Bernard Hopkins vs Simon Brown

On January 31, 1998, at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Bernard Hopkins defended his International Boxing Federation Middleweight Title against Simon Brown. This bout marked Hopkins' 7th defence of his IBF middleweight crown.

Both fighters weighed in at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds for the official weigh-in. However, according to commentator Jim Lampley, Hopkins and Brown gained weight by fight night, weighing 166 pounds.

The fight was largely one-sided, with Hopkins dominating the early rounds. Judges Bill Graham, William Hutt, and Joseph Pasquale all scored the bout 50-45 in Hopkins' favour through the first five rounds.

The decisive moment came in the sixth round. Less than a minute into the round, Hopkins landed a powerful right uppercut that sent Brown to the canvas. Some observers noted that Hopkins appeared to push Brown down after the punch landed.

Upon rising, Brown found himself pinned against the ropes by Hopkins, who unleashed a barrage of punches. HBO's punch statistics recorded that Hopkins landed at least 20 consecutive shots during this sequence.

Referee Rudy Battle intervened at the 1:00 mark of the sixth round, stepping between the fighters to stop the contest. The official result was a technical knockout victory for Hopkins.

HBO's punch statistics highlighted Hopkins' dominance throughout the fight. He landed 159 punches, compared to just 39 for Brown.

In his post-fight comments, Hopkins attributed his success to patient strategy: "I took my time and set up the jab, and it worked for me."

This loss marked a significant setback for Brown, a former two-time world champion in the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions. The victory improved Hopkins' professional record to 33 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw, while Brown's record fell to 47 wins and 7 losses.