Smith was eventually going to KO Hopkins

Wtf "eventually"? He did.

Smith did knock him out fairly and legally. If Hopkins had not been knocked out of the ring he would have been knocked down. If he beat the count Smith would have finished him off. Hopkins is too old to fight a boxer as good as Smith and he was a poor sport and a sore loser. Hopkins is still an all time great boxer who accomplished amazing things in the ring and set records that may never be broken.