DAVENPORT, Iowa - Former super middleweight champion Antwun Echols was shot in the leg Sunday night during a fight in the parking lot of a grocery store, police said.

Police were called to the Save-A-Lot store about 9 p.m., where they found Echols, 35, of Davenport, and another man, Stevie Hodges, 34, also of Davenport.

Echols suffered a minor gunshot wound the leg. Hodges had been knocked to the ground and kicked, police said.

Hodges was confronted by another man and it escalated into a physical fight, police said in a news release.

Echols intervened and pushed the suspect away from Hodges. That's when the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot Echols once in the leg, police said.

The suspect fled the scene in a sport utility vehicle.

Echols was taken to Genesis Medical Center in Davenport for treatment. A telephone call to the hospital Monday morning was not immediately returned.

Hodges refused medical treatment, police said.

Echols fought Bernard Hopkins twice for the IBF middleweight title, with Hopkins winning by unanimous decision in 1999 and by technical knockout a year later.

More recently, Echols lost a unanimous decision against Anthony Mundine in 2003 for the vacant WBA super middleweight title.

Echols last won a professional fight on Dec. 12, 2004. His most recent fight was a loss to Fulgencio Zuniga on June 23.

Echols has a 31-7-3 career record as a professional boxer with 27 knockouts.