23 years ago today, Bernard Hopkins defeated Felix. Trinidad became the undisputed middleweight champion and, at 36 years of age, has given new impetus to his boxing career. For Trinidad, who swept everything before him in the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions. This was the beginning of the end of a Hall of Fame career. Hopkins’ victory was a major upset at the time. But perhaps even more surprising is that the fighting continued after the buildup that led Hopkins to start a near-fatal riot in Puerto Rico and the 9/11 attacks that devastated New York just days before. before With the bout set to take place at Madison Square Garden, we take a look back at one of the middleweight division’s biggest events.
prelude
The man who emerged as the favorite to win the bout to be crowned the undisputed middleweight champion. Having gotten to that point, he had never fought in the middleweight division. But after moving his career ledger to 36-0 with a highly controversial victory over fellow welterweight belt Oscar De La Hoya, the Puerto Rican icon proved a short-lived standout. Any other But a strong pit stop at 154 pounds, defeating David Reid, Mamadou Thiam and Fernando, Vargas was quick to call in. Now his promoter, Don King, sees him being crowned top dog at the weight. 160lbs as well Two of the three main belt holders in the division – Keith Holmes and William Joppy – are King fighters, so the matchup is an easy one. An even bigger challenge is getting the IBF names involved. He has held the title since 1995 and defended it dozens of times. But proved unable to become mainstream appeal: Bernard Hopkins
However, the deal was finally completed. Hopkins will meet Holmes. And Trinidad will face Joppy. The winners will compete in September 2001 for the specially created Sugar Ray Robinson Trophy. And the right to call himself the undisputed middleweight champion.
Hopkins and Holmes first fought in April of that year. with Hopkins winning nine, ten and eleven rounds on the three judges’ scorecards to add Holmes’ WBC decorations to his IBF belt. The following month, Trinidad demolished Joppy by scoring a TKO victory in Round Five The stage was now set for the final showdown between Hopkins and Trinidad. If Hopkins doesn’t blow the whole thing up first.
“The Executioner” has long established himself as a master of mind games. As he explained to me once: “I look for weaknesses in a guy’s personality… I feel like if I can go ahead and create for him what he needs to look for and what he remembers from a press conference, I’m going to be a better player.” and things like that Then you have guys who really think about things other than winning.”
Hopkins did just that against Trinidad when, at a press conference on July 9, he grabbed a Puerto Rican flag and threw it to the ground. Two days later, he did it again. This time at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, in front of 5,000 fans who rushed in for the American bloodbath.
“When he threw that flag down And then there was a wave,” Alan Hopper, King’s public relations chief, told me a few years later. “And the platform collapsed. The backdrop collapsed. And I came down in time to see Bernard. And they pursued him. And he used his left hand to chase away a man who was chasing him. If they catch him They probably killed him. Outside the building, they burned his limousine. They are throwing stones. It was very scary.”
Hopper said Hopkins “There was determination throughout everything. He went on to say, ‘I don’t care what anyone thinks. I do not bow to any person or flag. Maybe that was what he had to do to prepare to fight. Or maybe to repel Tito? Or maybe both.”
“It was all pre-planned,” Hopkins told me. “It started with him. to his entire country which I knew would put pressure on him to kill me Can you imagine that? Everywhere Trinidad goes Wherever he jogs, wherever he walks, where he eats in a restaurant. They’re telling Trinidad to kill Bernard Hopkins, that’s a lot of pressure.
two months later On the morning of September 11, just four days before the competition was scheduled to take place. Those involved in the promotion are preparing to hold public workouts at Trinity Gym in Tribeca, just a few blocks from the competition. World Trade Center. As he drove into town, Lou DiBella, Hopkins’ then-promoter, would later tell BoxingScene contributor and my old podcast partner Eric Raskin. Oral history podcast In the battle” a second plane crashed into the tower. And I saw the explosion and the smoke and whatever. I pulled off the highway on the last possible exit. Before you go into town And I reversed course, went home, and I knew immediately that the fight wasn’t going to happen that weekend.”
fight
What is noteworthy is that The fight was postponed just two weeks later. The smell of destruction and death still permeates the Manhattan air. as announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. enters the ring before the main event.
“Tonight we come together as more than boxing fans,” he began. “We come together as citizens of the world: united in grief and sorrow. but with the determination that we will not be intimidated by acts of terrorism against this great country of ours,” said first responders and survivors who were given private seats in the garden. Linking arms as the timekeeper told the traditional time on the bell 10 times, Hopkins then walked to the ring to sing Ray’s song. Charles singing “America the Beautiful,” the crowd – tense, anxious, desperate for relief and a reason to celebrate – cheered and applauded. Trinidad then appeared wearing an NYPD helmet, his father beside him in an NYFD helmet, and the Tito Madison Square Garden crowd of supporters roared their approval.
It will be Trinidad’s evening high point.
Hopkins is more than a master of manipulation and intimidation, tonight he showed he’s also a cerebral boxer. One who has studied the difficulties De La Hoya has had with boxing and moves with Trinidad. and who begin to iterate and improve the game plans of future business partners.
For the first several rounds Hopkins circles as Trinidad tries to cut off the ring. Philadelphia then held out his jab. Sometimes mixed with a lead left hook. and occasionally landing on the right side to keep Puerto Ricans honest and careful. Trinidad began to score consistently until the end of the fifth minute. But when he hit Hopkins after the buzzer Hopkins hit back hard for a double. The sixth clearly belonged to Trinidad as he closed the distance and limited Hopkins’ movement. Slamming left hooks and right hands But even so Hopkins still answered emphatically. He seemed completely unconfused and disinterested. Round nine was a good round for Trinidad as well. But Hopkins kept his energy up. No need to use force to punch. Shoot a short, quick right hand then move it out of the way or tie it.
On Raskin’s podcast, Hopkins explains the ingenuity and simplicity of his strategy.
“The left hook was the key,” he said. “The right hand barely left my right cheek. …Every time Trinidad has to leave that powerful left hand. He turns left-right-left. It’s 1-2-3. It’s rhythmic. You have to go in between. One half of three is one and a half. And you have to get in at the right time… and if you can time it, when he rocks and you let him in halfway through that last rock, that third one, catch him and get him to start over…every time he rocks me. I’ll hold him gently. Sometimes I grabbed him hard, just on the shoulder, threw him, where I offset his 1 -2-boom, I caught him in the middle of the last one, and guess what? He had to start all over again. He had to pick it up and get started. He didn’t start from where he left off. He started coming back… every time he reset. I would throw combinations, beat him until he punched me, I started confusing him.”
The tenth time saw Hopkins begin to open up more. Short, direct counter-attacks were fired between Trinidad’s wide and looping attacks. almost inviting him forward On the eleventh day Trinidad looked confused and hesitant. And fatigue was evident as Hopkins continued to shift gears, right hands, left hooks and uppercuts all landing at will from his old boss. Trinidad, though, raised his gloved hands high in challenge as the bell sounded to end the frame.
In HBO’s commentary, George Foreman speculated that Trinidad’s cornerbacks wouldn’t let him out in the twelfth and final round. They did, but Tito wouldn’t settle for the matter. Right hand from Hopkins drops Trinidad hard on the canvas. Struggling to beat referee Steve Smoger’s count, Hopkins collapsed on the canvas in emotion as Trinidad Sr. stepped into the ring to save his son from further punishment.
Consequences
Hopkins didn’t award Sugar Ray Robinson as expected at the post-fight press conference. He confirmed that this was because the king had already carved Trinidad’s name on it. Therefore he was confident that his men would win. About a week later He finally received his award at a ceremony at Gallagher’s Steakhouse, but he got what he really wanted: recognition as one of the greatest fighters in the world.
For King, who along with Bob Aram has been promoted as the best boxer in 30 years. Trinidad’s loss to Hopkins would have been the mark – slow and almost imperceptible at first. But later it became more apparent – of superiority and ultimately even relevance. Although he will continue to promote some important cards. Mostly involving Ricardo Mallorca, Cory Spinks, Evander Holyfield and John Ruiz, he will not be promoted to megastar level at the top. of his power anymore
For Trinidad as well It was the beginning of the end. He was at middleweight for his next fight, defeating Hacine Cherifi in San Juan in May 2002, but did not appear in the ring again until October 2004, when he Return to the Garden to destroy Ricardo Mallorca. In May 2005, he took on Winky Wright but was sent out again when he won by unanimous decision. The next day he announced his resignation. But he came out again. Once again at The Garden but was dropped and taken over by Roy Jones Jr. in January 2008. He retired again after that. And this time it stuck and he Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014, his career ledger stands at 42-3 with 35 knockouts.
For Hopkins The end is still amazingly far away. He would go on to defend his middleweight crown seven more times until he was controversially defeated by Jermaine Taylor in 2005. He was 40 years old at the time, but he showed no signs of stopping. He moved up to light heavyweight. Beating Antonio Tarver in 2006 and Kelly Pavlik in 2008, he couldn’t handle the speed of Joe Calzaghe or the skill of Chad Dawson, but he picked up a win over Wright, Jones and Jean Pascal, and scored his last winning goal against Beibut Shumenov in 2014 at the age of 49, before ending his career with losses to Sergey Kovalev and Joe Smith. Junior
Hopkins took Trinidad’s place in the Hall of Fame in 2020, compiling a record of 55-8-2 with two no contests and 32 KOs at the end of an astounding 32 years as a professional fighter. He is considered to be more than just the greatest middleweight boxer of his era. But he is also one of the best boxers. Regardless of the weight
But the highlight of his long and illustrious career was always that night in Madison Square Garden when he painted his nightmarish masterpiece. And give the wounded and grieving city something to cheer up again.
Kieran Mulvaney writes, broadcasts and podcasts about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He also writes regularly for National Geographic and has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic. And the happiest was hanging out with the polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com
