Bernard Hopkins vs Felix Trinidad
Fight Fact
Date: 29-Sept-2001
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Title: World Middleweight
Result: Bernard Hopkins W TKO 12.
Bernard Hopkins the WBC & IBF middleweight champion faced the undefeated former Welterweight and current WBA middleweight Champion Felix Trinidad
The division would witness the birth of an undisputed champion for the first time since Marvin Hagler eighteen years earlier, also on the line was The Ring middleweight top spot. Hopkins had made 12 consecutive title defences as a middleweight and was looking to make it 14, tying him with Carlos Monzon for record defences. At around the same time, Puerto Rican Felix Trinidad had cleaned out the Welterweight division defeating everybody in front of him including a win over Oscar De La Hoya.
In the year 2000 Trinidad made a successful transition to the up to Light Middleweight division winning the WBA title. Later the same year he faced the undefeated IBF champion “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas 20-0-0 (18), Vargas was knocked down twice in the 1st round, Trinidad himself was on the canvas in the fourth, both fighters had points deducted for low blows. The bout was stopped by referee Jay Andy in the 12th in a round where Vargas was floored another three times. By this time many considered Felix Trinidad to be the one of the best boxers in the world. He then decided to move up to middleweight; Don King had then organized a middleweight tournament featuring Keith Holmes, William Joppa, Bernard Hopkins & Felix Trinidad.
On April 14, 2001, Hopkins defeated Keith Holmes by unanimous decision to retain IBF middleweight championship and capture the WBC belt. Hopkins advanced to the final.
The following month Felix Trinidad squared off against William Joppy who would be making the 6th defence of his WBA middleweight title. The champion was down in rounds 1, 4 and again in the 5th when the fight was stopped.
You could have been forgiven for thinking this was Don Kin’s master plan all along; Trinidad vs. Hopkins was a more interesting and marketable fight. Both where pound for pound fighters and both had a following especially Trinidad whom had an army of fans from his native Puerto Rico The bout was originally scheduled for September 15, 2001, however due to the September 11 terrorist attacks it was postponed for two weeks until September 29.
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Bernard Hopkins 39-2-1 (28),
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
WBC, IBF middleweight champion
Felix Trinidad 40-0-0 (33),
San Juan, Puerto Rico,
WBA middleweight champion
Video By Gorilla Productions
The fight begins slowly, with both fighters circling the ring at a distance and trading jabs in a close first round. The second round follows suit, with Hopkins and Trinidad still feeling each other out and staying away from one another. Hopkins lands the first big punch of the fight, an overhand right just before the bell. Hopkins begins to get comfortable in the third and take the fight to Trinidad, landing his jab consistently. from the outside. In the fourth, the pace picks up and Trinidad lands his first power punches of the night. Hopkins takes the punches well and comes back with big blows of his own in the round's closing seconds. Hopkins, typically known for his brawling style, continues to go against form in the fifth by constantly moving around the ring and out-foxing Trinidad. The style seems to confuse Trinidad, who gets caught by good shots throughout the round.
Trinidad has his best round in the sixth, backing Hopkins against the ropes and landing multiple left hooks. It is the first round that clearly goes to Trinidad. The pace slows again in the seventh as both fighters look to catch their second wind. Hopkins remains the more mobile fighter, dancing away from most of Trinidad's punches. Hopkins is really beginning to outclass Trinidad and lands numerous good combinations. Trinidad gamely continues to come forward, but cannot find the target with any big shots. Trinidad senses he is in trouble and comes out firing in the tenth. But after throwing several flurries that do no damage, it appears he has punched himself out. Hopkins lands huge punches in the last minute and stuns Trinidad with a right to the chin just before the bell.
Trinidad comes for the eleventh on very shaky legs. By contrast Hopkins is looking completely fresh and Trinidad begins to hold on in desperation. Before the last round, Trinidad is slumped in his corner exhausted, while Hopkins smiles and looks animated on his stool. Hopkins lands punch after punch on an obviously beaten Trinidad. Midway through the round, he connects with a huge right to the chin that leaves Trinidad crumpled on the canvas. Trinidad is in no condition to finish the fight and no-one would dispute Smoger's decision to stop the action. At the time of the stoppage, Bernard Hopkins was leading the bout on all three judges’ scorecards. Don Ackerman had the bout 109-100 whilst both Stanley Christodoulou and Anek Hongtongkam scored the bout 107-102 all in favour of Bernard Hopkins. HBO unofficial ringside scorer Harold Lederman had Hopkins up 108-101. After the bout there was no trophy for Hopkins, promoter Don King had been so confident Trinidad would win he already had the Puerto Ricans name engraved as the winner, Bernard Hopkins received the trophy several weeks later.
After the fight, Bernard Hopkins was named 2001 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year, and also won this award from the World Boxing Hall of Fame. Felix Trinidad would go on to fight Hacini Cherifi before announcing his retirement from boxing. He would then make several come backs, defeating Ricardo Mayorga and losing to Winky Wright and Roy Jones Jr... In September of 2009, Trinidad announced that he had officially retired from Boxing. His father, Felix Trinidad, Sr. announced that his son had not even entered a gym following his January 2008 defeat to Roy Jones Jr.
Bernard Hopkins would go on to defeat several big names, including Oscar De La Hoya & William Joppy as well as defending his middleweight title a further six times, making it twenty defences before finally being dethroned by Jermain Taylor. Following the two Taylor fights, Hopkins would defeat 3-to-1 betting favourite, Antonio Tarver. He then defeated Winky Wright in a catch weight 170lb fight. Following this he lost a fair split decision to Joe Calzaghe, but rebounded with a dominant victory over undefeated middleweight champion, Kelly Pavlik. Hopkins fights on with talk of a possible re match with Roy Jones Junior who defeated Hopkins in 1993.
