# William Joppy

William Torelle Joppy (born September 11, 1970) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2011, and held the WBA middleweight title three times between 1996 and 2003.

## Professional career

Turning pro in 1993, Joppy built up a record of 21–0–1 (17 KO) before getting his first shot a world title.

### WBA middleweight champion

Joppy won his first of two WBA middleweight titles in June 1996 by stopping defending champion 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 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.

### Losing his title against Trinidad

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. He would credit Trinidad's power after the fight saying "I've never been hit like that before."

### Post title

After Bernard Hopkins beat Trinidad, Joppy had the chance to fight for the new WBA (Regular) belt. 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 was stripped of his title following a challenge to undisputed champion 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.

## Professional boxing record

| 49 fights | 40 wins | 7 losses |
| By knockout | 30 | 3 |
| By decision | 10 | 4 |
| Draws | 2 | 2 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 49 | Win | 40–7–2 | Cory Cummings | UD | 10 | Mar 12, 2011 | Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia, U.S. | |
| 48 | Loss | 39–7–2 | Beibut Shumenov | KO | 6 (12), 0:15 | Jan 8, 2011 | Sport Palace, Shymkent, Kazakhstan | For WBA and IBA light heavyweight titles |
| 47 | Draw | 39–6–2 | Cory Cummings | MD | 10 | Nov 6, 2010 | Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia, U.S. | |
| 46 | Loss | 39–6–1 | Sébastien Demers | MD | 10 | Mar 6, 2010 | Montreal Casino, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 45 | Loss | 39–5–1 | Lucian Bute | TKO | 10 (12), 1:08 | Feb 29, 2008 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | For IBF super middleweight title |
| 44 | Win | 39–4–1 | Etianne Whitaker | TKO | 1, 1:58 | Nov 16, 2007 | Beauséjour Stadium, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia | |
| 43 | Win | 38–4–1 | Virgil McClendon | RTD | 1 (10), 3:00 | Apr 27, 2007 | D.C. Armory, Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| 42 | Win | 37–4–1 | Jonathan Corn | KO | 5 (10), 2:18 | Jul 8, 2006 | Savvis Center, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 41 | Win | 36–4–1 | Eric Howard | TKO | 5 (8), 2:12 | Jan 7, 2006 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | |
| 40 | Win | 35–4–1 | Rashaan Blackburn | TKO | 3 (8), 2:08 | Jul 29, 2005 | The Plex, North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. | |
| 39 | Loss | 34–4–1 | Jermain Taylor | UD | 12 | Dec 4, 2004 | Barton Coliseum, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. | For WBC Continental Americas middleweight title |
| 38 | Loss | 34–3–1 | Bernard Hopkins | UD | 12 | Dec 13, 2003 | Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | For WBA (Undisputed), WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight titles |
| 37 | Win | 34–2–1 | Naotaka Hozumi | TKO | 10 (12), 2:48 | Oct 10, 2002 | Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBA (Regular) middleweight title |
| 36 | Win | 33–2–1 | Howard Eastman | MD | 12 | Nov 17, 2001 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Won vacant WBA (Regular) middleweight title |
| 35 | Loss | 32–2–1 | Félix Trinidad | TKO | 5 (12), 2:25 | May 12, 2001 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Lost WBA middleweight title |
| 34 | Win | 32–1–1 | Jonathan Reid | TKO | 4 (12), 2:43 | Dec 2, 2000 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA middleweight title |
| 33 | Win | 31–1–1 | Hacine Cherifi | UD | 12 | Sep 16, 2000 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA middleweight title |
| 32 | Win | 30–1–1 | Rito Ruvalcaba | TKO | 1 (12), 1:53 | May 20, 2000 | Grand Casino, Tunica, Mississippi, U.S. | Retained WBA middleweight title |
| 31 | Win | 29–1–1 | Fernando Zuniga | UD | 10 | Mar 3, 2000 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 28–1–1 | Julio César Green | TKO | 7 (12), 1:52 | Sep 24, 1999 | MCI Center, Washington, D.C., U.S. | Retained WBA middleweight title |
| 29 | Win | 27–1–1 | Napoleon Pitt | TKO | 1 (10), 2:38 | Jul 24, 1999 | Flamingo Hilton, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 26–1–1 | Roberto Durán | TKO | 3 (12), 2:54 | Aug 28, 1998 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA middleweight title |
| 27 | Win | 25–1–1 | Julio César Green | UD | 12 | Jan 31, 1998 | Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida, U.S. | Won WBA middleweight title |
| 26 | Loss | 24–1–1 | Julio César Green | UD | 12 | Aug 23, 1997 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Lost WBA middleweight title |
| 25 | Win | 24–0–1 | Peter Venancio | UD | 12 | May 10, 1997 | Coconut Grove Convention Center, Miami, Florida, U.S. | Retained WBA middleweight title |
| 24 | Win | 23–0–1 | Ray McElroy | TKO | 7 (12), 1:41 | Oct 19, 1996 | The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S. | Retained WBA middleweight title |
| 23 | Win | 22–0–1 | Shinji Takehara | TKO | 9 (12), 2:29 | Jun 24, 1996 | Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan | Won WBA middleweight title |
| 22 | Win | 21–0–1 | Dave Boone | TKO | 2 (10), 1:42 | Feb 10, 1996 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 20–0–1 | Israel Figueroa | KO | 1 | Dec 7, 1995 | The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 20 | Draw | 19–0–1 | Rodney Toney | MD | 12 | Sep 16, 1995 | The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | For NABF middleweight title |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Joaquin Velasquez | PTS | 10 | Apr 29, 1995 | USAir Arena, Landover, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Tony McCrimmion | KO | 3 (10), 2:02 | Mar 1, 1995 | War Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Tony Cartel | KO | 2 | Sep 20, 1994 | Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Richard Evans | PTS | 8 | Aug 13, 1994 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Miguel Angel Hernandez | KO | 3 (6), 1:08 | Jul 30, 1994 | Silver Nugget, North Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Carlos Christie | PTS | 6 | Jun 15, 1994 | Elephant and Castle Shopping Center, London, England | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Carl Sullivan | TKO | 4 | May 13, 1994 | The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Muhammad Shabazz | TKO | 5 | Apr 14, 1994 | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Kenneth Parker | KO | 2 | Apr 8, 1994 | The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Tony McCrimmion | TKO | 2 | Feb 27, 1994 | Circus Maximus Showroom, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Robert Harris | KO | 1 | Feb 17, 1994 | The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Willie Taylor | TKO | 3 | Jan 7, 1994 | The Show Place Arena, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Tyrone Haywood | KO | 2 | Oct 21, 1993 | Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Ivory Teague | KO | 2 | Sep 25, 1993 | Prince George's Community College, Largo, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | George Taylor | KO | 3 | Aug 13, 1993 | Prince George's Community College, Largo, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Tim Tisdale | KO | 1 | Jun 18, 1993 | Total Sports Pavilion, Woodbridge, Virginia, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Shane Martin | TKO | 3 (4), 2:29 | May 12, 1993 | Baltimore Arena, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Ken Ruffin | TKO | 1 | Apr 30, 1993 | Total Sports Pavilion, Woodbridge, Virginia, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Dwayne Tennet | UD | 4 | Feb 26, 1993 | Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Professional debut |