Career
Joppy held the WBA middleweight title on three occasions. He then would make a couple defenses of his crown. However, on August 23, 1997, Joppy lost a controversial decision to Julio César Green.
Joppy lost the title a second time, however, on May 12, 2001, to Félix Trinidad in the middleweight unification tournament.
Joppy was knocked down in rounds one and four before finally being stopped in the fifth. After the WBA title was vacated due to Bernard Hopkins beating Trinidad, Joppy had the chance to fight for it again.
He claimed the title from British contender Howard Eastman in a close majority decision where he was knocked down by Eastman in the final few seconds. On December 14, 2003, Joppy lost his title to Bernard Hopkins, losing by a wide points margin on all three judges" cards.
A year later, Joppy lost another lopsided unanimous decision against Jermain Taylor.
Joppy returned as a Super Middleweight on July 29, 2005 knocking out journeyman Rashaan Blackburn in the third round. Joppy said then that he hoped to have one final title run as a Super Middleweight before retirement. Following a close decision loss to Sebastien Demers in March 2010 Joppy announced his retirement from boxing, although it was not the first time that Joppy has announced that he is leaving the sport.
He returned to the ring later that year, fighting Baltimore native Cory Cummings to a draw, and subsequently defeated Cummings by unanimous decision in a 2011 rematch.
He currently serves as a boxing coach at Champion Boxing & Fitness in Rockville, Doctor of Medicine (wwwchampionboxingfitnesscom).