Bernard Hopkins vs Joe Smith Jr

On December 17, 2016, at The Forum in Inglewood, California, 51-year-old Bernard Hopkins' career ended with a dramatic eighth-round knockout loss to Joe Smith Jr. in a contest for Smith's WBC International light heavyweight title. The fight, billed as "Final One," marked Hopkins' return after a two-year layoff following his unanimous decision loss to Sergey Kovalev.

The bout materialized after Hopkins failed to secure other opponents. He had pursued fights with Carl Froch, James DeGale, Arthur Abraham, and Gennady Golovkin at super middleweight, but none materialized. Hopkins reverted to his original "Executioner" nickname for this final bout, abandoning the "Alien" moniker used in his previous three fights.

Smith dominated the early action, outlanding Hopkins 14-4 in the opening round and maintaining aggression throughout. A second-round head clash opened a cut above Smith's left eye, but cutman Stitch Duran managed it effectively. The judges' scorecards at the time of the stoppage reflected a close contest: 67-66 Hopkins, 67-66 Smith, and 69-64 Smith.

The dramatic conclusion came at 0:53 of round eight when Smith trapped Hopkins in a corner and landed a four-punch combination that sent Hopkins through the ropes and onto the arena floor. Though Hopkins rose at the count of eight, an ankle injury prevented him from returning to the ring within the mandatory 20-count. Referee Jack Reiss ruled the outcome a technical knockout, making Smith the only fighter to stop Hopkins in his 28-year professional career.

Hopkins disputed the result, claiming he was pushed rather than punched out of the ring and advocated for a no-contest ruling. Video replay showed Hopkins was partially outside the ropes before Smith's final punch, though the California State Athletic Commission upheld the result. Despite the controversial ending, Hopkins confirmed his retirement in his post-fight interview with HBO's Max Kellerman.