Joppy: "I can't believe Trinidad hits so hard"

Felix Trinidad's bout-by-bout career boxing record.

William Joppy: "I can't believe Trinidad hits so hard."

May 15, 2001 -- "He's a great champion, I never thought he could hit like that. I didn't think he would have that much power coming up from 154 pounds to 160. I have never been hit like that before." said former champion William Joppy after his loss to Felix "Tito" Trinidad on Saturday night.

Many people were saying, "Will Trinidad still have punching power when he goes up to 160?"

Trinidad answered that question by knocking down, William Joppy (32-2-1) three times in five rounds to become the new WBA middleweight champion. The last knock down was a devastating right hand which landed on Joppy's temple. Joppy fell, rolled along the ropes and stumbled to his feet. But this time referee Arthur Mercante Jr. didn't bother to count.

Even though he had never fought as a middleweight before, Trinidad was extremely confident he would have no trouble adjusting to the higher weight.

"I always knew I was a middleweight," Trinidad said at the post-fight press conference at MSG. "I knew I was going to knock him out. I beat the best middleweight tonight and I will beat Hopkins, too."

Trinidad, 28, looked spectacular in his 160-pound debut. He looked strong and moved well, bobbing and weaving away from Joppy's punches.

Tito was never in trouble and won 4 out of the five rounds

Joppy was credited by a CompuBox analysis with throwing 400 punches and landing 123 -- 74 of them jabs. Trinidad threw only 191 punches, but landed 108, 80 of them power shots.