Bernard Hopkins vs Antwun Echols 2

On December 1, 2000, at the Venetian Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Bernard Hopkins defended his IBF World Middleweight Title against Antwun Echols in a rematch of their 1999 bout. This marked Hopkins' 12th defence of his title.

The fight was promoted by Art Pelullo of Banner Promotions and aired on HBO Boxing After Dark, with Mark Beiro serving as the ring announcer. Echols entered the ring as the #1 IBF Middleweight contender, looking to avenge his previous loss to Hopkins.

The bout was marked by several notable incidents. In the sixth round, Echols was penalized two points for bodyslamming Hopkins to the canvas, which dislocated Hopkins' shoulder. Despite this injury, Hopkins continued fighting rather than accept a win by disqualification.

Echols suffered a knockdown in the 7th round, further shifting the momentum in Hopkins' favour. However, Hopkins was penalized a point in the 8th round for holding behind the head.

By the end of the 9th round, HBO's unofficial judge Harold Lederman had Hopkins ahead with a score of 88-79. This scoring was reflected in the official judges' cards, with all three (Robert Byrd, Bill Graham, and Dave Moretti) scoring the fight 89-78 in Hopkins' favour at the stoppage.

The fight concluded in the 10th round when referee Tony Weeks halted the action at 1:42. Hopkins had Echols staggering from a flurry of punches, prompting the stoppage.

Compubox statistics highlighted Hopkins' dominance, showing he landed 231 of 539 punches (43 per cent), while Echols connected on 124 of 469 (26 per cent).

This victory solidified Hopkins' status as the premier middleweight of his era. Hopkins successfully defended his title and defeated Echols for the second time in just under a year.