Prefight
They're shooting scenes for Rocky VI right now. Rocky Balboa just made his entrance. The crowd goes wild. Rocky looks confident as he makes his way to the ring. He gives a wave to the crowd as he soaks it all in. This could be the last time his adoring fans get a chance to see the living legend in the ring. Okay...now that they're done filming, let's get to the real fight. Star sightings: Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Derek Jeter. R. Kelly found his way out of the closet to show up and sing an interesting rendition of the National Anthem. Finally...the challenger enters first as Bernard Hopkins makes his way to the ring...going back to his roots wearing a modified executioner's mask. "This is a man's world..." A little James Brown playing as he slowly walks to the ring. The champion, Jermain Taylor, enters next. Taylor looks confident, focused and angry. Taylor rockin to the ring to some rap as he turns to the crowd and soaks up the applause. Nady gives the salute. "LADIE'S AND GENTLEMAN....LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEEEEEEE"

Round 1
Woooooooo...there's the bell! They meet at the center. Hopkins paws with the jab. Taylor fires a jab to the body. Both men just posing. Hopkins tries a lead straight right...Taylor doesn't fall for it. They clinch. Taylor lands 4 shots to the back of Hopkins head as they clinch. Nady warns Taylor. No respect! Neither man doing anything. They both jab. Hopkins looking to land the straight right. Nothing happening for the last minute. Crowd begins to get restless. They clinch and Hopkins sneaks in a right hand. Hopkins circles. Taylor misses a left and a right. Hopkins pushes him back and grins. Ick...nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. Neither man won it. But...if you gotta give it to someone, like the last fight, I gotta give the champ the benefit of the doubt. Round to Taylor. But it was really an even round.

Taylor 10 Hopkins 9

Round 2
Hopkins fires a right hand over the top and Taylor shoots some flurries to the body. Both men posturing. Taylor fires a jab, but hits nothing. Hopkins does the same. Crowd getting restless. Hopkins lands an overhand right that's partially blocked by a left hook from Taylor. They trade left hooks and Hopkins stutters a little off balance. Hopkins lands a sneaky right and Taylor misses with one of his own. They trade in the middle. Taylor misses with some jabs. They collide into each other and clinch. Taylor misses with a big right hand but flurries at the end of the round. Didn't really do anything, but since nothing else happened at all in the round, you might as well give it to the champ. Round to Taylor

Taylor 20 Hopkins 18

Round 3
Nothing happens in the first 30 seconds...nothing at all. Taylor finally lands a jab. Bernards corner seems to think that Taylor won't fight until round 5. Both men do a little roughhousing on the inside. Intereseting comparison by Merchant who just said Hopkins is like an old lion just waiting in the weeds for his pray to walk by (on a side note, the fact that I just took the time to type out what Merchant just said should tell you that absolutley nothing is really going on in the round). A little more roughhousing on the inside as Nady separates them. Nothing from either man. They trade jabs. Hopkins feints. Tries to land a right, but misses. He feints again. Taylor misses with a jab. Misses with another 1-2. Hopkins dances in and out but does nothing. Right hand lands for Taylor. They clinch and roughhouse. Round to Taylor.

Taylor 30 Hopkins 27

Round 4
Both men posing in front of each other. Taylor lands an overhand right that wobbles Hopkins a bit. Bernard just feints. They clinch and Nady breaks them. Taylor flicks the jab out, misses with an overhand right that gets the crowd excited. They clinch. Taylor lands a sneaky left hook on Bernard as he walked into it. Hopkins lands a jab and they clinch. Hopkins lands two jailhouse hooks. Hopkins getting dirty. Two STIFF jabs land for Taylor. Left lands for Hopkins and a right has Taylor holding on. Taylor misses a jab and an overhand right. Hopkins getting loose. Hopkins lands a stiff jab of his own. Hopkins starting to turn his game on now, but round to Taylor.

Taylor 40 Hopkins 36

Round 5
Both men come out posing again. Hopkins lands a jab. They clinch. Hopkins feints and lands a nasty straight right hand. They both miss jabs. Hopkins lands to the body as Taylor misses a hook. Hopkins lands two left hooks. Taylor has a left that's blocked and misses with the right. Taylor lands a jab to the body. They clinch. Hopkins lands an uppercut inside. They trade stiff jabs. Hopkins misses with a right but works him inside and dips out. Taylor misses a jab. Right hand lands for Taylor though that backs Hopkins up. Taylor misses over top and they clinch. Hopkins works him inside. Taylor lands a hook and then throws an elbow. They're both trying to steal it at the end. Wooo...close round. I give it to Hopkins.

Taylor 49 Hopkins 46

Round 6
Taylor fires the jab. Lands a left to the body. Hopkins lands a jab...something he hasn't thrown very many of. Taylor lands a forearm to Bernard's back. They trade jabs. Hopkins lands a right. They trade jabs again. Taylor is cut on his nose. Hopkins lands another good jab. Taylor misses two jabs. Hopkins misses with a 1-2 and falls offbalance against the ropes. Allows Taylor to land a right. Taylor misses a 1-2, but looks confident. Hopkins lands a straight right and clinches. Taylor lands a jab. Taylor lands a 3 punch flurry to the body. Taylor's round.

Taylor 59 Hopkins 55

Round 7
Taylor pushes Bernard back and looks stronger. They clinch and Taylor jacks Hopkins to the back of the head. Hopkins lands a big right hand that has the crowd in awe. Taylor clinches. Taylor lands the jab. Again...Taylor lands another jab. Taylor wants to trade...he wants to fight. Hopkins misses with a hook and they clinch. Hopkins lands a good left hook. Taylor holds on. Nady warns him. Straight right hand lands for Hopkins. Nady in Taylor's ear for holding. Taylor lands a jab. Hopkins misses with a striaght right. Taylor holds onto Hopkins again. They trade jabs. Round to Hopkins...not much went on, but Hopkins landed the bigger shots.

Taylor 68 Hopkins 65

Round 8
Hopkins lands a 1-2 to start the round. They trade jabs. Taylor misses with an overhand right and they clinch. Hopkins roughs him up. Hopkins lands another good right hand. Hopkins lands a jab. Not much happening. They clinch. Nady warns Taylor for holding again. Hopkins roughs him up again. Taylor throws a looping wild right hand that misses. Hopkins lands another straight right. Another right and a left hook lands for Hopkins. Taylor lunging with his jab now. Hopkins lands a shot to the body. Taylor clinches. Nady warns Taylor for a low blow. Left hook by Taylor is blocked. Lampley says it landed though. Hopkins lands an overhand right. Good left hook lands for Hopkins. Big right hand lands for Taylor at the end of the round but it wasn't enough. Round to Hopkins.

Taylor 77 Hopkins 75

Round 9
Taylor lands a left. Hopkins lands two left hooks. Taylor fires the jab. Hopkins lands a rough jab. They clinch. Nady is in Taylor's ear again for holding. Hopkins making it rough on the inside now. Hopkins lands a left. Taylor fires back. They clinch. Nady tells Taylor last warning. Taylor lands a left and Hopkins lands a right. Taylor lands a right hand to the back of Hopkins head. Nady in Taylor's ear AGAIN for holding. Hopkins lands a jab and a left hook. They trade jabs. Hopkins lands a hook and a right. Taylor holds. Hopkins lands a right to the back of Taylor's head. Taylor misses a right. Hopkins doesn't! Round to Hopkins.

Taylor 86 Hopkins 85

Round 10
Taylor jabs. Hopkins misses a 1-2. Taylor misses with a right. Hopkins lands a right and a left. Hopkins lands a jab. Hopkins lands a straight right. Taylor turns his back. Hopkins lands a jab. Left hook is partially blocked for Hopkins. Taylor misses. Hopkins lands a right. Hopkins feints and lands a left hook. It's getting rough on the inside for Taylor when he tries to hold. Taylor looks tired. Hopkins just touches him with the left and then lands a sneaky right hand. Left jab lands for Hopkins. Taylor looks confused. Right hand lands for Hopkins. Taylor fires a jab but misses. Hopkins lands a jab and a right. Taylor makes a feable attempt to steal the round but he lands nothing as Hopkins smothers it. Round to Hopkins.

Taylor 95 Hopkins 95

Round 11
Hopkins lands a hook to begin the round. Taylor retreats. Taylor lands a big right hand on the top of Hopkins head...and another right hand lands for Taylor. Taylor lands a hook to the body. Taylor wants to fight. Making his line in the sand. The crowd chants..."JT...JT...JT". Taylor lands an uppercut to the body. They clinch. Hopkins makes it rough on the inside again. Taylor misses over top and they clinch again. Hopkins throws a slobber knocker from up north but just misses. Taylor holds on. Nady warns him. Hopkins makes it rough. Hopkins lands a jab. Taylor shoeshines. The round is ticking away right now. Hopkins lands a straight right. Taylor holds on. Just as Lampley says Taylor has dominated the round, Hopkins catches him with three hooks that wobble Taylor back. Taylor fires back at the end of the round though. I thought that round was closer than Lampley said, but I give it to the champ.

Taylor 105 Hopkins 104

Round 12
Taylor lands an overhand right to the top of Bernard's head. Hopkins lands a right of his own. Taylor's left eye is swollen shut. Big left hook lands for Hopkins that has Taylor hurt. Taylor holds on. Taylor lands a right hand. Hopkins makes it rough on the inside. Hopkins lands a left hook on the inside. Taylor backs up. Lampley thinks Taylor's punches are "showier". Straight right hand lands for Hopkins. Another big right hand lands for Hopkins. Taylor is hurt. He wobbles back and holds onto Hopkins. Hopkins lands some rights on the inside. 30 seconds left. Overhand right misses for Hopkins. Taylor clinches. Big left hook misses for Hopkins. A shoeshine for Tayor at the end of the round that got Lampley really excited...but round to Hopkins.

Taylor 114 Hopkins 114

Official judge's scorecards: 115-113, 115-113, 115-113

AND STILL...

Undefeated Undisputed Middleweight Champion

Jermain Taylor UD12