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12/04/2004 Archived Entry: "Taylor vs. Joppy Conference Call"
Taylor vs. Joppy Conference Call
by Dan Klepner
Fight fans will be in for a treat on December 4th, when rising middleweight star Jermain Taylor and veteran former champion William Joppy lock up in a classic youth vs. experience battle. For Taylor, the fight represents a test he must pass to get to the big fights at 160 pounds; to Joppy, it is an opportunity to come back from a one-year retirement and put himself squarely back in the title picture. The Cyber Boxing Zone was in attendance for a media conference call featuring both fighters, and both spoke of the fight, the past, and the future.
The last time we saw William Joppy, he lost nearly every round in a title shot against 160-lb. kingpin Bernard Hopkins. Joppy claims that this was the result of him not being focused on the fight due to personal problems: “I could’ve boxed the hell out of Bernard, but I wasn’t right that night.” He states that despite the twelve-round battering he took, he was never in trouble, and offers the observation that “Bernard Hopkins is the lightest punching fighter I ever fought. I still think I can beat Bernard Hopkins.”
Joppy also had some acrimonious words to say about Felix Trinidad, who scored a KO win over Joppy in 2001. “Trinidad is a cheater! [He] illegally wraps his hands!” Joppy added that he doesn’t even count that fight against his record, and that “Trinidad brought a bat to the ring!” He claimed that Hopkins beat Trinidad because Trinidad’s father was told by officials to re-wrap his hands before the fight, presumably because the wraps were not within regulations. "All you writers, write this down. Trinidad doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame," the angry Joppy thundered at one point.
Joppy has spent this past year battling personal problems which prompted him to move from Washington, DC to New Jersey. He asserts that he never really intended to retire, and mainly announced that he was done with boxing out of frustration. He knows he has an steep hill to climb; he’s thirty-four and is coming off of a loss to Bernard Hopkins: “I want to mix it up with Trinidad, Hopkins, and De La Hoya,” he states. “In order to do that, I have to beat Jermain Taylor.” He feels that his experience will be the deciding factor in the fight, as well as the fact that Taylor has faced primarily blown-up opposition rather than true heavyweights.
Taylor, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the spectrum, an undefeated rising star who has yet to face stiff opposition. Many feel that he could someday defeat the seemingly unbeatable Bernard Hopkins; some feel that he already could. When asked if Bernard Hopkins would be his natural next opponent should he beat Joppy, he simply replies, “I’ll be patient.” However, Hopkins is definitely in the back of his mind, as he feels the need to win big over Joppy in order to show up Hopkins. “I have to win this fight and I have to shine,” he says.
Taylor feels that he has the best jab in the division, and that it will be the deciding factor against Joppy and any future opposition he has. “I lead everything off the jab, and I believe a jab sets up the whole fight,” he states. He also credits his training and conditioning with giving him an edge: “Expect me to fight all twelve rounds, always be in shape. If Joppy plans on rebuilding his career on me, he made a big mistake.”
This fight has the makings of a classic; it has the perfect setup of an old fighter looking for a last hurrah versus a young man trying to make his name in the sport. It just may come down to which fighter is more hungry for the win. The fact that neither fighter thinks that this bout will go the distance is a sign that both of them are ready for a war. Be sure to watch!
