Sergey Kovalev has delivered a dominant performance to dethrone Bernard Hopkins of his IBF and WBA titles in Atlantic City.
The showdown between the hard-hitting Russian and the legendary American had been highly anticipated with opinions split over who would prevail at Boardwalk Hall.
However, from the opening bell, WBO title holder Kovalev overpowered his 49-year-old opponent, flooring him in the opening round before storming to a unanimous decision and potentially ending Hopkins's illustrious career in the process.
Some thought that Hopkins would prove too elusive for Kovalev but it took the knockout specialist less than three minutes to have the multi-weight world champion on the floor.
Even after just the first round, that was the beginning of the end for Hopkins, who had no answer to Kovalev's bludgeoning shots during each stanza.
The veteran offered a brief response late in the contest but it was never going to be enough against his 31-year-old opponent, who ended the encounter looking for a devastating finish.
Hopkins managed to retain his record of never being stopped during a professional career spanning 26 years but Kovalev was deservedly awarded verdicts of 120-107, 120-107 and 120-106 by the three judges.
Darren Plant
