Not Down and Out for Long, Trinidad's Back on Top
By Phillip Przybylo
12.05 - Armed with his signature demoralizing left hook, former middleweight champion Felix "Tito" Trinidad scored a sensational TKO victory over former titlist Hacine Cherifi Saturday night in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The bout, under the Don King banner and televised by HBO, never answered any real questions, though, because Cherifi never really had a chance. Nonetheless, Tito gave yet another rousing performance in front of the thousands of Puerto Rican fans jammed into Roberto Clemente Colesium.
The onset of the fight did little to indicate what was to be an explosive finish for the Puerto Rican star. The first round featured plenty of posturing from both fighters, with Trinidad only throwing a handful of meaningful punches and landing even less. The Frenchmen may have pulled out the first round with his pawing jab and above average defense. Either way, it was a round that did not see enough from the former welterweight and junior middleweight champion.
Following the sub par display, Tito took a breath of air, put the first round since his knockout loss to Bernard Hopkins behind him, and never looked back.
Trinidad came on strong for the second, throwing a plethora of left hooks, each one carrying something a little bit more on it. Not that they necessarily needed it, the Trinidad owned round riled up the home crowd to a frenzy. The third took an unexpected twist when Tito began to box more. Showing movement and nice work with the jab not seen since his battle with Fernando Vargas, Trinidad was able to set up Cherifi for a sweet and sharp right hand, knocking him down to the canvas. The game opponent quickly rose back up and actually decided to trade with Felix in the final seconds of the third.
The fourth stanza was all she wrote for Cherifi, though. An enormous left hook swiveled his head in grotesque fashion and knocking him down early in the round. After falling down for a second time, Cherifi stood up and tried to survive. Even with smooth defense and gutsy efforts for one tremendously long minute, the onslaught from Trinidad was just too intense. Tito landed one last left hook on the point of the chin to send his opponent down for the third time in the fight. Cherifi was able to stand back up, but he was not willing to let the referee let him continue with the scheduled ten rounder.
The win was impressive, but it failed to prove much. Cherifi (32-7-1) is a guy who has been in there with decent competition as of late. He just has not won that many of those bouts. Any glance to his record before that will show that he has been in the ring with more than his fair share of overmatched opponents. The look of sheer relief on his face after the referee called a halt to the fight did little to improve his credibility. Simply put, he did not lay down, but he did not come to win.
Trinidad (41-1) wants Hopkins badly. Too bad Don King has De la Hoya (if he is victorious against Vargas) line up for him in the near future, which is probably a good thing. The Tito that came into the fight tonight looked too similar to the one who lost to "The Executioner" last September. Although there is not much needed, he showed some flashes of improvement. But he fell victim to some bad habits more often than not with too much emphasis on his left hook and not enough movement at times.
There is no doubt that he will be ready for the best 154 and 160 pounders within a few months, though. It is just a matter of how ready and prepared will his competition be. The next year should prove to be interesting.
Hurtado Knocks Out Bailey; Positions Himself Among 140's Best
On the undercard, the match-up between Diobelys Hurtado and Randall Bailey was technically for Bailey's WBA junior welterweight crown. As everyone knows, Kostya Tszyu is the undisputed champion at the same weight class. The WBA has designated him as a "super champion," though. The super champion idea: good in theory due to the leeway it gives unified champions, bad in practice due to "double dipping" in sanctioning fees and confusing people. Look into it, WBA.
Any way its put, Hurtado scored an impressive knockout over Bailey, the kind of knockout that forces fans, media, and a big time division to take notice. After coming on strong in the first, the former WBO champion was caught by a Hurtado counter right that could have threaded a needle, it being so precise. Rounds three, four, and five were very close, if not action packed.
Bailey came on strong in the sixth as he threw a looping right of sorts to the temple. The challenger was stuck for a moment, then realized that he had indeed taken a blow and dropped to a knee. Bailey could not fully capitalize, though, leading to a Hurtado comeback in the seventh round of this seesaw battle.
Spurred forth by his corner before the round, Diobelys came out strong in the seventh. The slaps thrown by the challenger during many of the rounds became loaded combinations. And by the midway point of the round, Hurtado unleashed a thudding left hook to the body. Bailey hunched over and tried to hold on, but the barrage of clubbing punches was not helping. Hurtado then got reset and threw a right to the body among another assault, causing Bailey to go down in pain. Bailey did not make the count.
For Bailey (25-2), a long road is ahead. His two losses were not flukes and have forced him out of the picture for a showdown with Tszyu. He has showed destructive power and nice skills, but cannot overcome differences in style too well. He will have to overcome some major mental barriers to reach the spot he laid claim to two years ago.
On the other hand, Diobelys Hurtado (33-2-1) is right in the thick of the most exciting division in boxing. With him are Zab Judah, Arturo Gatti, Mickey Ward, Demarcus Corley, Ricky Hatton, and Jesse James Leija. Ricardo Williams, Jr., is just a fight or two away, also. Make no mistake about it, Hurtado's gritty performance will not only gain him access to big fights and purses but also to confidence and experience. And after coming so close against Pernell Whitaker and Tszyu years ago, Hurtado might make it big after all. (AP Photo / Tomas van Houtryve)
Questions or comments? Contact the author at: eastside_double_p@hotmail.com
Sharkie’s Week
In Boxing
By Frank Gonzalez Jr
Thank Heaven For
The Under Card!
Diobelys Hurtado vs. Randall Bailey
(34-2-1-22 KO’s) (25-1-0-25 KO’s)
If not for this under card match up, the Main Event of Trinidad vs. Cherifi would have been a total bore.
Randall Bailey was the aggressor, but Diobelys Hurtado was the more effective as he landed the harder, cleaner punches. Hurtado knocked Bailey down in the second round and later Bailey knocked Hurtado down in the sixth. At the open of the seventh, Hurtado became the aggressor and knocked Bailey down twice in the round, the second time for good on a flurry of body shots that found Bailey unable to beat the count.
It was a good fight with both guys giving their all. Bailey has 25 wins, all by knockout. He is aggressive and hits hard. He looked like a street fighter in the ring with his braided hair and intense demeanor. Hurtado, formerly a member of the Cuban National Boxing team, escaped Cuba and now lives in Florida. He is a very strong counter puncher who is primarily a boxer. When he decided to become a slugger in the sixth round, the show was over for Bailey.
Diobelys Hurtado is now the WBA’s Super Lightweight Champ, even though Kostya Tszyu is already the WBA champ of the same division. Hey, don’t ask me how that’s possible; it’s all in the designs of the corrupt alphabet soup organizations. If you think the WBA has real credibility, know that before being exposed by Omar Weis, Hector Camacho Jr. was listed as the WBA’s # 1 contender… So much for credibility.
In his history, Hurtado floored Kostya Tszyu twice before Tszyu won by TKO in the fifth round of their November 1998 meeting. He also lost to Pernell Whitaker back in January of 1997. He had a draw with the wild man known as Ricardo Mayorga, who recently dethroned Six Heads Lewis. Randall Bailey’s resume is not as colorful as it’s loaded with nondescript opponents outside of a split decision loss to Ener Julio back in July of 2000.
I’d like to see Hurtado take on the winner of Tszyu vs. Tackie, or a rematch with Mayorga, or a title fight against DeMarcus Corley would be exciting. Hell, I’d like to see him fight Arturo Gatti, which would be a war.
Both Hurtado and Bailey’s stock went up after their fight, as they are both exciting fighters to watch. They did save the show in this case.
Being undefeated is over-rated. The best lessons of your career can come from a loss. It is the ultimate ‘sobering up’ for a fighter. Humility breeds honesty. Boxing is an individual sport where you have only yourself to rely on once the bell rings. Good trainers and corner people help, but when you’re honest, you can best access the areas you need to improve on coming off a loss. Knowing what your problems are is the first step towards betterment.
After Bernard Hopkins handed Tito Trinidad his first loss back in September of last year, I thought it was crystal clear what Trinidad needed to do to be a better fighter; have better footwork and ring movement. Jab more to set up power shots and have a plan B ready in your arsenal when plan A is failing. Those were the ingredients absent from Tito’s battle with Bernard. Even in his biggest victories, his footwork was less than great. He’s got power, a decent chin and has shown the ability to get up from knockdowns and wallop his opponents. His tenacity and power carried him to the pinnacle of Boxing, but the other things he lacks proved to be his doom against Hopkins, who capitalized on Felix’ weaknesses. Trinidad’s got heart and is basically a good man, inside and outside the ring, although his personal business is none of our concern.
Trinidad was never in trouble with Hacine Cherifi of France, who wasn’t very animated. In fact, he knocked Cherifi out in the fourth round of an easy fight. What I saw Saturday night on HBO, from the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan Puerto Rico, was the same old Trinidad. Emphasis on the ‘old.’ After an eight-month layoff, Tito didn’t look crisp. He was a stationary target as the aggressor, while Hacine danced awkwardly around him. Cherifi even hit him a few times, easily. If Cherifi had any power, he might have been able to give Tito a fight. Cherifi used to be a decent fighter some years ago, but by his own admission was facing Trinidad mostly for the payday and the hope of revitalizing his career. By late in the third round, Trinidad finally started to use the jab and looked better when he started to jab in the fourth round. It could be said that Tito seemed to be riding the Promoter’s ‘gravy train,’ banking on his name against a lesser fighter. They call this, a ‘tune-up’ fight, I call it garbage. That’s exactly what the Felix Trinidad vs. Hacine Cherifi fight was all about.
When an undefeated fighter is dealt his first loss, he either accepts the reality of it and moves on, or allows the memory to haunt his confidence. Some Fighter’s have such delicate egos that after a loss they feel they must ‘beat up’ some inferior opponent to help them regain confidence. That is not a good strategy in my opinion. Unfortunately, Tito’s handler’s seemed to subscribe to this strategy.
If beating on ‘tomato can’ opponents fosters confidence, then it’s a false confidence in my opinion. Real confidence comes from facing legitimate challenges and over coming tougher obstacles… If Tito is serious about a rematch with Hopkins, Cherifi is hardly good preparation. If Bernard was watching, which I’m sure he was, he knows he can still beat Tito with the same formula he used last time. Trinidad showed no improvement in his technique. He actually looked more beatable then I’ve ever seen him look.
When Naseem Hamed suffered his first loss as a pro at the hands of Marco Antonio Barrera, he disappeared for quite a while. Only recently his name’s been mentioned in the news as he plans a comeback fight against lightly regarded Manuel Calvo in his backyard in England.
Other fighters insist on immediate rematches against the fighter that beat them. Lennox Lewis did such in his dominating rematch with Rahman; Shane Mosley is on the same course with Vernon Forrest although I believe Forrest, for whatever reason, will always beat Mosley. I give extra credit to fighters who look to avenge their losses straight away. There are many ways to look at it. If you’re in Boxing solely for the money, then you’ll follow the golden cow and milk the sport while playing it safe. If you’re in it for the love of the sport and want to be the best, then you don’t want anything less then the best possible opponents. The big paydays will follow.
Felix “Tito” Trinidad of Puerto Rico is a big name and a big name means big money, especially to Don King. With the inclusion of King in the mix, it’s doubtful that honor is part of the program. It’s about money. So, King stages a fight in Trinidad’s backyard where the crowd will scream every time he throws a punch, whether it lands or not, and Tito will be officially back in the Middleweight picture with his ‘confidence’ in tact. I’m glad to see Trinidad back, only I wish he’d have taken a rematch with Hopkins or De La Hoya instead of a crappy, predictable, useless tune-up with a lesser caliber opponent.
Trinidad should fight Hopkins and De La Hoya within a year. These are the only two fighters who figured him out. They are his final exam. Whether he wins or not, they would be exciting, big money generating fights. But with all the crooked politics in Boxing, who knows what will happen? Hopkins has trainer and promoter issues. Oscar has his issues too and may retire sooner than he says. If he loses to Vargas, (if he even fights Vargas…) his stock may plummet and that could change the parameters of this drama.
The clock is ticking and everyone is getting older. Trinidad looks slower than I ever seen him. He came into the fight weighing 168-pounds for a 160-pound contest, it showed. His face looked puffier and his footwork was less than good. As great a fighter as Trinidad is, his best days might be behind him. Perhaps Trinidad was better at 154-pounds. I have been a fan of his for years, his fights have always been exciting and his opponents usually of high esteem. Now that he got his ‘tune-up’ fight out of the way, I look forward to him testing the waters he once ruled…again.
But the fight I really want to see is Felix and Oscar.
Agree or disagree? Send comments to dshark87@hotmail.com
