Bernard Hopkins vs Jermain Taylor 1 // “Next in Line“ // Highlights

Taylor fought Bernard Hopkins for the Undisputed Middleweight Championship on July 16, 2005 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. At age 40, Hopkins entered the bout with a record 20 consecutive successful title defenses and had not lost a fight in 12 years. Hopkins entered the boxing match as a 3–2 favorite to win. Taylor was able to successfully use his jab to control the first two rounds of the fight, though neither fighter was taking any major risks. He tended to move forward, while Hopkins was patient and waited for openings in Taylor’s defense. In round five, a clash of heads opened a cut on the top of Taylor’s head. In the tenth round, Hopkins hurt Taylor with two right hands that made his legs wobble and forced him to clinch. Taylor won the bout by split decision with two judges scoring the fight 115–113 for Taylor and the other judge scoring it 116–112 for Hopkins. With the victory, Taylor became the new Undisputed Middleweight Champion, winning the WBC, WBO, IBF, WBA (Super), The Ring and Lineal Middleweight Championships. Hopkins appealed the decision, but was denied by the Nevada State Athletic Commission