Bernard Hopkins Achieves Draw in Title Quest

By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

In a controversial decision, World Boxing Council light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal retained his belt with a 12-round majority draw with Muslim-American Bernard Hopkins. At the ripe age of 45, Hopkins was trying to be the oldest boxing champion in world history. It has been a decision that has been questioned by most observers and boxing analysts. A judge from Quebec judged the fight a draw at 113-113. Another judge, from Belgium, another French-speaking nation, also ruled the fight a draw, at 114-114. The third judge, from California, even had Hopkins the winner 114-112. But this was not enough to move the result beyond a majority draw. Even the hometown newspaper, the Montreal Gazette, scored the fight 115-111 for Hopkins. But it was not to be for the Philadelphia native.

Pascal was more dominant early in the fight, knocking down Hopkins in the first and third rounds. This was the first time that Hopkins was knocked down in the first round of a fight since 1995. And it was the first time that he was knocked down twice in a fight since 1994. But, Hopkins mounted a late rally, winning the last four rounds on the scorecards of two of the judges and the final three rounds on the scorecard of the third judge. Hopkins was clearly unhappy with the decision. “You all saw it. I beat the guy up,” Hopkins told the press. “I dominated the fight. It was a sure enough robbery.” Pascal, for his part, sounded very open to a re-match. “I dropped him two times, but I’m not happy. I’m the champ. I want to win (outright). But I would have no problem fighting him again.” For now Pascal is contractually obligated to fight Chad Dawson next. Hopkins, now with 51 wins, 5 losses, and 2 draws, turns 46 years young in January. So he will then try to become an even older oldest boxing champion in the world.

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