The rematch between Jermain Taylor and Bernard Hopkins on December 3, 2005, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas was a highly anticipated bout following their controversial first encounter. Taylor, now the defending WBC, WBA, WBO, and The Ring middleweight champion, faced Hopkins in a fight billed as "No Respect."
The bout unfolded as a tactical chess match, with both fighters showing caution in the early rounds. Taylor, learning from their previous meeting, avoided chasing Hopkins around the ring, a strategy that had cost him energy in their first fight. This approach, while tactically sound, led to a lack of action that drew boos from the crowd.
Hopkins' slow start proved costly. Judges' scorecards revealed that Taylor had built a significant lead in the first half of the fight, with one judge giving him all six opening rounds and the others scoring five of the first six in his favour. This early deficit put Hopkins in a challenging position for the remainder of the bout.
Hopkins increased his activity as the fight progressed, but it wasn't enough to overcome Taylor's early advantage. The final punch stats were remarkably close, with Hopkins landing 130 of 371 punches thrown, while Taylor connected with 124 of 391 attempts.
All three judges scored the bout identically at 115-113 in favour of Taylor, securing him a unanimous decision victory. The Associated Press unofficial scorecard had it slightly closer at 115-114 for Taylor.
Both fighters weighed in at 169 lbs post-fight on HBO's unofficial "Fight Night" scale, indicating significant weight gain after the official weigh-in.
The event was a commercial success, generating 410,000 pay-per-view buys split between cable (245,000) and satellite (165,000) providers.
This bout marked Taylor's first defence of his middleweight titles, solidifying his position at the division's top. For Hopkins, it was a second consecutive loss after a 12-year unbeaten streak. Following this defeat, Hopkins opted to move up two weight classes to challenge light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver rather than retiring.
While not a barn-burner, the fight showcased the tactical acumen of both fighters and further cemented Taylor's status as the new force in the middleweight division.
