Origins… Felix “Tito” Trinidad, is, like Miguel “Angel” Cotto, a Peurta Rican boxer (or former boxer if you’d rather). Tito (as he will mainly be called from here on in for the purpose of the review), was born Flix Juan Trinidad Garca (otherwise known as Felix Trinidad Jnr) and was born on the 10th of January 1973 to Irma Garca and Flix Trinidad Senior in the city of Farjardo on the east coast of Puerto Rico. Though at an early age Tito moved out of Farjardo with his family and went to live in the city of San Juan at the north of the island, where he grew up and spent his formative years, whilst starting his boxing training aged 12 under the tuition of his father. His father had been a national level champion at lightweight so himself had a relatively good skill at the sport and relatively decent knowledge of the sport.
Amateur Years… Tito fought as an amateur 57 times and went 51-6 winning 12 by way of KO (a surprisingly low figure considering his heavy hands as a professional), he would claim the national title in the amateurs at 5 weights up to the lightweight division (132lbs) , though was at his best at featherweight where he had been wishing to compete at the 1992 Olympic games. Oddly the winner of the Gold Medal in the lightweight category was a future Tito opponent (Oscar De La Hoya). Though Peurto Rican amateur boxing federation and Felix snr had a disagreement on this, so, much like Mike Tyson after being snubbed for the 1984 Olympics turned pro at an alarmingly young age.
Turning pro… Tito would fight his first contest in the paid ranks on the 10th March 1990 against fellow debutante Angel Romero in what would oddly be Romero’s only contest, Tito won via second round KO and would win his first 5 fights all by KO. It wasn’t until his 6th opponent Valentin Ocasio (oddly also in his 6th bout) that Tito would hear the final bell winning a point decision. He’d fight once more in 1990 a fight against Luis Felipe Perez (KO 2) to finish his first year as a professional at 7-0 (6 KO’s).
He’d start 1991 much in the same way he ended 1990 with 3 straight KO’s all against fairly limited opposition (Manuel Salas being the most experienced having had 15 previous fights) before being given his first test against Darren McGrew who was 15-13-0-2 going into the fight, McGrew took Tito the 10 round distance for the first time in his career. A quick KO of Lorenzo Bouie made it appear like things were back to normal before going the distance for the third time in his career against Jake Rodriguez (who was 16-1-2 going into it). Ending the year 14-0 (11 KO’s) Tito was starting to look like the next great Puerto Rican fighter in the making, and with his fights in 1992 all ending early (3 fights taking a combined of 8 rounds) Tito was quickly rising up the rankings. However the final fight of 1992 was against highly experienced Argentinian Alberto de las Mercedes Cortes who’d had over 50 wins before Tito fought him, and Tito was himself dropped in the second round. Cortes had only been beaten twice previously in 53 fights and stopped just once by Mexican hero Julio Cesar Chavez in a WBC Light Welterweight Title fight. Tito in his 16th fight had emulated JCC.
Being a World Champion Part I 1993 would begin against much easier foes than Cortes such as Henry Hughes and Pedro Aguirre and Colin Tomlinson (KO1, KO4 and KO1 ) before facing Maurice Blocker for the IBF Welterweight title on 19th June 1993. Blocker went into the fight with a record of 34-3-0-1 and may be better know to British fight fans for his contest with Lloyd Honeyghan in what would be the Ragamuffin Man’s second defence in 1987 of the titles he’d won from Don curry the previous year. Blocker had won the IBF title after beating Glenwood Brown in 1991 but had only managed 1 defence in a 2 year title reign (against Luis Gabriel Garcia) though he had had 2 other fights (a no contest and a loss of a title contest at a higher weight). Trinidad KO’d Blocker around the halfway mark of the second round winning his first title in his 20th fight via his 17th KO.
Title run His first defence would be against a former Blocker opponent in Garcia who didn’t even get to hear the bell at the end of the first round Anthony Stephens in Tito’s second defence would fair much better lasting until the 10th round and knocking Tito down. The following fight was with fellow Puerto Rican legend Hector “Macho” Camacho (who is still fighting aged 46). Camacho had held titles at Super featherweight (beating Rafael Limon for the vacant WBC title), Lightweight (beating Jose Luis Ramirez for the WBC title) and Light Welterweight (beating American fan favourite Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini for the vacant WBO title).
As well as this Camacho had only lost to true world class fighters such as Greg Haugen and Julio Cesar Chavez (and had avanged the loss to Haugen in a rematch). So the way Tito dominated him winning comfortably on every card suggested only good things of the 21 year old Trinidad. Following this fight Tito would go on a KO run that lasted 5 years with knock outs over the unbeaten Luis Ramon Campas (AKA Yori Boy Campas) in the 4th round (Tito was decked in the second), the also unbeaten Oba Carr who lasted into the 8th round until the 3 knock down rule was enforced (Tito was again down in the second). Roger turner would last until part way into the second, Larry Barnes almost made it to the end of the 2nd, Rodney Moore made it to the end of the 4th before the fight was waved off. Freddie Pendleton lasted until midway into the 5th Ray Lovato until mid way into the 6th Kevin
Lueshing wouldn’t make the start of the 4th .
A non title match (in fact a WBC light Middleweight Eliminator) with Troy Waters would last only 170 seconds before the bigger man was stopped, in what would be merely a testing the water fight for the future as Tito would drop back down to his natural 147lb class.
Mahenge Zulu would be Tito’s 12 successful defence and his 11th successful defence via KO. Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whittaker would be the first man to take Tito the distance since Camacho did it 5 year previous. Whitaker like Camacho had known class, and previous title holding experience having held titles at Lightweight (beating Haugen), a win over Azumah Neslon, winning the IBF light welterweight against Rafael Pineda, the WBC Welterweight title against James “Buddy” McGirt and ended Julio Cesar Chavez’s winning streak (earning a draw after Chavez had gone 87-0-0). Chavez had however suffered his first loss to Oscar De La Hoya less than 2 years previous and had only had 1 fight since then (a No Contest with Andrei Pestriaev, after being tested positive for cocaine). Whittaker had been clearly out pointed by Tito (in what would be the penultimate match for Sweet Pea).
Hugo Pineda would be an easier task for Tito with Tito finishing off Pineda before the end of the fourth round.
Unification match and Oscar A name that has popped up a couple of times already in this article is a certain Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya, the winner of the 1992 Olympic Lightweight category was also a champion at 147 having won his title against Whitaker to take a title at a third weight. De La Hoya had taken titles at super featherweight beating the then unbeaten Jimmi Bredahl (16-0) for the vacant WBO version in De La Hoya’s 12th fight. Oscar would then go on to take the Vacant WBO Lightweight title with a second round KO of Jorge Paez in what was his 14th fight. He would defend this against John John Malina (see notes for relevance of this). He would then step up almost 2 years later to take the WBC light Welterweight title from Mexican Legend Julio Cesar Chavez giving Chavez his second loss in a 99 fight career, and his first KO loss (Chavez had lost a very close decision that has often been a point of debate to Frankie Randall in his 91st fight).
The fight between Tito and Oscar was Unbeaten Champion V Unbeaten Champion, a 31-0-0 Golden Boy Oscar De La hoya with the WBC Welterweight Title V the 35-0-0 IBF Welterweight Champion Felix “Tito” Trinidad. The fight that would probably have happened had Tito gone to the 1992 Olympics had now been set to happen 7 years later in the professional ranks. In one of the most debated contests of the 1990’s a majority decision winner was announced for Tito, in a fight many had Oscar well ahead after 9 rounds (including his trainer). Oscar at his corners advise eased off for the last 4 rounds of the fight in a move the ultimately cost him the victory, although how much of this was tactical and how much was just Oscar’s problems with stamina (a problem which would cost him in the future too). Tito would leave the Mandalay bay resort with both the IBF and the WBC Welterweight titles which he’d give up before his next fight.
Moving up to 154 Tito’s next fight would be against another unbeaten Goldenboy who was nicknamed “The American Dream” after being the star of 1996 USA boxing team and the only member to win a gold medal , winning the light middleweight class, he was fast tracked to the top of the tree. Reid like De La Hoya had won his first title in his 12 fight beating Laurent Boudouani for the WBA Light middleweight title. Defenses over Kevin Kelly (not to be confused with Kevin Kelley) and Keith Mullings were seen as good enough tune up’s to face the destructive and more experienced Tito. There had been talk of 4 opponents for Reid, Roy Jones Junior, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Tito, Tito was the choice his management team made, and in turn probably destroyed Reid’s career.
Tito was dropped by Reid in the third round and in the mid way stage of the fight it was looking close, before Tito’s punches started to take control knocking down Reid 4 times (once in round 7 and thrice in round 11). The damage done by Tito’s hands had detached Reids retina and the knockdowns had eased the fight in Tito’s direction winning by 7 or more points on all three of the score cards. What should have been a golden and long career for Reid was effectively finished in this fight (only his 15th) due to the eye problems, though he would fight 4 times more (winning 3 of them) he was never the same as the skilful and excellent fighter he had shown potential of being.
A defence against Mamadou Thiam was his next fight and was a another to add to his long list, of KO’s with Thiam lasting almost to the end of the 3rd.
A unification fight with unbeaten IBF Light Middleweight titlist Fernando Vargas was to follow and be Tito’s last fight at 154. Vargas had won his title from a former Tito victim Yori Boy Campas (Luis Ramon Campas) who at the time was 72-2-0, but quit in his corner at the end of the 7th round. Vargas had racked up 18 KO’s and several impressive wins including Ronald “Winky” Wright and Ike Quartey. Quartey had been a former WBA Welterweight champion and held wins ove rOba Carr (former Tito victim) and Vince Phillips, and, prior to Vargas, had only been beaten by De La Hoya. Wright had been a WBO light middleweight champion and had only been beaten twice.
In the second unbeaten champion V unbeaten champion fight of Tito’s career who had a ledger of 38-0 to Vargas’ 20-0 Tito would stop the IBF champion and add to his own impressive trophy cabinet of belts. Vargas lost via TKO in the final round, after going down twice in the round, and once in an earlier round, Vargas had also put Tito on the deck (the 8th time in Tito’s career).
Moving up to Middleweight With unified titles at Welterweight and light Middleweight Tito jumped up to middleweight to join in on Don Kings middleweight unification tournament with IBF champion Bernard Hopkins, WBA champion William Joppy and WBC champion Keith Holmes. Tito would face off agaisnt Joppy in his first fight at 160, Joppy was 31-1-1 going into the fight his only loss coming to Julio Cesar Green in 1997 and avenged the following year (both fights for the WBA Middle title) and and Joppy won a rubber match in 1999. Before the Tito fight Joppy’s main wins were over an old and way past his best Roberto “Manos de Piedra” (“Hands of Stone” Duran and an up to then unbeaten Johnathan Reid. Tito did what few thought he could possibly do and stopped Joppy in the 5th round, whilst a month earlier Hopkins had made the 13th defence of his IBF title and taken Keith Holmes’ WBC title to set up a three title contest between himself and the newly crowned WBA champion (Tito).
The fight was dubbed “And then there was one” and was to decide the first undisputed middleweight champion since Marvellous Marvin Hagler and the first champion at the weight recognised by The Ring magazine since 1989 (Sumbu Kalambay).
Tito went into the fight with a perfect record of 40-0-0 (35) whilst Hopkins was 39-2-1-1 with 38 KO’s. Hopkins was 1 defence behind the middleweight record of 14 held by Carlos Monzon, and had been unbeaten since 1993 (losing to Roy Jones Junior), his only other loss had been his debut to Clinton Mitchell.
The fight was pretty one sided by all accounts with Hopkins taking a comfortable points lead before the 12th round. Hopkins had on the whole just outclassed the hard hitting Tito by using his jab and overall skill, before knocking down Tito in the 12th round, before Steve Smoger waved off the fight.
Comeback Part 1 Tito’s next fight would be his first non title fight since the fight with Troy Waters (10 fights earlier) and his first with out being a champion since going into the blocker fight 22 fights earlier. The opponent for the comeback was Hacine Cherifi and had a record of 32-6-1 Tito stopped him in the 4th round before announcing his retirement.
Comback Part II Tito would come out of retirement to face off against colourful Nicaraguan brawler Ricardo Mayorga, Ring magazine once described him as “The craziest man in the sport” which pretty much sums up just how bizarre Mayorga is. In a fight that could pretty fairly be described as a macho man war of attrition Tito dropped Mayorga thrice in the 8th forcing a TKO after going down himself. The come back would continue against Winky Wright in a WBC Middleweight title Eliminator for the winner of the Hopkins-Taylor fight, which Winky would get against Taylor the following year.
Comeback part III Tito would then disappear from the sport until late 2007 when it was announced he’d face Roy Jones Junior in January of 2008 in a fight that many had hoped for 7 or 8 years previous at middleweight not a catch weight of 170lbs (between the Super middleweight and light heavy weight limits). Jones had last 3 of his previous 5 fights (two by KO) but had won his previous 2 against a touted prospect in Anthony Hanshaw and obscure fighter Prince Badi Ajamu going into the Tito fight.
The fight was broadcast on HBO PPV on the 19th of January, and was (unbelievably) the first (and only) time I’d seen a Tito fight live. Tito started the fight well before Jones seemed to realise he couldn’t hit hard enough, which meant that Jones basically toyed with the smaller semi-retired Puerto Rican superstar. Jones took a clear points win by 8 on one card and 6 on the other two, and put Tito down twice, in what often seemed like a glorified sparring session between two legends wanting to build up a pension fund.
None title accolades: Tito was the 2000 Ring Fighter of the year Ranked #48 on Rings 80 best fighters of the last 80 years Ranked #30 on Ringers 100 Greatest Punchers of All Time List
Puerto Rican Boxing: Felix Trinidad was the 33rd Puerto Rican to be a world champion (currently their have been 56 with Juan Manuel Lopez being the latest and one of 5 counted by the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission), and his reign of 17 defences at Welterweight ties that of Wilfredo Gomez who managed 17 at Super Bantamweight.
Notes- Tito was the second world boxing champion from Farjardo, the first being John John Molina a former 3 time Featherweight champion.
Camacho’s first fight with Haugen ended with a split decision loss, with Camacho being deducted a point for not touching gloves at the start of the final round. If he’d of touched gloves he’d have had a draw with cards reading 114-114, 115-112, 112-115, instead of the first card being 113-114 to Haugen.
