Round 1: Jones’ skin looks dry, so we’ll have to see if that means anything about whether he’s warmed up or not. Hopkins has some sweat, but not much, glistening. Roy began to sweat, however, as he circled before the fight began. Hopkins jabbed his way in and banged away at the head and body during a clinch. Jones jabbed and landed and jabbed and missed. Hopkins circled. Hopkins banged away in a clinch again and hit low. Hopkins circled. The crowed booed. Hopkins banged to the body on the ropes twice. Both fighters were appearing to be tight. Jones landed a crisp right. Jones leaped in and landed a right but missed with the left. Hopkins round, 10-9.
Round 2: Hopkins was told to throw the jab more by trainer, Naazim Richardson, to back up Jones and to watch for the left hook. Hopkins showed jab to the body and the head. Hopkins landed to the head with a right to the head and body set up by the jab to the head and stomach. Hopkins gave ground and circled. They wrestled in a clinch. Hopkins went back to work on the inside. Tony Weeks seperated them. Jones landed a left but Hopkins clinches. Jones jabbed. Crowd is booing. Hopkins chases Jones to the ropes and lands rights to the head and blows to the body. Jones is cut on the left eye.Hopkins’ round, 10-9.
Round 3: The cut was ruled to have been caused by a clash of heads. Hopkins lands two rights to the head and they clinch. Jones is inactive. Jones takes a jab to the face. Hopkins counters Jones’ jab with his own. Hopkins bangs his way in, starting with a left to the body and following with a right to the head that drives Jones to the ropes. Hopkins lands a left right and Jones winces and turns away. Hopkins’ round, 10-9.
Round 4: Richardson told Hopkins to continue to work the jab, meanwhile, Jones began to show jab. Hopkins muscled Jones to the ropes behind a body attack and working to the head. Jones was short with two jabs. Three jabs short by Jones. Hopkins lands a left to the body and they clinch. Hopkins lands a left right to the body and Jones clinches. Hopkins missed with a wild left. Hopkins landed two lefts to the body. Hopkins countered Jones’ left with a harder one of his own that appeared to shake Jones. Hopkins closed with a left to the body, a right to the head, and, two more lefts to the body. Hopkins’ round, 10-9.
Round 5: Hopkins lands an early right and backs off. Jones continues to plod forward with little activity. Richardson had told Hopkins that an encouraged Jones was the fighter they wanted as to open himself up, but Jones did land a nice right to the Hopkins jaw. Hopkins returned the favor, picking up the pace and pounding to Jones’ body on the ropes and roughing him up. Hopkins banged twice with rights to the body and did so against during a clinch. Jones landed a left to the body along the ropes. Hopkins lands a right to the head and another to the body. Hopkins landed low to Jones’ cup and then several more blows to the body as he roughed up Jones on the ropes. Hopkins’ round, 10-9.
Round 6: A hard right to Jones’ body lands hard. The crowd grows impatient. Hopkins avoids a right and drives two right hands to Jones’ body. Hopkins lands a right to the head that followed a left to the body. Hopkins drives Jones to the ropes with another hard right. Hopkins backs off. Hopkins lands a hard right to the jaw but then goes down from a hard left from Jones behind the head at the right ear and is laying on the canvas. He’s down for about two minutes then, after about three minutes, after being examined by the doctor, he rises and continues. Hopkins attacks Jones and drives him to the ropes. As the round ends, Weeks steps in to protect Jones and Hopkins continues firing around Weeks long after the bell. Hopkins’ round, 10-8.
Round 7: Hopkins landed a left but missed with a right. Jones moved forward with bounce in his legs but there was little landing. Hopkins drove Jones to the ropes behind a body shot. Hopkins landed two rights and then lands a right cross on the break as Weeks stepped in. Hopkins landed a nice looping, over hand right. Hopkins’ round, 10-9.
Round 8: Hopkins jabbed twice early and Jones landed once with a jab early. The crowd boos. Hopkins continued to the body. Hopkins drove Jones to the ropes and landed a couple of overhand rights. Another relatively inactive round by both fighters, even as Hopkins landed lefts to the body. Hopkins landed behind the head, but when Jones retaliated also behind the head, Hopkins went to the canvas, yet again. Weeks took no points, but asked Hopkins if he could continue. He did. Hopkins closed strongly, starting with a right hand and about a six-punch combination. Hopkins’ round, 10-9.
Round 9: Hopkins controlled the early part of the round, but Jones caught Hopkins coming in with a right to the left side of his face. A long, period of Inactivity followed, yet again. Jones lands a nice overhand right. Hopkins comes back with a right hand. Jones’ round, 10-9.
Round 10: Hopkins pressed more early behind his right-left combinations. Jones came back with a short left before a clinch. Jones doubled up with a left, the second left being ruled to have gone low, accidentally, by Weeks. Hopkins is down from an infraction for the third time. He’s down again but rises. No penalty. Jones pressed and landed a long left. Hopkins lands a right left. Jones lands an uppercut short and inside. Jones round, 10-9.
Round 11: An accidental head butt re-opened the cut over Jones left eye. The ring doctor examined it and allowed the fight to continue. Jones led with a right and then they clinched. Hopkins lands hard to the body with a left and then lands a right to the head. A short left lands for Hopkins. Hopkins lands another right and they clinch. The crowd boos incessantly as Hopkins lands a right-left right before the bell. Hopkins’ round, 10-9.
Round 12: Jones moved forward and landed early. Hopkins continued to come in and dig to the body. The crowd boos, yet again. Jones landed a lead left. They clinch. Hopkins fires and lands an overhand right. Hopkins closes by out-landing Jones on the ropes. Hopkins’ round, 10-9.
BENARD HOPKINS WINS BY UNANIMOUS DECISION.
Glenn Trowbridge and Don Trella had it 117-110, and, Dave Moretti, 118-109, all for Hopkins.
