William Joppy is an American middleweight boxer. Born in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 1970, he has held the WBA middleweight title on two occasions. He is considered a very tough journeyman fighter, who has lost only to first-class opponents. Joppy 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 Cesar 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 impressive defenses. Joppy lost the title a second time, however, on May 13, 2001, to Félix Trinidad. Joppy was knocked down in rounds one and four before finally being stopped in the fifth; this was Joppy's first and only loss by knockout. After the WBA title was vacated due to Bernard Hopkins being declared a "super champion," Joppy had the chance to fight for it again. He claimed the title from British contender Howard Eastman in a majority decision, giving "The Battersea Bomber" his only loss so far. Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. ... Boxer redirects here; for other meanings of boxer, see Boxer (disambiguation). ... Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C. (short for, District of Columbia), Washington, the Nations Capital, the District or, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United States of America. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... World Boxing Association (WBA) is a boxing organization that sanctions official fights and awards the WBA championship title at the professional level. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... August 23 is the 235th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (236th in leap years), with 130 days remaining. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Félix Tito Trinidad Jr. ... Knockout (K.O.), or simply knock, is a winning criterion of many ringsports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai and others. ... Bernard Hopkins, the Executioner. ... Howard Eastman is a British boxer from London, England. ...

On December 14, 2003, Joppy lost his title to Bernard Hopkins, losing by a wide points margin on all three judges' cards. December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bernard Hopkins, the Executioner. ...

After the Hopkins loss he was defeated by Jermain Taylor.

Joppy returned as a Super Middleweight on July 29th 2005 knocking out journeyman Rashaan Blackburn in the third round. Joppy said he hopes to have one final title run now as a Super Middleweight before retirement

As of July, 2005, Joppy's record stands at 35 wins, 4 losses, and one draw, with 26 wins coming by way of knockout. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...