6 of the best boxing PPV performances since 2000
5. Bernard Hopkins TKO12 Felix Trinidad
September 29, 2001
Bernard Hopkins’ victory over Felix Trinidad is not just the best boxing performance on PPV since the turn of the century; it is also the best overall victory.
The finals of Don King’s middleweight tournament were initially set to take place on September 15th; however, the events of September 11th postponed the bout for two weeks.
Trinidad was viewed as one of the top three fighters in the world, pound-for-pound, along with Roy Jones Jr. and Shane Mosley. He was coming off the most successful year of his career in 2000 when he unified the junior middleweight titles and won Fighter of the Year honors from multiple publications.
When Trinidad moved up to the middleweight division, he dispatched Wiliam Joppy in five rounds to win the WBA title. Trinidad was at his peak and could not have been on a higher pedestal heading into the bout with Hopkins.
Hopkins, the longstanding middleweight champion, held the IBF title since 1995 and was attempting to make the 14th defense of his title. Leading up to the match, he put more pressure on Trinidad to win by grabbing and throwing the flag of Puerto Rico down. Trinidad now had the added pressure of not only winning but avenging his Island nation.
Trinidad-Hopkins was the first major sporting event to take place after the events of September 11th. Madison Square Garden was filled primarily with fans of Trinidad, and what they witnessed was a dissection of their hero.
Hopkins, a student of the sweet science, paid attention to the mistakes made by past opponents of Trinidad. He made sure he was defensively responsible all night. He kept his right hand glued to his face to block any chance of Trinidad’s patented left hook from landing. The Philadelphia fighter was extremely disciplined, sticking to a game plan of timing, knowing when to attack and when to move.
Trinidad did put up a fight, specifically in the sixth and 10th rounds, where he unloaded a barrage of punches on Hopkins. The 10th round, in particular, was filled with back-and-forth action and would win The Ring Magazine Round of the Year.
Hopkins was prepared for any surge Trinidad might attempt. Anytime the three-division champion got any momentum going, Hopkins responded.
When Trinidad got Hopkins against the ropes, he was met with right hands. In the center of the ring, he was met with jabs. There was nothing that Trinidad could do that Hopkins wasn’t ready for. Even when it came time to brawl, throwing strategy out the window, the middleweight champion met his opponent punch for punch.
In the final round, a right-hand counter hurt Trinidad, and, with a slight shove, was put down to the canvas. Immediately, Trinidad’s father and trainer came into the ring to stop the fight. Hopkins lay on the canvas to soak in the moment of a dream realized after years of hard work and adversity.
Usually, these performances come with the caveat. The opponent has some disadvantage that hinders their showing.
However, nothing could be taken away from Hopkins’ near-perfect display of skill, grit, and preparation when it mattered the most.