Joppy gets title shot in Kazakhstan

Three-time former middleweight champion William Joppy will get a shot at Beibut Shumenov’s WBA light-heavyweight belt after agreeing to step in for WBO champ Jurgen Braehmer at the eleventh hour.

The 40-year old Joppy (39-6-2, 30 KOs) left for Kazakhstan on Saturday and has been unreachable since. The District native last won in 2007 and has fought only thrice since, losing to Lucian Bute by TKO in 2008, to Sebastien Demers by decision last March and a majority draw against Cory “Black Ice” Cummings in November at the Patriot Center.

Stiff Jab was ringside for Joppy’s less than impressive effort in his last fight; here’s what we said at the time:

Joppy seemed the more effective fighter at times and has no one but himself to blame for the loss as he basically surrendered the fifth round without much resistance. He rallied after taking some stiff shots in the final round, indicating he has more left than he showed tonight.

But our editor was less generous in his dispatch for The Queensbury Rules:

Having interviewed Joppy after the fight we noted that he didn’t seem at all phased by having gone ten rounds after fighting just three times in three years. That shows he may still have his legs.

But unfortunately what seems lacking is the handspeed and power that made him a champion. Shumenov (10-1, 6 KOs) is largely an unknown quantity, but if he’s anywhere near world-class he dispose of Joppy without too much trouble fighting in his own backyard.

It would seemingly take a miracle for Joppy to bring the belt back to D.C., but after all this is boxing and stranger things have happened.