Felix Trinidad

A phrase I read more frequently when boxing pundits discuss the career of Oscar de la Hoya is that'he has never defeated a great champion in his prime.' it is a debatable statement to direct at a six division champion who is also the most financially successful non-heavyweight of modern times, having been involved many of the best fights of the last twenty years. I always find such statements at least a little dubious, not the least as it is sometimes the job of a reporter to stir the pot by making a debatable statement. Also, it always appears the higher a man rises, the more some folks will try and deny what he has accomplished. However , the writers who make this claim are as acquainted with the important points of de la Hoya's career as I am so I'll not take the route of reviewing de la Hoya's past opponents. Instead, I will examine the career of one of de la Hoya's former rivals : Felix'Tito' Trinidad. Nobody denigrates'Tito' by saying he never faced and defeated a great fighter in his prime, so we'll take some instruction from his career.

The early days
Felix Trinidad caught his first welterweight title in 1993, by knocking out Maurice Blocker in 2 rounds. He was only twenty years old.
Trinidad was signed with Don King, who has a practice of only listening to wrestlers like Trinidad when he's not dominating his bread and butter, the heavyweight division. Campas wouldn't win a world title till he moved up to 154lbs, at that point a feeble division. Trinidad even toyed with moving up to 154 himself in those days, fighting an eliminator for the WBC belt held by Terry Norris in 1997.
He fought only once more, losing by knockout to an unknown in 2001.


The huge September 1999 clash with Oscar de la Hoya remains controversial to this day, with many commentators who are definitely not de la Hoya partisans claiming that'the Golden Boy' was robbedAs for de la Hoya'running,' it was'Tito' who came out of the fight with a busted up face and blood-stained trunks. Other writers simply say the fight was close and tough to score, which is fine, but then it hardly makes for a outlining statement in Trinidad's career. At best, he got away with a very close, disputed win over a great fighter in his prime.

triumphant as a Junior Middleweight

Trinidad rode high after the de la Hoya fight. He moved up to 154lbs, and took away the WBA title from previous Olympian David Reid. He then met Fernando Vargas, knocking out'El Feroz' in the twelve th and last round in an explosive bout. However , was either Reid or Vargas really great champions? Reid definitely was not. After Trinidad, he never got his career back on track and stood down in obscurity.

Don King then set up the unification series for the middleweight title, including Felix Trinidad. That prepared the ground for the confrontation with long-reigning IBF middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins. Out boxed and roughed up,'Tito' lost by twelve th round knockout. When Felix Trinidad left the 154lbs division, the pieces were picked up by Ronald'Winky' Wright, who went on to become the unchallenged world champion at that weight. The result was Trinidad's second defeat, an embarrassing call loss.

Felix Trinidad has enjoyed a famous career, and merits his name and legion of Puerto Rican fans. Nobody argues that when the day comes,'Tito' will deserve his place in the hall of fame. it is beyond question that the only great fighter in his prime that Trinidad ever scored a win over was Oscar de la Hoya, and that win remains questionable and contested to this very day. So what does this mean for Oscar de la Hoya, and all of the critics who say Oscar'never beat a great fighter in his prime?' Simply this : the more you achieve, the more the critics try to tear you down.

For more information on the greates living boxer Felix Trinidad check out felixtrinidad.com or
Felix Tito Trinidad Fansite
Felix Trinidad Boxer News