Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya both left their feet after the punching stopped Saturday night.
But only Hopkins did so willingly and gleefully, somersaulting in celebration.
His devastating left hook to the liver dropped De La Hoya to his knees and left him writhing in pain midway through the ninth round of their scheduled 12-round middleweight title bout. The sudden finish stunned a pro-De La Hoya packed house of 16,112 fans in the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Because he was not knocked out in the most literal sense but was briefly breathless enough that he could not rise before referee Kenny Bayless counted to 10, De La Hoya was all too conscious of what had happened. He pounded his red gloves on the canvas in frustration.
Consistent with that contrast in emotions, it was Hopkins, the 39-year-old champion, who quickly looked ahead to his boxing future, while 31-year-old multimillionaire De La Hoya was not ready to do so.
In truth, however, both will likely fight again.
Hopkins, whose record for middleweight title defenses has now reached 19, wants one more against “whoever the unlucky No. 20 is.” After that, he said he might be willing to move up from 160 pounds to challenge light-heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver or Roy Jones Jr., who beat Hopkins in 1993, or move down in weight to face a top 154-pound junior middleweight.
De La Hoya didn’t have to say that he doesn’t want his $150 million-plus career to end with him gasping for breath after being knocked out for the first time.
“I can’t say right now,” he replied to a question about retirement. “I have no game plan whatsoever. I was so focused on this fight.”
Hopkins could not hide his desire for a rematch with Jones. He said he has watched the tape of that loss so often that “I know every minute, every second, every round.”
Hopkins faced reporters after changing from his maroon-and-white boxing attire into a white dress shirt, white tie and black suit with white pinstripes. De La Hoya donned a sweatsuit and baseball cap pulled down close to his sad eyes.
More Top Picks Soundcore Infini Pro
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be stopped by a body shot,” said the disconsolate loser, who did not speak of a rematch. “But he’s a great champion. I have no excuses whatsoever. He beat me fair and square.”
De La Hoya acknowledged that he had not employed the jab expected to be one of his advantages, while Hopkins used a strong jab to assume control after De La Hoya fought on even terms for the first six rounds.
“There’s always little things that you can improve on,” said De La Hoya, who was actually ahead on one judge’s scorecard when the fight ended. “I know I can step it up a few notches.”
Though the way he lost “is eating me inside,” he said, “I’m not ashamed at all.
“I’m disappointed because I know I’m a better fighter than I [showed].”
That did not sound like a boxer who’s ready to retire.
In the hyperbole of prefight bluster, Hopkins said he would rearrange De La Hoya’s smile and Hollywood-handsome facial features. Instead, he ravaged the challenger’s body. The old-school champion took his opponent to school in the ninth round, pinning him near the ropes with his right shoulder, then driving his left hook just below the rib cage.
For all his millions, De La Hoya does not have the four title belts that focused his mind-set for Saturday’s showdown.
And for all his pride-over-possessions attitude, Hopkins may now even compete with De La Hoya’s wealth and good looks.
For starters, he said he might rearrange his own smiling countenance by getting his gapped teeth fixed.
The bout will be replayed on an HBO telecast at 9:15 p.m. Saturday along with the Roy Jones-Glen Johnson light-heavyweight bout.