This day in boxing. A look back.

[Spicoli]

Looking at the activity and comp level of young Toney should humble every young "star". Can you imagine Toney at 160 today? A division where Danny Garcia is now likely to fight for a trinket and "champ" Charlo has not fought in 2 years

[Master]

James Toney was a throwback to the old fighters and he was a young man himself at the time. He had natural skills that he was blessed with but then so did Nunn.

Can not believe PPV were still around then.

[TitoFan]

May 12, 2001: Trinidad KO's William Joppy for the WBA middleweight title.

[Master]

Never get tired of watching Trinidad punch power. Very frightening. No one had done that to Joppy and Tito was firm favourite to win the Middleweight tournament and become champion.

Innoue has similar punch power today.

[TitoFan]

Never get tired of watching Trinidad punch power. Very frightening. No one had done that to Joppy and Tito was firm favourite to win the Middleweight tournament and become champion.

Innoue has similar punch power today.

Sometimes it's those "skinny" guys who appear to come equipped with KO power. Think Hearns. They seem to get leverage on their power punches by using their whole bodies in sequence just so.
Beats a musclebound fighter throwing arm punches.

[Spicoli]

Never get tired of watching Trinidad punch power. Very frightening. No one had done that to Joppy and Tito was firm favourite to win the Middleweight tournament and become champion.

Innoue has similar punch power today.

Sometimes it's those "skinny" guys who appear to come equipped with KO power. Think Hearns. They seem to get leverage on their power punches by using their whole bodies in sequence just so.
Beats a musclebound fighter throwing arm punches.

Somehow someway it's become common to see the 160 jump of Tito knocked. Not given the respect due. No catchweight bs, no tiptoeing for a side trinket with no intention of facing the very best next. Just straight to pulverizing a legit 160 established Champ in Joppy who himself would be quality enough to go on and compete with the same very best. Well, I mean Hopkins drummed them both but another topic . Trinidad was a man on a mission.

[TitoFan]

Never get tired of watching Trinidad punch power. Very frightening. No one had done that to Joppy and Tito was firm favourite to win the Middleweight tournament and become champion.

Innoue has similar punch power today.

Sometimes it's those "skinny" guys who appear to come equipped with KO power. Think Hearns. They seem to get leverage on their power punches by using their whole bodies in sequence just so.
Beats a musclebound fighter throwing arm punches.

Somehow someway it's become common to see the 160 jump of Tito knocked. Not given the respect due. No catchweight bs, no tiptoeing for a side trinket with no intention of facing the very best next. Just straight to pulverizing a legit 160 established Champ in Joppy who himself would be quality enough to go on and compete with the same very best. Well, I mean Hopkins drummed them both but another topic . Trinidad was a man on a mission.

Spot on. While 160 was a bit beyond Trinidad's best weight... he did himself proud by doing exactly what you described. Beating a legit, established champ in Joppy. Felix went from Vargas to Joppy, FFS! 154 to facing a 160 champ in the next fight. You're right in that he's never gotten full credit for that. I had my doubts... as usually (at that time) there were warmup fights at the new weight. But yeah... then he faced Hopkins, and that was the end of that.

[TIC]

Never get tired of watching Trinidad punch power. Very frightening. No one had done that to Joppy and Tito was firm favourite to win the Middleweight tournament

tito should have stayed at one fifty four. he looked unstoppable against the tough as nails william. i give him credit for going through with the bernard fight. they did everything possible to leave bernard out of the mix. tito never stood a chance against a fighter like bernard

[TitoFan]

Never get tired of watching Trinidad punch power. Very frightening. No one had done that to Joppy and Tito was firm favourite to win the Middleweight tournament

tito should have stayed at one fifty four. he looked unstoppable against the tough as nails william. i give him credit for going through with the bernard fight. they did everything possible to leave bernard out of the mix. tito never stood a chance against a fighter like bernard

I hear ya... and have heard the same from others. I myself think 154 was Trinidad's wheelhouse.

But look at the May 2002 middleweight rankings by The Ring:

Champ - Hopkins

#1 - Trinidad
#2 - William Joppy
#3 - Howard Eastman
#4 - Armand Krajnc
#5 - Harry Simon
#6 - Keith Holmes
#7 - Hacine Cherifi
#8 - Carl Daniels
#9 - Antonio Perugino
#10 - Tito Mendoza


Can't convince me Felix couldn't have ruled in that roost (other than Bernard).

In fact, he came back from the Hopkins loss to knock out Cherifi in a fight I was privileged to attend personally, since it was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

[TitoFan]

Eleven years ago today.