49 year old Hopkins dominates Shumenov over twelve

It wasn't the most exciting fight, in fact it was very boring other than one knockdown, but when a man approaching the age of fifty years old continues to dominate in the ring the boring factor can be overlooked. And even with a fight that made most people yawn the fans stood on there feet after the final bell to applaud as 49 year old Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KO's) continued to defy the laws of getting old as he defeated Biebut Shumenov (14-2, 9 KO's) by split decision at the DC Armory in Washington D.C. Scores were 116-111, 116-111, and 113-114. While the scores reflected a split decision most members of the media had Hopkins winning by a larger margin.

Hopkins once again delivered a masterful performance with a smile on his face nearly the entire fight. He moved his head, countered whenever he wanted, and landed huge right hands to frustrate Shumenov up until the final bell. Shumenov started well having possibly won three of the first four rounds. However, from the opening bell the fight seemed to be falling right into the trap of a typical Bernard Hopkins fight. It was slow with each fighter looking to get a feel for the other. By round four, Hopkins figured out everything he needed to know from Shumenov as he took over the fight. Shumenov tried to get going later in the fight but Hopkins continued to time his aggressiveness dropping him in round eleven.