View source for Bernard Hopkins vs. Keith Holmes

{{short description|Boxing match}}
{{Infobox boxing match
| Fight Name   = Bernard Hopkins vs. Keith Holmes
| image        =
| caption      =
| fight date   = April 14, 2001
| location     = [[The Theater at Madison Square Garden]], [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| titles       = [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] and [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] middleweight titles
| fighter1     = Bernard Hopkins
| nickname1    = "The Executioner"
| hometown1    = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| purse1       =
| record1      = 38–2–1 (1) (28 KO)
| age1         = {{age in years and months |January 15, 1965 |April 14, 2001}}
| height1      = 6 ft 1 in
| weight1      = 159 lb
| style1       = Orthodox
| recognition1 = [[List of IBF world champions#Middleweight|IBF]]<br>Middleweight Champion<br>[[The Ring (magazine)|''The Ring'']] No. 10 ranked pound-for-pound fighter
| fighter2     = Keith Holmes
| nickname2    =
| hometown2    = [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], [[District of Columbia]], U.S.
| purse2       =
| record2      = 36–2 (23 KO)
| age2         = {{age in years and months |March 30, 1969 |April 14, 2001}}
| height2      = 6 ft 2 in
| weight2      = 157+1/2 lb
| style2       = Southpaw
| recognition2 = [[List of WBC world champions#Middleweight|WBC]]<br>Middleweight Champion
| result       = Hopkins defeated Holmes via unanimous decision
}}
'''[[Bernard Hopkins]] vs. [[Keith Holmes (boxer)|Keith Holmes]]''' was a professional boxing match contested on April 14, 2001, for the [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] and [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] middleweight championship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bernard Hopkins vs. Keith Holmes |url=https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/Bernard_Hopkins_vs._Keith_Holmes |website=boxrec.com |publisher=BoxRec |access-date=30 September 2024}}</ref>
==Background==
In March 2001 [[Don King]] held a press conference at [[The Theater at Madison Square Garden]], to announce a three fight [[Middleweight World Championship Series]] in order to produce the first undisputed middleweight champion since [[Marvin Hagler]] was stripped of the [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] title in February 1987. The first bout would see the longest reigning of the Middleweight titlists [[Bernard Hopkins]] face [[Keith Holmes (boxer)|Keith Holmes]], with WBA champ [[William Joppy]] pitted against unified Light middleweight (and former long reigning welterweight) champion [[Félix Trinidad]]. King compared the four contenders former greats in the division like [[Sugar Ray Robinson]], [[Ray Leonard]] and [[Marvelous Marvin Hagler]] saying "We're talking about legends here, pure greatness, Felix is the eye of the hurricane. The question is: Can he conquer the elements?"<ref>{{cite news |author1=Lena Williams |title=PLUS: BOXING; Middleweights Descend on Garden |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/15/sports/plus-boxing-middleweights-descend-on-garden.html |access-date=30 September 2024 |work=New York Times |date=15 March 2001}}</ref> Trinidad was regarded as the favourite to win the tournament.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Mark Hale |title=TITO’S THE JEWEL OF GARDEN TOURNEY |url=https://nypost.com/2001/03/15/titos-the-jewel-of-garden-tourney/ |website=nypost.com/ |publisher=New York Post |access-date=30 September 2024 |date=15 March 2001}}</ref>
Holmes had been out of the ring for nearly a year and had sued King for breach of contract due to the promoter not meeting the three bouts a year stipulated in the contract.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Clifton Brown |title=Holmes Sues To Sever Ties to King |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2000/11/16/holmes-sues-to-sever-ties-to-king/a833a2c4-afe8-4f1f-ab90-4494faae0de9/ |access-date=30 September 2024 |work=The Washington Post |date=15 November 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Reuters |title=Holmes wants contract terminated |url=https://a.espncdn.com/boxing/news/2000/1113/875954.html |website=espncdn.com |publisher=ESPN |access-date=30 September 2024 |date=13 November 2000}}</ref>
In the build up Hopkins predicted a knockout victory saying "If I go the distance with that bum, I don’t deserve to win. If I go 12 rounds with Keith Holmes, I don’t deserve to be undisputed middleweight champion of the world. I might want to punish him for six or seven rounds. Holmes won’t be no good to his family after I punish him. He won’t be able to play with his kids, throw a ball after I punish him." Holmes would criticize Hopkins record saying "They call him the best middleweight. What makes him that? To fight dirty and get away with it? He called me a belt holder and says he’s a champion. I guess he won’t mind me holding his belt,"<ref>{{cite web |author1=Brian Lewis |title=HOPKINS, HOLMES TRADE SHOTS |url=https://nypost.com/2001/04/04/hopkins-holmes-trade-shots/ |website=nypost.com |publisher=New York Post |access-date=30 September 2024 |date=4 April 2001}}</ref> He would also accuse Hopkins of fighting dirty "You can't teach an old dog new tricks. He's always been a dirty fighter and I can live with that."<ref>{{cite web |author1=Mark Hale |title=HOPKINS LOOKING TO EXECUTE MIDDLEWEIGHT CLASS |url=https://nypost.com/2001/04/10/hopkins-looking-to-execute-middleweight-class/ |website=nypost.com |publisher=New York Post |access-date=30 September 2024 |date=10 April 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Micah Pollack |title=Hopkins Vs. Holmes Won't Be A Tea Party |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2001/04/11/hopkins-vs-holmes-wont-be-a-tea-party/77b25603-e6e1-411a-9eff-0db848e04c75/ |access-date=30 September 2024 |work=The Washington Post |date=10 April 2001}}</ref>
This was the first middleweight unification bout since [[Carlos Monzón]] faced [[Rodrigo Valdez]] in June 1976.
==The fight==
Hopkins would dominate the fight throwing far more punches and landing the more consistent shots to the body. In the fifth, Hopkins caught Holmes with a body shot on the belt of Holmes, causing to him complain to the referee prompting a point to be deducted from Hopkins. The fight would go the distance where all three judges would score the bout to Hopkins with George Colon had it 118-109, Larry Hazzard Jr., 117-110 and Tom Kaczmack scored it 119-108.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Clifton Brown |title=BOXING; Hopkins Wins Unanimous Decision |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/15/sports/boxing-hopkins-wins-unanimous-decision.html |access-date=30 September 2024 |work=New York Times |date=15 April 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=HOPKINS WRECKS HOLMES Wins by unanimous decision |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2001/04/15/hopkins-wrecks-holmes-wins-by-unanimous-decision/ |access-date=30 September 2024 |work=New York Daily News |date=15 April 2001}}</ref> [[HBO]] unofficial ringside scorer [[Harold Lederman]] had Hopkins up 119–108.
==Aftermath==
Speaking after the bout Hopkins said, "First of all, I did predict I would knock him out, Second of all, I lied. No more guaranteed knockouts." Holmes would embrace Hopkins saying "We're two warriors and we went at it, You move on. I stay here." He would also admit that his long layoff may have been a factor, "If I had been busier, it might have helped me".<ref>{{cite web |author1=Associated Press |title=Hopkins takes Holmes' WBC middleweight title |url=https://a.espncdn.com/boxing/news/2001/0414/1173276.html |website=espncdn.com |publisher=ESPN |access-date=30 September 2024 |date=14 April 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Clifton Brown |title=BOXING; Hopkins Lets His Fighting Do the Talking |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/16/sports/boxing-hopkins-lets-his-fighting-do-the-talking.html |access-date=30 September 2024 |work=New York Times |date=16 April 2001}}</ref>
A month later [[Félix Trinidad]] [[William Joppy vs. Félix Trinidad|stopped]] [[William Joppy]] to win the WBA belt and set up a showdown with Hopkins for [[Félix Trinidad vs. Bernard Hopkins|15 September]].<ref>{{cite web |author1=[[Associated Press]] |title=Trinidad unbeaten in 40 fights |url=https://a.espncdn.com/boxing/news/2001/0512/1196464.html |website=espncdn.com |publisher=ESPN |access-date=30 September 2024 |location=New York |date=12 May 2001}}</ref>
==Undercard==
Confirmed bouts:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/7836|title=BoxRec - event|publisher=}}</ref>
==Broadcasting==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! align=center | Country
! align=center | Broadcaster
|-
| {{flag|United States}} || [[HBO]]
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-bef | before=vs. [[Antwun Echols]] II}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Bernard Hopkins]]'s bouts |years=14 April 2001}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Félix Trinidad vs. Bernard Hopkins|vs. Félix Trinidad]]}}
{{s-bef | before=vs. [[Robert McCracken]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Keith Holmes (boxer)|Keith Holmes]]'s bouts |years=14 April 2001}}
{{s-aft | after=vs. Anthony Ivory}}
{{s-end}}
{{Bernard Hopkins}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, Holmes}}
[[Category:2001 in boxing]]
[[Category:2001 in sports in New York City]]
[[Category:2000s in Manhattan]]
[[Category:April 2001 sports events in the United States]]
[[Category:Boxing matches at The Theater at Madison Square Garden]]
[[Category:Boxing matches involving Bernard Hopkins|Holmes]]
[[Category:Boxing matches refereed by Steve Smoger]]
[[Category:Boxing on HBO]]
[[Category:Middleweight championship matches]]