The WBC did not wait for the California State Athletic Commission to have a hearing on the bizarre outcome of last Saturday night’s Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson light heavyweight championship fight at the Staples Center.

Instead, the Mexico City-based sanctioning organization reinstated Hopkins as its 175-pound world champion and declared the fight a technical draw on Thursday.

“I feel very happy. I feel that justice was done,” Hopkins told ESPN.com.

The fight ended in a storm of controversy with Dawson being declared a second-round knockout winner. It happened after Hopkins, who missed a right hand, wound up draped over Dawson’s back during his follow through. Dawson then grabbed Hopkins by the leg, lifted him and shoved him down to the canvas. Hopkins landed awkwardly on the edge of the ring, suffered a dislocation of the joint connecting his left shoulder to his collar bone and was unable to continue.
Referee Pat Russell did not rule that Dawson had committed a foul — be it on purpose or accidentally — and awarded Dawson a TKO victory despite no punch landing. Had a foul been ruled, Hopkins would have retained the title on a no contest.

“I’m disappointed that the WBC saw fit to call it a technical draw,” Gary Shaw, Dawson’s promoter, told ESPN.com. “I’m sure, as sure as I can be, is that the WBC will put Chad as the No. 1 mandatory again. I don’t think it was the right decision. We believe Hopkins committed the first foul by going on Chad’s back. Chad did what anyone would do and tried to get him off his back. I accept their ruling but I don’t agree with it.”
Although Hopkins has been given back the WBC belt, the organization’s ruling of a technical draw is more symbolic than anything else. While the WBC controls the belt, it does not have any jurisdiction over official fight results. That is up to the commission overseeing the bout. The commission then forwards the official results to Fight Fax, which is the official record keeper of boxing results.

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Jackson became a star on the AND-1 Mixtape Tour. In 2003, the tour stopped at Freedom Hall, where Jackson–known as Escalade—was given a hero’s welcome. He was the uncle of current guard Mark Jackson, Junior.

Jackson was 35 years old.

“He’s Mike. He’s been kicking our (butts). He still has it,” forward Gerald Wallace said. “He doesn’t have this quickness, but he can score, he’s a shooter. The last thing to ever go is your jump shot and he has that.”

Jordan, who turns 48 next week, has been spending more time at practices and shootarounds, getting on the floor and doing some teaching. Thursday’s practice was his most involved yet.