1. Felix Trinidad
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
If Bernard Hopkins had to choose one fight for his grandchildren to see, I’m almost certain it would be this one.
The finale to Don King’s Middleweight tournament that included Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad, William Joppy and Keith Holmes. Hopkins would beat Holmes by unanimous decision to retain his IBF title and also win Holmes’ WBC strap.
Trinidad entered this bout with a perfect record 40-0, 33 KOs. A bit of controversy arose during the promotion when Hopkins, who is known to never back down from an opponent, grabbed the Puerto Rican flag from Don King’s hand and threw it on the ground twice, including once in Puerto Rico.
With the bout originally scheduled in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on September 15, 2001, it was pushed back two weeks because of the September 11 attacks.
The fight was a great one, with both fighters starting a bit slow and trying to feel each other out. In the third round, Hopkins took control of the pace, amping up his punch output. Towards the middle of the fight, Tito landed some good power shots, but to his dismay, they did not have much effect on Hopkins.
By the 10th round, Trinidad seemed to sense the win was getting further and further from his grasp and he knew he needed to go for broke to win. And go for broke he did. After the 10th, it was apparent that Trinidad had punched himself out. Hopkins knew that also, as he countered and punched the exhausted Trinidad.
Slumping and breathing heavily on his stool between the 11th and 12th round, Trinidad would go back out for the 12th with little left in the tank.
Knowing Tito was done, Hopkins laid into him and threw a right that sent Trinidad crashing to the canvas. Referee Steve Smoger determined that Trinidad could not continue. With the win, Hopkins became the undisputed Middleweight champion of the world, the very first fighter to do so since “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler.
