William Joppy

William Joppy
Statistics
Real name	William Torelle Joppy
Rated at	Light heavyweight
Height	175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Reach	184 cm (72 in)
Nationality	U.S.
Born	(1970-09-11) September 11, 1970 Lincoln Park, Maryland, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	49
Wins	40
Wins by KO	30
Losses	7
Draws	2
No contests	0

William Torelle Joppy (born September 11, 1970) is an American middleweight boxer. Joppy held the WBA middleweight title on three occasions. He first became the WBA champion in June 1996 by stopping defender Shinji Takehara in Japan with a flurry of punches in the ninth round. He then would make a couple defenses of his crown. However, on August 23, 1997, Joppy lost a controversial decision to Julio César Green. Joppy's very next fight, on January 31 of the next year, saw him avenge that loss with a decision win by a wide margin. This fight won Joppy the WBA title for the second time. After recovering from a neck injury, Joppy stopped Green on cuts in the seventh round in a rubber match (Green had been the interim champion while Joppy recovered), and made a few more defenses, including a 3rd round TKO of a 47-year-old Roberto Durán.

Unsuccessful unification

Joppy lost the title a second time, however, on May 12, 2001, to Félix Trinidad in the middleweight unification tournament. Joppy was knocked down in rounds one and four before finally being stopped in the fifth. After the WBA title was vacated due to Bernard Hopkins beating Trinidad, Joppy had the chance to fight for it again. He claimed the title from British contender Howard Eastman in a close majority decision where he was knocked down by Eastman in the final few seconds.

On December 14, 2003, Joppy lost his title to Bernard Hopkins, losing by a wide points margin on all three judges' cards. A year later, Joppy lost another lopsided unanimous decision against Jermain Taylor.

Joppy returned as a Super Middleweight on July 29, 2005 knocking out journeyman Rashaan Blackburn in the third round. Joppy said then that he hoped to have one final title run as a Super Middleweight before retirement. After a string of five victories against lesser opponents, Joppy obtained a title fight against the new IBF champion Lucian Bute on February 29, 2008. Bute won by way of technical knockout in round 10 and Joppy retired after the bout, only to come back two years later.

Retirement

Following a close decision loss to Sebastien Demers in March 2010 Joppy announced his retirement from boxing, although it was not the first time that Joppy has announced that he is leaving the sport. He returned to the ring later that year, fighting Baltimore native Cory Cummings to a draw, and subsequently defeated Cummings by unanimous decision in a 2011 rematch.

He currently serves as a boxing coach at Champion Boxing & Fitness in Rockville, MD (www.championboxingfitness.com)

Professional boxing record

40 Wins (30 knockouts), 7 Losses (3 knockouts), 2 Draws
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round Time	Date	Location	Notes
Win	40–7–2	Cory Cummings	UD	10	2011–03–12	Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia
Loss	39–7–2	Beibut Shumenov	KO	6 (12) 0:15	2011–01–08	Sport Palace, Shymkent, South Kazakhstan	For WBA and IBA Light heavyweight titles.
Draw	39–6–2	Cory Cummings	MD	10	2010–11–06	Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia
Loss	39–6–1	Sébastien Demers	MD	10	2010–03–06	Casino de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec
Loss	39–5–1	Lucian Bute	TKO	10 (12) 1:08	2008–02–29	Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec	For IBF Super middleweight title.
Win	39–4–1	Etianne Whitaker	TKO	1 (?) 1:58	2007–11–16	Beausejour Cricket Grounds, Gros Islet
Win	38–4–1	Virgil McClendon	RTD	1 (10) 3:00	2007–04–27	D.C. Armory, Washington, D.C.
Win	37–4–1	Jonathan Corn	KO	5 (10) 2:18	2006–07–08	Savvis Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Win	36–4–1	Eric Howard	TKO	5 (8) 2:12	2006–01–07	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Win	35–4–1	Rashaan Blackburn	TKO	3 (8) 2:08	2005–07–29	The Plex, North Charleston, South Carolina
Loss	34–4–1	Jermain Taylor	UD	12	2004–12–04	Barton Coliseum, Little Rock, Arkansas	For WBC Continental Americas Middleweight title.
Loss	34–3–1	Bernard Hopkins	UD	12	2003–12–13	Atlantic City Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey	Lost WBA (Regular) Middleweight title. For Super WBA, WBC, IBF and The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	34–2–1	Naotaka Hozumi	TKO	10 (12) 2:48	2002–10–10	Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo	Retained WBA (Regular) Middleweight title.
Win	33–2–1	Howard Eastman	MD	12	2001–11–17	Mandalay Bay, Paradise, Nevada	Won vacant WBA (Regular) Middleweight title.
Loss	32–2–1	Félix Trinidad	TKO	5 (12) 2:25	2001–05–12	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York	Lost WBA Middleweight title.
Win	32–1–1	Jonathan Reid	TKO	4 (12) 2:43	2000–12–02	Mandalay Bay, Paradise, Nevada	Retained WBA Middleweight title.
Win	31–1–1	Hacine Cherifi	UD	12	2000–09–16	MGM Grand Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada	Retained WBA Middleweight title.
Win	30–1–1	Rito Ruvalcaba	TKO	1 (12) 1:53	2000–05–20	Grand Casino Tunica, Tunica Resorts, Mississippi	Retained WBA Middleweight title.
Win	29–1–1	Fernando Zuñiga	UD	10	2000–03–03	Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada	Non-title fight.
Win	28–1–1	Julio César Green	TKO	7 (12) 1:52	1999–09–24	MCI Center, Washington, D.C.	Retained WBA Middleweight title.
Win	27–1–1	Napoleon Pitt	TKO	1 (10) 2:38	1999–07–24	Flamingo Hilton, Paradise, Nevada	Non-title fight.
Win	26–1–1	Roberto Durán	TKO	3 (12) 2:54	1998–08–28	Las Vegas Hilton, Paradise, Nevada	Retained WBA Middleweight title.
Win	25–1–1	Julio César Green	UD	12	1998–01–31	Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida	Won WBA Middleweight title.
Loss	24–1–1	Julio César Green	UD	12	1997–08–23	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York	Lost WBA Middleweight title.
Win	24–0–1	Peter Venancio	UD	12	1997–05–10	Coconut Grove Convention Center, Miami, Florida	Retained WBA Middleweight title.
Win	23–0–1	Ray McElroy	TKO	7 (12) 1:41	1996–10–19	The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland	Retained WBA Middleweight title.
Win	22–0–1	Shinji Takehara	TKO	9 (12) 2:29	1996–06–24	Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Kanagawa	Won WBA Middleweight title.
Win	21–0–1	Dave Boone	TKO	2 (10) 1:42	1996–02–10	MGM Grand Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada
Win	20–0–1	Israel Figueroa	KO	1 (?)	1995–12–07	The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Draw	19–0–1	Rodney Toney	PTS	12	1995–09–16	The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada	For NABF Middleweight title.
Win	19–0	Joaquin Velasquez	PTS	10	1995–04–29	US Air Arena, Landover, Maryland
Win	18–0	Tony McCrimmion	KO	3 (10) 2:02	1995–03–01	Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Win	17–0	Tony Cartel	KO	2 (?)	1994–09–20	Washington, D.C.
Win	16–0	Richard Evans	PTS	8	1994–08–13	Atlantic City Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	15–0	Miguel Angel Hernandez	KO	3 (?)	1994–07–30	North Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	14–0	Carlos Christie	PTS	6	1994–06–15	Elephant and Castle Center, London, Greater London
Win	13–0	Carl Sullivan	TKO	4 (?)	1994–05–13	Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Win	12–0	Muhammad Shabazz	TKO	5 (?)	1994–04–14	Richmond, Virginia
Win	11–0	Kenneth Parker	KO	2 (?)	1994–04–08	Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Win	10–0	Tony McCrimmion	TKO	2 (?)	1994–02–27	Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win	9–0	Robert Harris	KO	1 (?)	1994–02–17	The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Win	8–0	Willie Taylor	TKO	3 (?)	1994–01–07	The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Win	7–0	Tyrone Haywood	KO	2 (?)	1993–10–21	Washington, D.C.
Win	6–0	Ivory Teague	KO	2 (?)	1993–09–25	Landover, Maryland
Win	5–0	George Taylor	KO	3 (?)	1993–08–13	Largo, Maryland
Win	4–0	Tim Tisdale	KO	1 (?)	1993–06–18	Woodbridge, Virginia
Win	3–0	Shane Martin	TKO	3 (?)	1993–05–12	Baltimore Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Win	2–0	Ken Ruffin	TKO	1 (?)	1993–04–30	RFK Stadium, Woodbridge, Virginia
Win	1–0	Dwayne Tennet	UD	4	1993–02–26	Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

External links

• Professional boxing record for William Joppy from BoxRec

Sporting positions
Preceded by Shinji Takehara	WBA Middleweight Champion June 24, 1996 – August 23, 1997	Succeeded by Julio César Green
Preceded by Julio César Green	WBA Middleweight Champion January 31, 1998 – May 12, 2001	Succeeded by Félix Trinidad
Vacant Title last held by Félix Trinidad as Champion	WBA Middleweight Champion Regular Title November 17, 2001 – December 13, 2003 Title unified by Bernard Hopkins	Vacant Title next held by Maselino Masoe