Pascal keeps title after majority draw with Hopkins
SOURCE: Agence France-Presse
QUEBEC CITY – Haitian-born Canadian Jean Pascal kept his World Boxing Council light heavyweight crown on Saturday with a 12-round majority draw against 45-year-old American challenger Bernard Hopkins.
Download our free toolbar here
SOURCE: Agence France-Presse
QUEBEC CITY – Haitian-born Canadian Jean Pascal kept his World Boxing Council light heavyweight crown on Saturday with a 12-round majority draw against 45-year-old American challenger Bernard Hopkins.
Hopkins suffered his first two knockdowns in 16 years but a US judge gave the decision to Hopkins by 114-112 while Canadian and Belgian judges scored the fight a draw by scores of 113-113 and 114-114 respectively.
Hopkins would have become the oldest fighter to win a major world boxing crown if he had won, but missed his chance at history as his record went to 51-5 with two drawn.
Despite not taking the victory, Pascal made his fourth successful title defense, seeing his record move to 26-1-1.
Hopkins, who turns 46 on January 15, would have broken the age mark set by George Foreman, who was 10 months past his 45th birthday when he knocked out fellow American Michael Moorer in 1994 for the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles.
Hopkins enjoyed an unbeaten 10-year reign as world middleweight champion in a 22-year career while Pascal, 28, was only six years old when Hopkins turned professional in 1988.
A loud sell-out crowd at Le Colisee, backing local hero Pascal, was sent into a frenzy in the final seconds of the first round when a right to the side of the head of an attacking Hopkins sent the American to the canvas.
It was the first time in 16 years that Hopkins had been knocked down. The second time came shortly after.
Pascal sent Hopkins to his knees with 30 seconds remaining in the third round, left hooks to the head and chest imposing yet another knockdown on the veteran.
Hopkins landed three punches after the bell rang to end the third round but there was no deduction by referee Michael Griffin, deciding the screams of the crowd kept Hopkins from hearing the bell.
Hopkins was aggressive in the fourth but went down again from a blow to the back of the head by Pascal, negating the knockdown but serving notice of the difficult task the challenger faced.
The fight settled into a rhythm from there as Pascal and Hopkins exchanged flurries and counterpunches, Hopkins pounding the champion's body with left hooks in a bid to work his way back into the bout.
Hopkins threw more punches than a rival nearly 18 years his junior and kept Pascal on the defensive into the final seconds of the 11th round, where Pascal was sent to the canvas when the feet of the fighters tangled, ruled a slip and not a knockdown.
In the 12th, Hopkins pressed the attack from the start and repeatedly forced the champion into the ropes. They ended the fight with a furious exchange of blows.
Hopkins would have become the oldest fighter to win a major world boxing crown if he had won, but missed his chance at history as his record went to 51-5 with two drawn.
Despite not taking the victory, Pascal made his fourth successful title defense, seeing his record move to 26-1-1.
Hopkins, who turns 46 on January 15, would have broken the age mark set by George Foreman, who was 10 months past his 45th birthday when he knocked out fellow American Michael Moorer in 1994 for the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles.
Hopkins enjoyed an unbeaten 10-year reign as world middleweight champion in a 22-year career while Pascal, 28, was only six years old when Hopkins turned professional in 1988.
A loud sell-out crowd at Le Colisee, backing local hero Pascal, was sent into a frenzy in the final seconds of the first round when a right to the side of the head of an attacking Hopkins sent the American to the canvas.
It was the first time in 16 years that Hopkins had been knocked down. The second time came shortly after.
Pascal sent Hopkins to his knees with 30 seconds remaining in the third round, left hooks to the head and chest imposing yet another knockdown on the veteran.
Hopkins landed three punches after the bell rang to end the third round but there was no deduction by referee Michael Griffin, deciding the screams of the crowd kept Hopkins from hearing the bell.
Hopkins was aggressive in the fourth but went down again from a blow to the back of the head by Pascal, negating the knockdown but serving notice of the difficult task the challenger faced.
The fight settled into a rhythm from there as Pascal and Hopkins exchanged flurries and counterpunches, Hopkins pounding the champion's body with left hooks in a bid to work his way back into the bout.
Hopkins threw more punches than a rival nearly 18 years his junior and kept Pascal on the defensive into the final seconds of the 11th round, where Pascal was sent to the canvas when the feet of the fighters tangled, ruled a slip and not a knockdown.
In the 12th, Hopkins pressed the attack from the start and repeatedly forced the champion into the ropes. They ended the fight with a furious exchange of blows.
