London - AFP
Bernard Hopkins suffered a separated shoulder joint in the bizarre ending of his World Boxing Council light heavyweight title fight loss to Chad Dawson on Saturday. Dawson took the title from 46-year-old Hopkins with a controversial technical knockout -- the first time in a 23-year career that Hopkins failed to go the distance. Hopkins had jumped on Dawson's back during a clinch and then Dawson used his shoulder to throw Hopkins backwards onto the canvas and he landed awkwardly on his shoulder. "Bernard Hopkins has been released from the California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles after being x-rayed and examined by doctor Sam Thurber, who diagnosed Hopkins with a separation of the acromioclavicular (A-C) joint which connects the collar bone and shoulder blade," a statement issued through the fight publicists said Sunday. In the aftermath of the bout, Hopkins had argued that Dawson should have been penalized for a foul, rather than awarded a technical knockout, while Dawson accused Hopkins of faking an injury.