Matthew Hurley: Despite losing to Roy Jones Jr. by unanimous decision this past Saturday night Felix ‘Tito’ Trinidad (photo by David Martin Warr – DKP) was handsomely compensated for his losing effort. Trinidad, who suffered two knockdowns in the bout but in typical fashion kept pressing the action, is alleged to have pocketed nearly $14 million for his nights work. According to the El Vocero periodical Trinidad made nearly $7 million plus an added $2 million from pay-per-view sales. The latest numbers on the Jones – Trinidad fight has pay-per-view buys exceeding four hundred thousand. On top of that, promoter Don King sweetened Tito’s deal with a second payment during the negotiation process.
Trinidad’s attorney Nicolas Medina commented on Trinidad’s earnings. “Tito was well protected during the negotiation process and right after the fight we picked up both of our checks in full,” he said.. “Tito put on a great show and I think there were at least fifteen thousand people at Madison Square Garden. Furthermore, the people of Puerto Rico should be proud.” (The official attendance has been reported as 12,161.)
Although the loss to Jones was his second straight, he dropped a wide unanimous decision to Winky Wright in 2005, Trinidad is hinting at the possibility of a return to the ring. Trinidad has only fought four times since his 2001 loss to Bernard Hopkins but his immense popularity in Puerto Rico seems to lead him back into the ring after intermittent spells of dormancy. The fighter acknowledged as much in an interview with the Primera Hora newspaper.
“There are a lot of fans that want me to continue fighting. They congratulate me on the fight. They stop and tell me I fought a great fight, one of the better fights I’ve given to boxing, and it was against a man who dominated the one hundred and seventy-five pound weight division a few years ago. I don’t have a decision now. I’m a young, healthy person. I only have three losses. There are other boxers who were beaten more times, taken a lot more punishment and they continue.”
The thirty-five year old fighter went on to add that his performance against Jones, who insisted that he would knock Tito out in four rounds, was not only in the vintage Trinidad style but worthy enough of praise from his harshest critic – himself.
“I was knocked down, but I got up and I didn’t run, I fought. I’ve never been a fighter who runs. I connected with my jab. I connected to the body. It was one of my better performances.”
HBO’s Boxing After Dark will air a replay of the Jones – Trinidad fight on Saturday, January 26th at 10:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. The replay will be followed by the Alexander Povetkin – Eddie Chambers heavyweight elimination bout, live from Berlin, Germany.