TRINIDAD EYES MAYORGA IN EXPLOSIVE RETURN

It may seem a lot longer than his two-year hiatus, but Felix “Tito” Trinidad’s huge fandom should have a lot of questions answered when he faces Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga Saturday in a long-awaited pairing before a sold-out Madison Square Garden.

Every fight buff knows Bernard Hopkins is the only undisputed middleweight champion, but this 12-round bout with HBO pay-per-view televising is an important eliminator where the winner should be in line as Hopkins’ next challenger in a mega-match early next spring.

The box office lure in this glitzy competition, which should attract 21,000 in New York’s mecca of boxing is the explosive styles of both former world champions keying the sports’ experts to anticipate a war from the opening bell.

It is a significant moment for the 31-year –old Puerto Rican icon from Cupey Alto since it is his first appearance in the Garden since Sept.29, 2001 when he took Hopkins into the 12th round when he lost the WBA 160-pound title on a dramatic TKO. This mission is the first start for Trinidad since TKOing Frenchman Hacine Cherifi in four rounds May 11,2002 in San Juan, then prematurely indicated he was retiring with credentials of 41-1, 34 K0s plus three world titles at 147,154,and 160.

Perhaps Trinidad’s most prestigious victory was
June 18, 1999 when he handed Oscar De La Hoya his first loss as a pro, pressuring in the last four rounds against the retreating Golden Boy to gain a controversial majority decision. Though a return bout was in demand. it never happened since rival promoters Don King and Bob Arum couldn’t get together on mega-million dollar terms.

While Trinidad’s return to boxing was still on hold, Mayorga, 30, soared out of Managua, Nicaragua and
literally stood the boxing horizon on its ear, twice upsetting Vernon Forrest in 2003 for the WBA welterweight belts.

The heavy-fisted import also surfaced as one of the most eccentric characters in the ring, boldly telling the media and the public he loved to smoke and drink beer between bouts as well as in training for major fights.

Though he lost his IBF 147-pound crown to Cory Spinks last Dec.13 in Atlantic City, Mayorga seemingly didn’t lose his popular stance with the fans.

Working with an iinterpreter while still in Nicaragua, “El Matador” berated Trinidad with a barrage of cheap shots and never lost his breath.

“I’m going to demonstrate I’m the guy who wears the pants on Oct.2. I would like to extend to ‘Tito’ a million dollar bet that I will knock him out before eight rounds. He is going to remember taking this fight with me was the biggest mistake of his life. I won’t be satisfied unless I win by a knockout and the earlier the better” Mayorga crowed after improving his resume to 27-4-1, 23 KOs by winning his last start Apr.17 with a decision over Eric Mitchell in New York.

Trinidad, along with his father-trainer, Don Felix, was in good form earlier this week in his final tele-conference call, handling this media quiz without ducking an issue.

The Lat in super star explained he is back in boxing because I wanted to be here and I got tired of the fans asking me when was coming back.

“One of the big questions was am I ready for anything that Mayorga throws at me. I am ready for anything that Mayorga brings to the table Some people wanted to know if I win this fight, would I be looking for a rematch with Hopkins. I am so focused on this fight and i can’t talk about my future until I get past Mayorga.” Said Trinidad.
“ I didn’t come back just to fight Mayorga, I am coming back to beat Mayorga and then look and see what is out there. I don’t know how many fights I want to do, but here are some fights we might have a chance to do. I don’t think this layoff will effect me because I’ve lived a healthy clean life.”

The senior Trinidad reminded his audience “each time you get to training, it’s hard for everybody. We have been training so very hard for six months in order to get Tito in better to get him to show what Tito was in the ring, but even better.

Why the irrepressible Ricardo Mayorga?

“Like i said before, we never choose fighters, it’s a challenge and fight a tough guy out there to show people who is the best. We selected Mayorga to
show the people that Tito Trinidad is still the best fighter in the world.”

Trinidad isn’t too concerned about beating Mayorga by knockout just as long as he wins the fight.

“I’m not worried if Mayorga drops his hands and allows a free shot. In the ring, you can expect a lot. If I can hit him, we’ll see if he really can take my punches. Anyway, I’ll bring big power in my hands and I will be ready to take him out either way. This fight is supposed to go 12 rounds. I know I have a lot on my hands but I came to New York very well trained and I am ready for the fight. That’s why I am so calm and confident in my victory.

“When a fighter has a long layoff, it can mess up your timing. The hard way we trained, those things like timing will come back to you the harder and longer you train to reach a top condition. Honestly, the fire inside me is burning and that is why I am back. If that wasn’t there, then I would not be back in boxing.”

Does Mayorga’s strange behavior bother Trinidad at all?

“He’s been talking too much but it doesn’t bother me because to be honest with you I like boxers like that because when I go into the ring I am going to hit him hard. I feel good because I know I am really meeting a guy who has been talking too much, so he monkeys with me but he’s helping me to hit him even harder. I feel well when I hit that kind of guy extra hard because he’s been talking too much, losing focus or timing.”

Trinidad doesn’t think Mayorga will have any problems dealing with the middleweight division of 160 pounds.

“Mayorga is a fighter coming up from 147 and he has already done a fight at 156 and it‘s a fight he is coming up to 160. Yes, it’s something that is going to affect Ricardo but the reason why is because it’s going to be Tito Trinidad in the other corner.”

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas an also a regular to other sports websites and publications.)