- 2 days ago
The HBO Replay of the TVKO fight of Felix Trinidad challenging William Joppy for the WBA Middleweight Title.
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00:00Let's look at the tale of the tape for Felix Trinidad versus William Joppy.
00:05Trinidad, with all of his accomplishments still, 28 years old, two years younger than Joppy.
00:11A one-inch height advantage for Trinidad, a two-inch reach advantage for Trinidad.
00:16They both weighed in under the 160-pound limit, and tonight, unofficially according to our scale,
00:23Tito will enter at 165, Joppy, five pounds heavier.
00:27Fun stat numbers, Larry.
00:30Total punches, power punches, recent fights.
00:35You can see Joppy, the much busier fighter, Trinidad, resourceful and accurate.
00:41How busy can Joppy be against the big-punching Trinidad?
00:46Power punches, roughly the same numbers.
00:51And rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Gledamund.
00:55The Felix, Tito, Trinidad, William Joppy fight is scheduled for 12 rounds using the unified rules of the Association of Boxing Commissions.
01:02There is no standing eight count.
01:04The three-knockdown rule, only the referee can stop the fight, and you cannot be saved by the bell at any round, including the 12th and final round.
01:12Jim!
01:16Felix Trinidad enters first because it is Joppy who is the middleweight title holder in this bout.
01:24You're earlier in mentioning some.
01:35The banner says, Roy Jones, you're next.
01:46Speculation that Trinidad, if he wins this tournament and adds the middleweight title to his collection,
01:53will look up 15 pounds toward Roy Jones and try to tempt Jones into a fight at 168 pounds.
02:00Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go,
02:30The Puerto Ricans in New York call themselves New Yorkians.
02:44They have their own parade every year, the Puerto Rican Day celebration,
02:48but there's no bigger celebration ever in New York for Puerto Ricans
02:52than the one that takes place tonight in honor of Felix Tito Trinidad.
03:00His star status.
03:23Trinidad basking in his star status,
03:26and offering thanks in advance
03:30to the crowd, which he knows
03:32will be wildly supportive of him
03:34during the comeback.
03:38You've never seen a man so proud of his country.
03:42Record for Felix Gwynadat,
03:4439 wins, no losses, no draws,
03:4732 by KOs
03:48a half dozen times
03:50down in the early rounds
03:52and then back up to knock out
03:54his opponent and win the fight.
04:05Patriotic theme for
04:06William Joppy. Stars and
04:08strikes on his way into
04:10the ring for the Washington, D.C.
04:13native.
04:18I love the name Joppy.
04:20Never heard the name Joppy before
04:22William Joppy came alone.
04:25Some fans just grabbed him
04:26and tried to give him a big physical hug
04:28as he's walking into the ring.
04:30The last thing Joppy wants at this moment
04:32is to need to wrestle his way through the crowd.
04:35But he makes it cleanly
04:36and goes on in.
04:42The overall record for William Joppy,
04:45a draw long ago,
04:47early in his career,
04:48the one loss in 1997
04:50was to Julio Cesar Green
04:52right here in Madison Square Garden.
04:54His only previous appearance here.
04:57Joppy says,
04:57I'm glad to be coming back to New York.
04:59I have nothing but bad memories.
05:01Now I'll have only good ones
05:02after I beat Trinidad.
05:04Stop!
05:05Stop!
05:06So both fighters are in the ring.
05:09And now let's go up to ring announcer
05:10Jimmy Lennon Jr.
05:11for the official introduction.
05:16Ladies and gentlemen,
05:18a very good evening to you
05:20and we welcome you
05:21to the world's most famous arena,
05:24Madison Square Garden
05:25in New York City
05:27for the featured bout of the evening,
05:29the second round
05:30in the World Middleweight Championship Series.
05:34And it's all brought to you
05:35by Don King Productions
05:36in association
05:37with Madison Square Garden,
05:40TVKO,
05:41and Budweiser,
05:42the undisputed
05:43King of Beers.
05:46This bout coming away
05:47is sanctioned by
05:47the World Boxing Association,
05:50President Gilberto Mendoza,
05:51Supervisor Aurelio Fiengo,
05:54along with the New York State
05:55Athletic Commission,
05:56the Chairman Mel Southerd,
05:58Commissioners Jerome Becker
05:59and Mark Kornstein.
06:02Introducing to you
06:03our three judges
06:04scoring this bout
06:05from ringside,
06:06from Johannesburg,
06:07South Africa,
06:08Stanley Christodoulou,
06:10from Montreal,
06:11Quebec, Canada,
06:12Guy Jutras,
06:13and from Ardsley,
06:15New York,
06:16Malvina Latham.
06:18And the third man
06:18to the ring,
06:19our referee in charge
06:20of this bout,
06:21working in this
06:21his 16th world title bout,
06:24Arthur Mercanti.
06:26All right, fans,
06:29here we go
06:30with our main event
06:31of the evening,
06:3312 rounds of boxing
06:34for the WBA
06:36Middleweight Championship
06:37of the world.
06:39And now,
06:40ladies and gentlemen
06:41in attendance
06:41and boxing fans
06:43joining us
06:44around the world,
06:45live from
06:47Madison Square Garden,
06:48it's time for the main event
06:52of the evening.
07:00Introducing to you first
07:01the challenger on my left,
07:03fighting out of the blue corner,
07:05entering the ring,
07:06wearing red,
07:07trump's with blue and white trim,
07:09hailing from and representing
07:11Kupealto Puerto Rico.
07:16He weighed in at 159
07:19and one quarter pounds,
07:21undefeated in his campaign,
07:23the ring with 39 wins,
07:25no losses,
07:2632 big wins coming by,
07:28way off knockout.
07:30Here is the four-time
07:31world champion
07:32who currently holds
07:34the IVF and WBA
07:36super welterweight crowns.
07:38Ladies and gentlemen,
07:40please welcome
07:40el gran campeón
07:43puerto riqueño
07:45vince y vince,
07:48Tito Trinidad!
07:57And his opponent
07:59across the ring
08:00is the defending
08:01world champion
08:02on my right,
08:03fighting out of the red corner,
08:05entering the ring,
08:06wearing red,
08:07white,
08:07and blue trunks,
08:08fighting out of Seabrook
08:09by way of
08:10Lincoln Park,
08:11Maryland.
08:12He weighed in
08:13at a ready 158
08:15and three-quarter pounds.
08:17His record stands
08:18at 32 wins,
08:19one loss
08:20and one draw
08:21with 24 wins
08:23coming by way
08:24of knockout.
08:25Ladies and gentlemen,
08:26tonight,
08:27he is making
08:27the eighth
08:28defensivist title.
08:29Here is the
08:30two-time
08:31and current
08:32WBA middleweight
08:34champion
08:34of the world.
08:36Introducing
08:37William
08:39Jaffe.
08:40And once again
08:48a referee in charge,
08:49Arthur Merganti
08:50now to give
08:51instructions,
08:5112 rounds
08:52of boxing
08:53scheduled.
08:55Good evening,
08:56Felix.
08:57Good evening,
08:57William.
08:58You both received
08:59the rules
08:59earlier in the night
09:00by the New York State
09:01Athletic Commission.
09:02I expect a nice,
09:02clean fight.
09:03Touch gloves,
09:04good luck to the both of you.
09:05Will Jaffe
09:07try to impose
09:09his presumed strength
09:10on Trinidad?
09:13Trinidad says
09:14calling out the double
09:16is one thing,
09:17facing him
09:17is another.
09:19The double will be
09:20in the details
09:21of this fight.
09:22William Jaffe
09:23has never been
09:24showcased
09:25under such hot lights,
09:27under such
09:28an intense microscope.
09:29Felix Trinidad
09:30has spent
09:31the last few years
09:32of his career
09:33fighting in situations
09:34just like this one.
09:36Trinidad traditionally
09:36a slow starter,
09:38although in his last fight
09:39he knocked Vargas
09:40down twice
09:40in the first round.
09:42Jaffe gets in
09:42the first big blow,
09:43a right hand
09:44to the side
09:45of Trinidad's team.
09:46Trinidad is starting
09:47out the counterpuncher
09:48tonight.
09:50You know he's
09:51a good actor
09:51at puncher.
09:52He stands back,
09:53hold his ground,
09:54he can sharp
09:55shoot some good
09:56overhand right.
09:58That's what Jaffe
09:59doesn't want to do
10:00is to run into
10:01Trinidad.
10:01He better make
10:02Trinidad
10:02come to you.
10:04William Jaffe
10:05has a very
10:06authoritative jab.
10:08If he's able
10:08to land it early,
10:09he could establish
10:10control of the tempo
10:12in the fight.
10:13If Trinidad
10:13is able to slip
10:14around that jab,
10:15functional control
10:16could go to him.
10:19Jaffe has already
10:20established,
10:21you better move
10:21away from me.
10:23I'm in charge
10:23here tonight.
10:24Jaffe sticking his jab
10:26right into the middle
10:26of Trinidad's face.
10:27Jaffe throws his right
10:35hand and comes
10:35right back to the
10:36left jab.
10:37Basic box.
10:46Jaffe looks anything
10:47but tight and tentative
10:49in this,
10:50his first mega bout.
10:51If anything,
10:52he's the looser
10:53of the two.
10:56Trying to let
10:57Trinidad know
10:59who the bigger man is,
11:00who the stronger man is.
11:01He's going straight
11:02to him,
11:03particularly with
11:04that heavy jab.
11:06Now Trinidad
11:07tries his own jab
11:08and sneaks in
11:10a little left hook.
11:19No matter how big
11:20you are,
11:20you just don't want
11:21to run and chase
11:22a puncher down.
11:24Trinidad can get
11:25on the right foot
11:25and level you up.
11:29There's a big left hook
11:30from Zito Trinidad.
11:31Landed on the arm.
11:34Good right hand.
11:34Right hand.
11:37Right hand lands again.
11:38And the pro Trinidad crowd
11:44comes to life.
12:00A terrific
12:01and perhaps telling
12:03first round.
12:04Doppi goes down
12:05all of the rounds
12:06of left hooks.
12:073, 2, 3, 4,
12:126, 7, 8.
12:15So just as he
12:16floored Margas
12:17in the first round,
12:18so to the Trinidad
12:20floored Doppi
12:21in round 1.
12:22And Doppi
12:23wrestles his way
12:24to the bow.
12:25Out.
12:25out.
12:27Find your hands off.
12:29Find your hands off.
12:31Out.
12:33In the stool.
12:34Get my stool.
12:35Give it your brig.
12:36Look at your damn hands
12:37up and look at you.
12:39Get that moi.
12:39I don't see the hands.
12:41Get that moi.
12:42Get that moi.
12:42The Joppy corner, about 20 seconds late with their stool.
12:59Let's take a look at the knockdown, Larry.
13:01After controlling the first part of the round,
13:05Joppy walks into the Trinidad Artillery,
13:10and down he goes.
13:12The big left hook, finishing that barrage.
13:18How much recuperative power does Joppy have left?
13:23George, I never cease to be amazed at the number of fighters
13:26who think they can stand in front of Felix Trinidad and get away with it.
13:29This may be the biggest benefit for Joppy,
13:32the exercise of being a middleweight, his ability to recuperate.
13:36Only the second time that Joppy has been knocked down.
13:43But now he knows why Felix Trinidad is regarded as being so special.
13:48Once again, Trinidad is circling Joppy,
13:58giving him the impression that he's moving away.
14:01Joppy's better be careful because Trinidad liked to get up on that right foot
14:06and just pull that thing like a baseball pitcher that's right here.
14:09Let's remember, Vargas got up from two knockdowns in the first round
14:13and knocked Trinidad down himself in the fourth round.
14:19Joppy not yielding.
14:22Joppy lands the right-hand shot.
14:24Joppy's got to keep his hands up.
14:37Whatever you do, finish with your hands back in position.
14:42Trinidad has only been catching him while his hands are down.
14:45Joppy's got to keep his hands up.
14:49Whatever you do, finish with your hands back in position.
14:53Joppy drops his hand just a little too much.
14:57Joppy's still able to land his jab.
15:00It may be fool's goal with an attempt into engaging the Trinidad again.
15:08Pretty good for Joppy because he was knocked down because of dropping his hand.
15:14Joppy's reaching, trying to land the big right hand.
15:17Now pops Trinidad twice with the jab.
15:18You've got to make that big punch at Trinidad work for what he gets.
15:24Throw away some of that power.
15:25Don't go into him for nothing.
15:35Joppy's still landing the jab,
15:36and now Trinidad flicks his own jab and pops Joppy twice.
15:46Joppy did something very good this time.
15:49He moved to the left and then he came back and moved to Trinidad's right.
15:53What you've got to do, keep moving.
15:55Hard right hand by Trinidad.
15:58Trinidad doesn't seem to be concerned with Joppy's punching power at all.
16:02He's just letting everything go.
16:07Joppy's going to get him.
16:08He's got to be on the move.
16:09Don't stand in front of this puncher.
16:13Left hook by Joppy, partially blocked.
16:15Trinidad lands his left twice.
16:17Joppy with his hands down again.
16:19Now he gets him up.
16:20Joppy, Joppy, Joppy, Joppy.
16:22Joppy, Joppy, Joppy, Joppy.
16:23Joppy, Joppy, Joppy, Joppy, Joppy.
16:29And as we go to Felix Trinidad's corner,
16:31where his father speaks to him in Spanish,
16:33our translator is Ray Torres.
16:36How do you feel?
16:39Raise your hand.
16:42Take a deep breath, real deep.
16:45Tito, are you feeling well?
16:46Tito, keep your hands up.
16:49You're okay. Everything's fine.
16:54Let's take some water.
16:56Give me some water.
16:57Who's got the mouthpiece?
17:00Let's get the spit bucket here.
17:06Two combinations, Rupert.
17:11You gotta get tough now.
17:12You gotta get tough now. You can beat this Rupert.
17:14My copy box numbers in the second round,
17:20William Joppy threw 50 jabs and landed 18 of them.
17:25Clearly, the jab is the weapon he hoped to rely on to win the fight tonight.
17:31Watch your head.
17:36Grenadad threw his own jab 23 times in the second round and landed 16 of them.
17:41So far, Joppy has been too easy a target for Trinidad.
17:46Now Joppy's starting his jab.
17:48The jab that we expected in the first round.
17:52With Trinidad playing the counter puncher.
17:55Hard right hand over the top by Trinidad.
17:58Rickansky Jr. told Trinidad to watch his elbows.
18:07There are subtle ways of roughing up an opponent,
18:09and Felix is a master of most, if not all.
18:18Watch the elbows!
18:19Low blow by Trinidad there.
18:22Rickansky Jr. steps in and warns him about that.
18:25So now he's been warned twice about the elbows,
18:27and once about the low blows,
18:29and we're only in round three.
18:30Punch that elbow, Tito!
18:31Joppy has said that he would take the matter into his own hands
18:35if Trinidad punched low.
18:39There it was.
18:40His blood apparently coming from Trinidad's nose.
18:48Yeah, when you've got a lot of jabs like that,
18:49you're going to see a lot of blood from the nose.
18:52A lot of jabs being thrown, and it goes right to the nose.
19:03Joppy has already seen that he's able to get up from Trinidad's punch.
19:07Trinidad didn't have the stamina to finish him in that round.
19:10Well, remember, not only did Vargas come back
19:14to knock Trinidad down in the fourth
19:16after seemingly being gone from the fight in the first round,
19:19but he seized functional control of the fight for a few rounds.
19:22Three, four, and five.
19:23Maybe Joppy can hold the same table-turning act here.
19:28He's working that jab
19:30and throwing a wider variety of punches than does Trinidad.
19:34Trinidad.
19:40Right cross-landed for Joppy.
19:42Not hard, but he made contact.
19:48Trinidad seems to be having a little trouble breathing through that bloody nose.
19:53Like those elbows, gentlemen.
20:03Joppy throwing more punches
20:04and landing more so far in round three.
20:07Trinidad trying to measure him for another big left hook.
20:15Freak! Freak!
20:18It seems that in this round,
20:19Joppy has found something,
20:21a way to go at Trinidad
20:23with his jab.
20:25And Rikanti risking life and limb
20:31to pull him apart
20:32at the end of the third.
20:34Rikanti, you can get a kick!
20:35You got it!
20:37Six three!
20:38Six three, two,
20:39get that back and stuff, okay?
20:40Take a deep breath.
20:41Take a deep breath.
20:43When you're down,
20:43give him that body angle,
20:45get ahead of the boy, okay?
20:47You gotta keep your hands going.
20:49You get in close,
20:50out the middle.
20:50Don't let him punch first.
20:51All right.
20:52When you get in close,
20:52punch right off.
20:53Turn his shoulder.
20:54Turn his shoulder.
20:59Take it easy, Tito.
21:01And don't get over inches.
21:04We're okay.
21:07Fight him up close,
21:08but don't lower your hands.
21:10You gotta throw that left hook to the body.
21:14Throw that left hook to the body.
21:16All right, Tito?
21:20Astonishing CompuBox numbers
21:21in the third round.
21:22William Joppy in round three
21:24by CompuBox estimate
21:25through 65 tabs.
21:28Landed 27th of them.
21:29Threw 116 punches overall.
21:32I sincerely doubt
21:33that any opponent
21:34has ever thrown 116 punches
21:36against Felix Trinidad
21:37in a single round.
21:38He's keeping Trinidad very, very busy.
21:41Watch out.
21:42He can fight four rounds like the last one.
21:45The championship rounds
21:47would be very important in this fight.
21:48Harold Letterman,
21:49how do you have it?
21:50Four through three.
21:50Okay, Jim.
21:51Two rounds to one.
21:5229-27.
21:54Tito Trinidad.
21:55Jim,
21:55he gets an extra point
21:57that, you know,
21:57for the knockdown of round one.
21:59William Joppy too busy in round three.
22:01He wins that one.
22:02Jim,
22:02if you're looking for more movement
22:04than Joppy,
22:05this ring is spongy.
22:06The padding underneath the canvas
22:07has never been used before,
22:09and it's a very slow,
22:11spongy ring.
22:12Trinidad with two hard right hands now.
22:18Stopping Joppy in his tracks.
22:21Big left hook.
22:23Second knockdown of the fight.
22:25Joppy tremendously hurt by this fight.
22:28Six,
22:29seven,
22:30eight.
22:32Convinces where Kanteen
22:34he can go on.
22:35He's in with the greatest finisher
22:36in the game.
22:38He has almost two minutes
22:40to finish him.
22:42Joppy's still in deep trouble
22:47grabbing and holding off.
22:51Where am I?
22:52Where am I,
22:53Joppy is thinking?
22:54Wait!
22:56Step back!
22:56Very professional job
22:57of grabbing and holding so far.
23:00The road Trinidad crowd moves.
23:02Now Felix gets a shot.
23:03Goes to the body
23:04with the left hand.
23:07You just gotta give Trinidad
23:09a little more respect.
23:10You can't go to the throw with it.
23:12Nobody can.
23:14Joppy's making a mistake.
23:15Don't go to toe-to-toe with him.
23:17Move.
23:17Trinidad digs the left hook
23:19to the body.
23:20Trying to set up
23:20another big one upstairs.
23:24Missed with the right.
23:25And Joppy's able to grab on again.
23:29The plain fact of the matter
23:31in this fight
23:31is Joppy has landed
23:32some good solid punches.
23:34He has not hurt Trinidad
23:36as badly as Trinidad
23:37has hurt him.
23:38Absolutely right.
23:39Trinidad is missing a lot of shots.
23:45And you gotta hope that
23:47if Joppy can hold on
23:48for a couple rounds
23:49it'll come back to horn him.
23:51Joppy is still wobbling
23:56from the punch
23:57that floored him
23:58early in the round.
23:59It was a sensational
24:00left hook shot.
24:03After two right hands
24:05Erna.
24:07The referee is looking
24:09really good now.
24:13They're winning Joppy credit
24:15in standing up
24:17to the most deadly puncher
24:18in the game.
24:19Oh, the courage in the world.
24:21Well, he's not going to
24:22stand it up, Perry.
24:23He's wobbling up to him.
24:25He's wobbling.
24:25And he makes it out of the round.
24:30What a gutty effort
24:31by William Joppy.
24:33Why don't you move in your head?
24:35You're getting hit
24:35but you're moving there.
24:36Your head is not moving.
24:37Come around.
24:38Come around.
24:40Your head is not moving.
24:42Your head is not moving.
24:44You get down
24:45and come away to fall.
24:46You're not going to find it all.
24:47All right.
24:48Keep your head moving.
24:49Roll it.
24:49What makes Trinidad
25:01Trinidad is
25:03he's more than
25:04a one-handed puncher.
25:06He can hurt you
25:07with both hands
25:08as he did there.
25:09And that led
25:10to the left hand
25:12that led to the rest
25:15of that round
25:16with Joppy
25:17desperately trying
25:19to survive
25:19and succeeding
25:21only at that.
25:23Shades of Mike Tyson
25:24against Trevor Burbick
25:25because Joppy
25:26was down twice
25:27on that left hand.
25:29Got up.
25:29Fell down again.
25:30Finally got up
25:31and stayed up.
25:32Gutty effort
25:33by Joppy
25:34just to make it
25:34out of round four.
25:36But he's been down
25:37twice in the fight.
25:42He still continues
25:43to follow Trinidad around.
25:45And stand in front of him.
25:47Jim,
25:47that's the kind
25:48of fighter he is.
25:50That's the kind
25:51of fighter
25:51that got him
25:52to this point.
25:53He can't change
25:54his way of fighting.
25:56He's got to be
25:57either he's going
25:58to be stronger
25:58than Trinidad
25:59or Trinidad
25:59is going to be
26:00stronger than him.
26:01So far we have
26:03the answer.
26:05Trinidad
26:05doesn't look
26:06to hit you
26:07on the chin.
26:07He'll take anything
26:08just out of the head,
26:10the ear,
26:11top of the head,
26:12under the head.
26:13Well,
26:13we've seen him
26:13stop fighters
26:14with body punches
26:15as well.
26:16He'll take any shot
26:17that you let him have.
26:19Once again,
26:20Joppy building up
26:21a huge activity level
26:22in round five.
26:24Remember,
26:24in round three,
26:25he threw 116 punches.
26:28Copybox confirms
26:29that's the most
26:30ever thrown
26:30against Trinidad
26:31in a single round
26:32of a fight
26:33they tracked.
26:33Tito,
26:36watch the elbow.
26:37Come on now.
26:38Never been a champion
26:39for so long
26:40who continues
26:40to work hard
26:41in the gym.
26:42Road work
26:43as Trinidad does.
26:45Tito,
26:46they have the same
26:46desire to stay in shape.
26:48Yeah,
26:48he loves it.
26:49Simple man,
26:50simple life,
26:52great boxing style.
26:53Left hook,
26:54right cross,
26:55Duffy's in trouble again.
26:56Oh,
26:57oh,
26:57oh.
26:57Oh,
26:57oh,
26:57oh,
26:58oh,
26:58oh,
26:59oh,
26:59oh,
27:00oh,
27:02oh,
27:03oh,
27:03Trinidad throwing
27:08every shot
27:09with murderous intent.
27:12He loves the knockout,
27:14he says.
27:15Choppy just believed
27:16that he can do it.
27:17Take it
27:18and come back.
27:19Choppy trading shots
27:21toe-to-toe
27:22with Trinidad.
27:28This is the way
27:29they used to do it.
27:30the fight wasn't over
27:34until it was over.
27:39Choppy went down
27:40to the body.
27:41one,
27:42two,
27:43three,
27:44three,
27:45four,
27:46four,
27:46five,
27:49six.
27:50I don't think
27:50for Kent,
27:51he's got to let
27:51finish up
27:52and continue.
27:53Felix,
27:53about it,
27:54we'll see
27:54with a sensational
27:55knockout.
27:56Sensational performance
27:57by the greatest
27:59finisher in the sport.
28:30So just as Fernando Farkas did in December,
28:36William Joppy made the mistake of thinking that he could trade punches with Felix Trinidad.
28:42You just can't follow a puncher like that around.
28:45Joppy made the mistake in the first round to chase him,
28:49and he's tasted of that leather a lot sooner than he would have if he'd been a little more elusive.
28:53Larry, here's a look at the knockout, and it came on right-hand punches this time.
29:03You know Trinidad may be the deadliest puncher in these divisions since Ray Robinson.
29:16He's like a pinpoint boxer who can thread the needle,
29:23but he does it with power.
29:26I got no arguments with that.
29:30He can be mentioned right along with Ray Robinson.
29:33Well, you talk about using your punches efficiently.
29:36My CompuBox numbers in the fight,
29:39Felix Trinidad landed 108 of 191, 57%,
29:43most of them power shots.
29:45Just a devastating performance against an outstanding fighter.
29:48He said, before the fight,
29:52if Joppy comes to the fight,
29:55it will, comes to fight,
29:57it has to be a knockout.
29:59He's right.
29:59He's right.
30:02Let's go up the ring announcer, Timmy Lennon Jr.
30:05for the official particulars on Trinidad's sensational TKO.
30:10Ladies and gentlemen,
30:12we have the time of 2 minutes 25 seconds in round number 5.
30:18Our referee in charge, Arthur Mercanti,
30:20stops the contest.
30:22The winner by way of technical knockout,
30:25and he is the new WBA middleweight champion of the world,
30:30the great champion of Westorriquean tennis,
30:35Tito Trinidad.
30:48So another devastating and explosive Trinidad performance.
30:51All in all, his 40th career victory,
30:54the 33rd by knockout,
30:55his 20th win in a championship fight.
31:07Imagine that.
31:08Fully half the fights in Felix's career
31:10have been title fights.
31:12Final CompuBox numbers
31:13show a fascinating profile
31:15of William Joppy's brave,
31:17too brave,
31:18perhaps foolhardy effort against Trinidad.
31:20He threw 400 punches overall,
31:23including 116 punches thrown
31:26in a record third-round punch output against Trinidad.
31:30But Joppy managed to land only 123 of those 400 punches,
31:33while Felix Trinidad,
31:35using his weapons much more efficiently,
31:37landed 108 of 191.
31:40Much the same in the jab category.
31:42William Joppy throwing 225 jabs,
31:46trying to establish his primary weapon against Trinidad,
31:48and landing at a one-third rate.
31:51Trinidad making much more sparing use of the jab,
31:53but landing it more than half the time.
31:56And the devastating power punches
31:58were the difference in the fight.
31:59Trinidad landing at an unusually high connect rate,
32:0280 out of 140 for 57%.
32:05Joppy throwing a lot of power punches,
32:07more than Trinidad, in fact,
32:09but landing only 49 of them,
32:11and ultimately succumbing to Trinidad's artillery.
32:14After the fight,
32:15our Larry Merchant got a chance to talk
32:17to the new middleweight title holder.
32:20Felix, congratulations.
32:24Felix, were you surprised that he came at you so aggressively?
32:29I knew he was going to do that.
32:41He wanted to impose his will and his weight,
32:44but it wasn't that weight.
32:45He couldn't do that.
32:46How soon did you realize
32:47that you're at least as strong as him?
32:50How soon did you realize that you're at least as strong as him?
32:54I've always said I was a middleweight,
33:01and I proved it tonight.
33:02I'm a real true middleweight.
33:05The questions in this fight were,
33:07could a real middleweight take your punch?
33:10Could you take a real middleweight punches?
33:12La pregunta en esa pelea era
33:13que si un peso mediano de verdad
33:15podía aguantar tu golpe,
33:17y que si tú pudieras aguantar
33:18los golpes de un mediano legítimo.
33:21Eso era una buena pregunta,
33:22pero ustedes vieron,
33:24y le doy gracias a HBO,
33:25ustedes vieron que yo soy un peso mediano,
33:27y al mejor promotor, Don King,
33:29yo soy un peso mediano de verdad,
33:30y lo demostré el día de hoy.
33:31You saw that tonight,
33:32that I'm a real true middleweight,
33:34and thanks to Don King, I won.
33:37Were you surprised that he was able to continue
33:41after the early knockdowns?
33:56It kind of surprised me,
33:58but he came in good condition like I knew he would,
34:00great fighters like him,
34:02come in good condition to withstand all this,
34:04but I knew I was going to do it.
34:05Can we assume from this victory
34:08that you will give up
34:09your junior middleweight titles?
34:11It's very possible.
34:23We've got to meet with Don King,
34:24the best promoter in my dad,
34:25and we'll see what happens.
34:27Do you want to go down below 160 pounds
34:30to fight again,
34:31or are you happy at this weight?
34:32I'm happy with the 160 pound weight.
34:48We're going to again talk to my promoter,
34:50and then I'm happy I'm staying there.
34:52All right, talk to us about Bernard Hopkins.
34:56Will Hopkins be a more difficult opponent
34:59because he is more versatile than Joppy?
35:02Tell us about Hopkins.
35:04Do you think he's going to be more difficult
35:06because he has more certainty than Joppy?
35:09What do you think about him?
35:10Well, Hopkins,
35:11I know Hopkins is going to come well prepared
35:21to fight with me,
35:22but once I hit him,
35:23the fight's going to be over.
35:24Do you feel that you have to beat Hopkins
35:33to really feel that you are
35:37the one middleweight champion?
35:40Do you feel that you have to beat Hopkins
35:45to really feel that you are the one middleweight champion?
35:52It really doesn't matter.
35:58I beat the best middleweight tonight.
36:00Now I am the best.
36:01If I got to beat Hopkins to prove it,
36:02I'm going to prove that I am the best middleweight.
36:05Thank you very much.
36:06Congratulations against me.
36:09Later in the fighter's dressing room,
36:11Larry caught up to a crestfallen William Joppy.
36:14William, you were in there with a guy
36:17who moved up from well-weight,
36:19but he sure looked like a middleweight tonight.
36:22Yeah, he had a hell of a punch.
36:23I underestimated him.
36:25Just like I said,
36:26he did what he had to do tonight.
36:27And before I underestimated him,
36:29I didn't think his punching power
36:32was that devastating,
36:33but it was.
36:33I couldn't come back from it.
36:35He was relentless,
36:36and he was a better man tonight.
36:38I'll be back, though.
36:39Did you feel that you had to attack him
36:42as you did,
36:42particularly with the jab,
36:44because that was your best chance?
36:46Not really, you know.
36:49I know that he's vulnerable to a left hook,
36:52just like he throws one.
36:54But that's, you know,
36:55that's my game plan.
36:56You know, you've seen me fight before.
36:57I always come up with, you know,
36:58jabs like I do.
36:59So going straight at him,
37:03you felt you were going,
37:05you're the stronger guy,
37:06you got the better jab,
37:07I'm going to put him on the defensive,
37:09but that also gave him opportunities
37:11to nail you,
37:12and his punching power
37:14was simply bigger than you expected.
37:17Yeah, exactly.
37:17He was,
37:18his punching power was devastating,
37:20I must say.
37:21But, you know,
37:22like I said,
37:22I'll be back.
37:23He was a better man tonight.
37:25I underestimated him,
37:27and he showed me something different.
37:32Bernard Hopkins,
37:33a different fighter than you,
37:34will fight a different kind of fight.
37:37Can he avoid those heavy punches?
37:40Does he have some chance
37:41in the way he fights
37:42against Felix Trinidad?
37:45Yeah, I mean,
37:45he could, you know,
37:48after seeing this fight
37:49or watching Trinidad's past fights,
37:50he could have studied him,
37:51and he might come out different
37:52September 15th.
37:53Thank you very much, William.
37:56William Joppy is just the latest
37:58in a long list of opponents
38:00to have underestimated
38:01the willowy Trinidad's punching power.
38:03And now Trinidad adds
38:05a 160-pound title belt
38:06to the championships
38:07he previously won
38:08at 147 and 154 pounds.
38:11And in becoming the latest
38:12to move up from
38:13welterweight championship
38:14to middleweight title,
38:16Trinidad joins a list
38:17of some of the most illustrious names
38:19in the history of the sport.
38:20From before World War II,
38:22the toy bulldog Mickey Walker
38:23from the post-World War II era,
38:26Sugar Ray Robinson,
38:26Carmen Basilio,
38:28and Emil Griffith,
38:29and three superstars
38:30of the 1980s,
38:31Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran,
38:33and Thomas Hearns.
38:35The citizens of Puerto Rico
38:37had anticipated a victory
38:38on the part of their native son,
38:40Sunday in San Juan,
38:42a parade honoring Trinidad,
38:44less than 24 hours
38:45after his resounding victory
38:47over Joppy.
38:49Felix Trinidad's next opponent
38:51will be the man
38:51who's been regarded
38:52for the past several years
38:53by boxing experts
38:54as the middleweight champion
38:56among all the belt holders.
38:58Bernard Hopkins
38:58hasn't lost a prize fight
39:00since his unanimous decision
39:01defeated the hands of Roy Jones
39:03eight years ago.
39:05After having eliminated
39:06Keith Holmes
39:06in the first round
39:07of this middleweight championship
39:08unification series,
39:10Hopkins says
39:10he'll be an entirely different
39:12kind of opponent
39:13for Trinidad
39:13than was William Joppy.
39:15Our Larry Merchant
39:16sits down with Bernard
39:17now to ask him
39:18how different.
39:21Bernard,
39:22now that Trinidad
39:23has demonstrated
39:25his explosiveness
39:26as a middleweight,
39:27will that influence
39:28how you fight him?
39:30Sure.
39:31It will influence me a lot
39:32in how I will fight Trinidad.
39:33I'll fight him
39:34two different ways
39:35and see how he reacts to that.
39:38What ways?
39:39Well,
39:39one,
39:39I will try and see
39:40if his heart is big
39:41as he thinks it is
39:42and if he responds
39:43the way I think
39:44he will respond,
39:45I will buy some time
39:46and doing that
39:47I will do things to him
39:48that he never experienced before
39:50and that's backing him up.
39:51I don't believe
39:52Trinidad is more,
39:53I believe he's not
39:54as effective
39:55as he is coming forward
39:57and going back
39:58and no one has seen
39:59him to be able to do that.
40:00Well,
40:01you did it to Roy Jones
40:02when you fought him
40:03seven years ago
40:05but this guy
40:07has such
40:08lethal quickness.
40:11Don't you
40:11expose yourself
40:13to walking into punches
40:15when you
40:15try to back him up?
40:17I think
40:17when you try
40:18to force your will
40:18on any
40:19boxer
40:20or any
40:21way
40:22you leave yourself
40:24vulnerable
40:24to get hit.
40:25Trinidad
40:26has that same mentality
40:27that's why
40:28he's been down
40:28in most of his fights
40:30than up.
40:32Yeah,
40:32it's a risk
40:33it's a risk
40:33and you know what?
40:34I think champions
40:35ought to take that risk
40:36and that's where
40:37you will see
40:37the greatness
40:38of both of us
40:39when we both
40:39know that we have
40:40to take that risk
40:41to become
40:42one of the best
40:43and the greatest
40:44middleweight
40:44at this time.
40:46You have a reputation
40:47earned
40:49as a brawler
40:50and mauler
40:50but I don't know
40:53that a lot of people
40:54have seen you
40:55when you just
40:56went into
40:56okay,
40:57if I have to box
40:58I can do this as well.
41:00I mean,
41:01is that part of the deal?
41:02Yes,
41:03that's part of the deal
41:03but it's not the whole deal
41:05which part of the deal
41:06is to show Trinidad
41:07so many different styles
41:08but at first
41:09I must get his respect
41:10and the style
41:11that I gotta show
41:12to get the respect
41:12is the old
41:13Benny Briscoe style
41:14the old Marvin Hagler style
41:15and let him know
41:16that I'm just as strong
41:17inside
41:17and just as effective
41:18inside
41:19and then when he wants
41:20to get settled in that
41:21I'm gonna go ahead
41:22and boxing
41:22all day long
41:24and fighting
41:24when I need to.
41:26Didn't that prove fatal
41:27for William Joppe?
41:29William Joppe,
41:30it did
41:30because William Joppe
41:31tried to do
41:32what he can't do.
41:33Bernard Hopkins
41:33has mastered that
41:35for years
41:35I am the bigger guy
41:36you know
41:37Joppe is a good fighter
41:39and did the best he could
41:40but Joppe is no Bernard Hopkins
41:42Joppe don't know nothing
41:44about being
41:44as rugged as Poppins.
41:46Speaking of rugged
41:47you've been accused
41:50of being a dirty fighter
41:51you call it
41:51I'm a Philly fighter
41:52and it's
41:53it's not a dance
41:54or a tea party
41:55but
41:56he's also had
41:57a lot of fouls
41:58he lost two points
41:59on fouls to Vargas
42:00he was warned
42:02on several occasions
42:03for elbows
42:04in this
42:05in this fight
42:06against Joppe
42:07how is that
42:09going to play
42:10with you?
42:11Well
42:11I won't complain
42:12to the referee
42:13I won't complain
42:14to Trinidad
42:15I will retaliate
42:17the same
42:17the best way I can
42:18I will not let
42:19Trinidad dictate
42:20to me
42:20how he's going
42:23to fight me
42:23dirty or
42:24non-dirty
42:25I will just respond
42:26the way I've been
42:27taught to respond
42:28Trinidad
42:29chose to be dirty
42:30I would
42:31choose to be dirty
42:32I'm expecting
42:33an alley fight
42:34I'm expecting
42:34a rival between
42:36wheels and wheels
42:37but I'm guarantee
42:38that Trinidad
42:39will not like
42:40the type of
42:41fight inside
42:43that I'm going
42:43to present to him
42:44It's been a long
42:47journey for you
42:48to get to this point
42:49you're 36 years old
42:52can you convince
42:55the world
42:56that you can
42:56stand in
42:57with this
42:58young fighter
43:00in his prime
43:01who is
43:02deadly with his
43:03fists
43:04sure
43:05I believe
43:05I can
43:06I know I can
43:07why
43:07it's been
43:08I believe
43:08that Trinidad
43:09all that he
43:11accomplished
43:11he deserves it
43:13he earns it
43:14all that he
43:16carries in the ring
43:17I'm going to
43:17take from him
43:18something I have
43:19been not blessed
43:20to somehow get
43:22out of the ring
43:23to respect
43:23I believe that
43:24I should have had
43:25this is the
43:26opportunity to get
43:27that big fight
43:27this is the
43:28opportunity to
43:29shut the critics
43:30down
43:31and this is the
43:32way I'll be able
43:32to prove it
43:33and I will rise
43:34to that occasion
43:35Thank you Bernard
43:36Jim
43:37So the tournament
43:39which began as a
43:40sort of final four
43:41for the middleweights
43:42included the three
43:43middleweight belt
43:44holders
43:44and Felix Trinidad
43:46moving up from
43:47154 pounds
43:48now in the first
43:49two fights of the
43:50series
43:50Bernard Hopkins
43:51has eliminated
43:52Keith Holmes
43:52and Trinidad
43:53has taken care
43:54of William Joppy
43:55Hopkins and Trinidad
43:57are expected to
43:58meet September 15
43:59in Madison Square
44:00Garden
44:00on TVKO
44:01pay-per-view
44:02to settle
44:03the unification
44:04of the middleweight
44:04division
44:05Larry when a
44:07champion in his
44:08prime delivers the
44:09kind of performance
44:10that Trinidad gave
44:10us last Saturday
44:11night
44:11he appears to
44:13fans to be
44:13unbeatable
44:14is he
44:15the middleweight
44:16division lives
44:17the heavyweights
44:18a masterpiece
44:20of confusion
44:21when Don King's
44:23self-interest
44:23coincides
44:24with boxing's
44:25best interest
44:26as it did
44:27when Felix Trinidad
44:28moved up to
44:28middleweight
44:29nobody does it
44:30better
44:30but also thanks
44:32to King
44:33the significant
44:34heavyweights
44:35will now be doing
44:36their fighting
44:37in court
44:37this will mainly
44:39please the many
44:40ex-fans
44:41who gave up
44:42on the sport
44:42because they
44:43believe
44:44wrongly
44:44but strongly
44:45that he
44:46manipulates
44:47it
44:48like wrestling
44:49Trinidad
44:50versus Hopkins
44:51will be as
44:52real as it
44:53gets
44:53yes indeed
44:54and all credit
44:55to the promoter
44:55who made it
44:56possible
44:56because
44:56no matter
44:57how many
44:58fights take
44:58place
44:58between now
44:59and then
44:59and there
45:00will be
45:00some good
45:01ones
45:01we'll be
45:01looking forward
45:02the whole
45:02time to
45:03Trinidad
45:03Hopkins
45:04on September
45:0415th
45:05thanks for
45:06being with us
45:06until the next
45:07time we're
45:07at ringside
45:08we'll see you
45:09then
45:09doon in
45:15may 20
45:1622
45:1624
45:17or 26
45:18for the latest
45:19edition of real
45:19sports with
45:20bryant gumbel
45:21among the stories
45:21featured a look
45:22at the img
45:23sports academy
45:24where young
45:25athletes live
45:26and train
45:26year round
45:27in hope
45:27of becoming
45:28sports
45:28next great
45:29superstar
45:30world championship
45:31boxing returns
45:32may 26
45:32when floyd
45:33mayweather
45:34defends his
45:34super featherweight
45:35championship
45:35against carlos
45:36hernandez
45:37hbo
45:38the heart
45:39and soul
45:39of boxing
45:40then on july
45:4111 sports
45:42of the 20th
45:42century returns
45:43with the shot
45:44heard round
45:44the world
45:45on the 50th
45:46anniversary
45:46of one of the
45:47most dramatic
45:47moments in
45:48baseball history
45:49this documentary
45:50takes a look
45:50back at the
45:51events as well
45:52as the recent
45:52controversy
45:53surrounding bobby
45:54thompson's
45:551951 playoff
45:56game home run
45:57when the new
45:58york giants
45:58defeated the
45:59brooklyn dodgers
46:00for the national
46:01league pennant
46:02so for larry
46:04merchant i'm jim
46:05lampley saying
46:06so long from the
46:07hbo studio
46:07in new york
46:08the executive
46:09producer of hbo
46:10sports and producer
46:11of tonight's broadcast
46:12is rick bernstein
46:14the director
46:14mark payton
46:15feature producer
46:16brian lockhart
46:17associate producers
46:19adam berger
46:20israel de herrera
46:21that kicks off his end
46:38of the world
46:38middleweight unification
46:39series
46:40facing william jaffe
46:41on tbko pay-per-view
46:43and may 26th
46:45floyd mayweather jr
46:46in his first fight
46:47since his devastation
46:48of diego corrales
46:49takes on carlos
46:50hernandez
46:50hbo the heart
46:53and soul
46:53of boxing
46:54welcome back to ringside
46:58at caesar's palace
46:59in every sport
47:00there are training
47:00grounds and proving
47:01grounds which because
47:02of their association
47:03with championship
47:04caliber athletes
47:05resonate through
47:06the history of the
47:07sport
47:07in boxing
47:08the training camp
47:09of the moment
47:10is a place
47:11in california
47:12which is
47:12only a few miles
47:14of the
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