Bernard Hopkins vs. Karo Murat
Bernard Hopkins vs. Karo Murat was a professional boxing match contested on October 26, 2013, for the IBF light heavyweight title.

Background
Earlier in 2013, Bernard Hopkins had defeated reigning IBF light heavyweight Tavoris Cloud to become the oldest world champion in boxing history.Bernard Hopkins, 48, wins IBF belt, ESPN article, 2013-03-10 Retrieved on 2024-08-27 Before facing Cloud, Hopkins had agreed to the IBF's prerequisite that he would face their top contender, the largely unknown German fighter Karo Murat should he win.Bernard Hopkins vs Tavoris Cloud set for March 9 at Barclays, pending IBF approval, Bad Left Hook article 2012-12-16 Retrieved on 2024-08-27 True to his word, Hopkins quickly came to terms to face Murat just a month after his victory over Cloud admitting that facing the obscure Murat was an "obligation" that he wanted to get out of the way in lieu of a "better option."Hopkins to defend title against Murat, ESPN article 2013-04-10 Retrieved on 2024-08-29 Originally set for July 13, 2013, that date was cancelled in June after Murat failed to be granted a visa from the United States Department of State.Bernard Hopkins July Bout With Murat Called Off, ESPN article 2013-06-14 Retrieved on 2024-08-29 Murat eventually settled his visa issue and the fight was rescheduled for October 19, though Showtime pushed the fight back one week to October 26 to avoid competition with rival network HBO, who were broadcasting a Mike Alvarado–Ruslan Provodnikov fight on HBO World Championship Boxing on that night.Hopkins fight set for Showtime, ESPN article 2014-11-10 Retrieved on 2024-08-29

For this fight, Hopkins would discard his previous nickname of "The Executioner" and rechristen himself as "The Alien", in reference to his "supernatural" ability to continue winning fights despite his advanced age.Bernard Hopkins, the Not-So-Ageless Alien, The New Yorker article 2013-08-13 Retrieved on 2024-08-29 Hopkins complemented his newfound nickname by wearing green accented ring gear as well as an alien mask in place of his customary executioner hood  during his pre-fight walk to the ring.

The fight
Hopkins put forth a dominating effort, winning by a very lopsided unanimous decision. Two judges had Hopkins winning all but one round with each scoring the fight 119–108 while the third scored the fight 117–110 (9 rounds to 3). Through the first half of the fight, Hopkins implemented his usual defensive-minded approach, but he abandoned this approach midway through the fight, aggressively attacking Murat and landing a high amount of punches during the later rounds, eventually opening a cut above Murat's left eye.

Aftermath
Hopkins admitted after the fight that he was in fact trying to gain a knockout victory after having not obtained one in almost a decade since his 2004 fight with Oscar De La Hoya.Hopkins otherworldly in decision win, ESPN article, 2013-10-26 Retrieved on 2024-08-29 

Fight card
Confirmed bouts:
 Weight Class Weight vs. Method Round NotesLight Heavyweight175 lbs.Bernard Hopkins (c)defKaro MuratUD12/12Middleweight160 lbs.Peter Quillin (c)def.Gabriel Rosado TKO10/12Heavyweight200+ lbs.Deontay Wilder def.Nicolai FirthaKO4/10Featherweight126 lbs.Braulio Santosdef.Dave ClarkTKO1/8Super Middleweight168 lbs.Dominic Wade def.Roberto VenturaTKO1/8

Broadcasting
 Country Broadcaster   Main Event   ARD   BoxNation   Showtime

References

 

Category:2013 in boxing
Category:2013 in sports in New Jersey
Category:October 2013 sports events in the United States
Category:Boxing matches at Boardwalk Hall
Murat
Category:Boxing on Showtime
Category:Light heavyweight championship matches
Category:Golden Boy Promotions