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Article: Hopkins lands pair of big hits to down De La Hoya
- Article from:
- Daily Breeze
- Article date:
- September 19, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2004 Daily Breeze. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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LAS VEGAS -- Oscar De La Hoya thought he could trade punches with
a bigger and stronger fighter. Bernard Hopkins made him pay for his
mistake with two body shots that left De La Hoya pounding his gloves
on the canvas in bitter frustration at a career opportunity lost.
Hopkins stopped De La Hoya with a pair of perfectly placed punches
in the ninth round Saturday night to retain his undisputed
middleweight titles in perhaps the richest non-heavyweight fight.
The fight ended at 1:38 of the ninth with De La Hoya writhing in
pain on the canvas, his goal of beating the fearsome middleweight
champion crushed with shocking suddenness.
"I tried to do the impossible on paper -- beat the middleweight ...