De La Hoya Hopkins

[Keiser]

Someone give me an update please, I didn't get the pay per view this time and I have money on the fight.

[Keiser]

Hopkins wins by knockout a punch to the body round 9. Sweet.

[YellowJacket]

Go make another TV show De La Condom.....

[HILLJACK]

Daummmmm

[hitmansb]

I was happy with the outcome!

[beefcake]

Just like I said. My money's on hopkins.

[Bouncer]

YES!!!! Hopkins!!!! I was hoping to hell that he knocked De La Sell Out right on his ass!! Great news!!

[Bouncer]

LAS VEGAS - Bernard Hopkins suddenly ended a close fight with two left hooks to the body in the ninth round Saturday night to stop Oscar De La Hoya and ruin his bid to become the undisputed middleweight champion.

The punches put De La Hoya on the canvas on his hands and knees in obvious pain. When De La Hoya rolled over on his back, referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight at 1:38 of the ninth.

While Hopkins celebrated, De La Hoya remained on his knees, his face buried in his gloves. He repeatedly pounded the canvas in frustration after being stopped for the first time in his brilliant career.

"I felt a sense of urgency," Hopkins said. "I wasn't sure if I was winning or not."

Hopkins (45-2-1, 32 knockouts) was ahead on two scorecards and behind on a third in a cautiously fought bout when he suddenly landed the punches just below De La Hoya's rib cage to retain his undisputed middleweight title in his 19th title defense.

"A well-placed body shot," De La Hoya said.

De La Hoya (37-4) was a 2-1 underdog in only his second fight as a middleweight and was taking on a champion who hadn't lost in 11 years.

"I tried to do the impossible on paper - beat the middleweight champ coming up from 130 pounds," De La Hoya said.

Hopkins fought cautiously the first half of the fight, giving both De La Hoya and the sold-out crowd at the MGM Grand arena some cause for optimism. De La Hoya, who many thought would box and move, was the aggressor in many of the early exchanges as he moved forward against Hopkins.

"He came to fight," Hopkins said. "He didn't come to run or look for a gift from the judges."

The pro-De La Hoya crowd cheered their fighter from the opening bell, screaming every time he landed a punch. Hopkins fought patiently, but as the rounds went on, his corner told him to pick up the pace and pressure De La Hoya more.

Still, De La Hoya was holding his own until the fight came to a stunning climax that quieted the shocked crowd as De La Hoya stayed on the canvas.

"He caught me right on the button," De La Hoya said. "Believe me, I tried getting up but I couldn't. I have what it takes, but he hit me right on the button."

De La Hoya, who weighed 155 pounds to 156 for Hopkins, had fought only once as a middleweight, but his opponent this time was a big upgrade from little known Felix Sturm. Hopkins had not lost since Roy Jones Jr. beat him 11 years ago, and he was primed for the payday of his lifetime.

De La Hoya fought despite needing 11 stitches to repair a cut on his left hand suffered three days before the fight. In his dressing room just before the fight, he said the cut on the fleshy part of his hand just beneath the ring finger was slightly swollen and asked that he be allowed not to have the usual tape on it.

But he said the hand didn't bother him, only the punches from a bigger and stronger fighter who wasn't going to be denied.

"It was a great shot, a great left hook," De La Hoya said.

[rude]

dang :(

[bjbabe]

I am so upset that Oscar lost, but i have to admit Hopkins fought a good fight.

[Tinfish]

I had money on Hopkins, but had it going the distance so the payout was less than it could have been.

[bonebreaker]

TOLD 'YA SO!!, lol. Hopkins is just an animal when he gets going, and he got going. One good left hook to the liver is usually enough if delivered "on the button" as DeLayahoya stated, but TWO in the liver is going to put anybody down. BB