Was Hopkins loss a KO or a TKO?

It would seem to have been a KO since the referee counted to 20, yet it was announced as a TKO and reported pretty much everywhere I've read in the news as a TKO.

Yet on Boxrec it is listed as a KO.

The only reason why I could think it would be a TKO is because Hopkins was helped up to his feet after he fell outside the ring. However, even though he was helped up to his feet by someone at ringside, the ref did not stop the count or waive the bout off, so the ref's decision would be final.

So it appears that the correct decision would be a KO, even though somebody helped Hopkins to his feet, the ref did not see that or stop the count, and his decision would be final. If it is in fact a KO, isn't it kind of amazing that it has been reported everywhere as a TKO?

 

That's what I think it is too, but he isn't allowed to be helped up to his feet by somebody at ringside right. What would have happened if Hopkins would have gotten back into the ring and beat the 20 count? (after being helped up by somebody)

The ref could have waived off the bout and ruled it a TKO after seeing that somebody helped him to his feet right?

 

You see the inconsistency here. Boxrec has the official result as a KO, yet the notes that you provided (you have to be logged into boxrec to get the details now right) say he was unable to continue suggesting it was a TKO, not a KO.

And the cut was clearly from an accidental headbutt, not from a punch lol. so we have all kinds of inconsistencies here lol.

 

^ from that replay you can see the guy in the blue shirt (presumably from the commission) pushed the guy away who was trying to help Bernard Hopkins up. But then a moment later he actually grabs Hopkins glove and pulls / helps him up. My view is at that point, the ref could have ruled it a TKO since the guy interfered with the count, but he didn't and he continued the count up to 20, therefore it was a KO. (since the ref's decision would be final) That's how I see it.

Interestingly Lampley observes he was being assisted at ringside, and says "that should DISQUALIFY him".

Now, isn't that funny, because a DISQUALIFICATION would mean Hopkins wouldn't have been stopped. Certainly if Hopkins had climbed back into the ring there after being assisted before the count of 20, and lets say he'd had finished the bout and won a split decision or something, the bout would have been marred in controversey having been assisted there.

 

Even after being assisted to his feet during the count by the man who helped him up at ringside? Lampley observed Hopkins being assisted and helped to his feet and stated "that should disqualify him". Was Lampley wrong? If someone outside the ring helps a fighter up during the 20 count, that should technically disqualify him right? Because what if he were to make it back into the ring before the 20 count after being helped to his feet? He shouldn't get to continue to fight unless he gets up on his own and re-enters the ring, right?