In a lackluster bout full of frustration, William Joppy defeated Cory “Black Ice” Cummings in a 10-round unanimous decision March 12 at George Mason University’s Patriot Center.
The Washington, D.C. native didn’t do much, but it was enough to hold off his Baltimore-based opponent. Although he has yet to issue a formal statement, Joppy told the AFRO that his fight against Cummings would be his last.
Joppy said after the fight: “I’m tired man, I was doing some roadwork and midway through I was like ‘I’m tired of this.’ I love the sport of boxing but I’m tired of this.”
Appearing tired in the ring as well, Joppy paced his way through a full 10 rounds as both fighters exchanged punches throughout. In the early rounds however, it was Cummings providing the fireworks as the 31-year-old unleashed power punch after power punch, with the budding boxer apparently attempting to make up for a controversial draw when the two men fought in early November.
Cummings continued to land big-time blows for the majority of the bout but Joppy routinely countered with effective flurries that tilted the scorecards in his favor.
“I wasn’t busy enough,” Cummings said after the fight. “You can’t just throw only one shot you got to put the shots together and apparently I wasn’t doing it so props to Joppy for being a better man tonight.”??Fighting close to his hometown, Joppy, a three-time WBA middleweight champion, improved his record to 40-6-1 while Cummings fell to 17-5-1. The former sparring partners exchanged pleasantries after the bout and each thanked the crowd for showing support for a rivalry that’s been brewing for the last seven years.
“We’ve had real fights in the gym,” Joppy admitted. “We’ve been sparring since 2003.”
Offering no hints at possibly returning to the ring, Joppy was adamant about his future when he told the AFRO: “I got my 40th win, the buck stops right there. I’m moving on with my life. I’m in my 40s, boxing is for the young 20-year-olds.”
