men clinch and Smith is throwing punches in the inside in the meantime. Hopkins lands a stiff close uppercut. Hopkins is moving around the ropes but Smith hurts Hopkins with a hard left hook to Hopkins’ jaw. The two men clinch once more.

Fightful scores round 1 for Smith Jr. 10-9

Round 2: Smith once again unleashes a flurry of punches while Hopkins is in the corner. He misses some of them, but is still mounting a lot of pressure to the 51-year-old. Hopkins lands a couple of punches while Smith hits a strong left hook. Smith hits another hook and both fighters clinch. Smith misses with the left hook. Hopkins is on the offensive and lands a couple of punches. Smith has a cut above his left eye.

Fightful scores round 2 for Smith Jr. 10-9

Round 3: Smith lands an uppercut as Hopkins is in the ropes. Hopkins lands a body shot and Smith puts Hopkins in a corner as Smith throws five, six punches to Hopkins. Smith is using the left jab to find his range and keep Hopkins from throwing any goo punches. They clinch once more. Hopkins ends the round by landing a right jab.

Fightful scores round 3 for Smith Jr. 10-9

Round 4: Smith misses his couple of punches but blocks Hopkins’ right hook. Smith connects with a left hook. Hopkins hits Smith with a straight right jab. Smith hits a left hand and Hopkins responds with a strong left hand of his own. Hopkins throws an uppercut and the two men trade blows at the end of the round.

Fightful scores round 4 for Hopkins 10-9

Round 5: Bernard Hopkins lands a couple of hard right punches. Smith then connects on a hard left body shot. The two men clinch and they both get a couple of punches in. Hopkins lands a strong right. Smith connects on a big right hook to Hopkins’ jaw. Round ends with both men once again throwing a lot of close punches.

Fightful scores round 5 for Smith Jr. 10-9

Round 6: Smith continues to throw more body punches and then proceeds to throw several punches on Hopkins, who is on the ropes. Another clinch by both men and Smith comes out throwing several consecutive left jabs. Hopkins is on the ropes again and they proceed to trade punches for about 20 seconds. Neither man does a ton of damage.

Fightful scores round 6 for Hopkins 10-9

Round 7: Hopkins gets a few good shots in, but Smith continues to be the aggressor. He throws several good hooks throughout the round and it may be looking like Smith could potentially score a knockdown.

Fightful scores round 7 for Smith Jr. 10-9

Round 8: Smith hits Hopkins with a lot of strong punches and Hopkins goes through the middle rope and into the crowd. Hopkins doesn’t get back into the ring in time for the 20-count and retires due to injury. Smith has retired Bernard Hopkins.

Official Result: Joe Smith Jr. defeated Bernard Hopkins via TKO, round 8, 0:53, to retain his WBC International Light Heavyweight Title