INGLEWOOD, California (AP) – Nabigo si Bernard Hopkins na makagawa ng kasaysayan sa boxing nang mapataob ni Joe Smith, Jr. nitong Sabado (Linggo sa Manila) sa The Forum dito.

Literal na napatalsik ang 51-anyos na si Hopkins nang lumusot ang katawan nito sa lona matapos tamaan ng kombinasyon ni Smith Jr. Hindi nakabangon si Hopkins sa ibinigay na 20-count ng referee.

Pormal na dineklara ng referee na panalo si Smith via eight round technical knockout.

Iginiit ni Hopkins na itinulak siya ng karibal dahilan para mapinsala ang kanyang kanang tuhod. Ngunit, sa isinagawang reply ng laban, hindi ito pinatotohanan.

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Isang lehitimong suntok ang ipinatama ni Smith na nagpaluhod kay Hopkins.

Ang kabiguan ang tanging dungis sa 67-fight career ni Hopkins.

“I know for a fact that if I had not been pushed out of the ring after I had made him miss, the second half of the fight, where I’m known for coming back and I’m known for going after it when I’m down multiple rounds, I believe he was starting to fade out,” pahayag ni Hopkins sa HBO’s Max Kellerman.

Tangan ni Smith ang bentahe sa iskor bago naganap ang TKO. Panalo siya sa iskor kay Thomas Taylor (69-64) at Tim Cheatham (67-66). Tanging si Pat Russell ang nagbigay ng panalo kay Hopkins (67-66).

Nahila ni Smith, 27, ang record sa 23-1, tampok ang 19 TKO.

“I just was doing my job, because this is my coming out party, too,” pahayag ni Smith.

“I had to finish him. It was either my career was going to end or his was going to end. I needed mine to continue.”