WBA and IBF Light Middleweight Champion The Ring No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter 2-division world champion
Result
Trinidad defeated Joppy by 5th round TKO
William Joppy vs. Félix Trinidad, billed as History in the Making, was a professional boxing match contested on May 12, 2001, for the WBA middleweight championship.[1]
Background
In March 2001 Don King held a press conference at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, to announce a three fight Middleweight World Championship Series in order to produce the first undisputed middleweight champion since Marvin Hagler was stripped of the WBA title in February 1987. The first bout would see the longest reigning of the Middleweight titlists Bernard HopkinsfaceKeith Holmes, with WBA champ William Joppy pitted against unified Light middleweight (and former long reigning welterweight) champion Félix Trinidad. King compared the four contenders former greats in the division like Sugar Ray Robinson, Ray Leonard and Marvelous Marvin Hagler saying "We're talking about legends here, pure greatness, Felix is the eye of the hurricane. The question is: Can he conquer the elements?"[2] Trinidad was regarded as the favourite to win the tournament.[3]
On 14 April, Hopkins scored a dominate decision victory over Holmes moving into the final to await the winner between Joppy and Trinidad.
Joppy would appear unimpressed with Trinidad in the build up saying "I think he's a little overrated, I want to show he doesn't belong in the ring with me." Trinidad, a 3-1 favourite to win the bout, predicted a knockout victory.[4]
The fights
Undercard
The first bout on the PPV card saw Christy Martin take a majority decision over Kathy Collins.
Frank vs. Forrest II
The first of the two world title bouts saw IBF No. 1 ranked Raul Frank take on unbeaten No. 2 ranked Vernon Forrest,[5] for the welterweight belt vacated by Trinidad when he moved up to Light middleweight.[6]
The two had met the previous August, with the bout ending in a no contest after a clash of head led to Frank being unable to continue.[7]
The fight
Forrest used his left jab and overhand right to control the action, preventing Frank from getting inside and stopping him from being effective.
At the end of 12 rounds, two judges scored it 115–110 and the third had it 120–108 all in favour of Forrest. HBO's unofficial ringside scorer Harold Lederman scored the bout a shutout of 120–108 for Forrest.[8]
Speaking after the bout Forrest admitted "I hurt my right hand in the third round and couldn't get any power, but I stayed with it".
The penultimate bout, saw former WBO heavyweight titleholder Chris Byrd face Maurice Harris in a semi final of an IBF heavyweight elimination tournament. The winner would be set to face David Tua who had stopped Danell Nicholson in March.[9]
Despite an aggressive start from Harris, Byrd would take control and out box his opponent for most of the fight. Harris would be dropped in the 6th round after a left to body followed up by one to chin. He beat the count but his apparent lack of conditioning prevented him from taking the fight to Byrd.
The bout went the full 10 rounds and Byrd was awarded a unanimous decision victory with two cards of 117–110 and one of 118–109.
Main Event
The crowd of more than 18,000 at Madison Square Garden would witness a dominate display from Trinidad in his middleweight debut. Knocking Joppy down in the 1st 4th and 5th rounds before Arthur Mercante, Jr. opted to wave off the contest with 30 seconds left in the 5th.[10]
Aftermath
Speaking after the bout Trinidad said "You guys saw tonight I'm a true middleweight. I beat the best middleweight tonight, and I will beat Hopkins". Joppy would credit Trinidad saying "He's a great champion, I never thought he could hit that hard. I never thought he would have the power that he had coming from 154 to 160 pounds. I've never been hit like that before."[11]
With the victory Trinidad moved on to the final against Hopkins as well becoming the first former welterweight champion to win a middleweight title, since Roberto DuránagainstIran Barkley in 1989.
