Felix Trinidad “Tito”: A Biography!
| Date of Birth: | January 10, 1973 |
| Place of Birth: | Fajardo, Puerto Rico |
| Gym(s): | His Fathers – Felix Trinidad Sr |
| Location: | Cupey Alto, Puerto Rico |
| Manager & Trainer: | Felix Trinidad Sr. |
| Boxing Career: | Amateur, Professional |
| Nicknames: | Tito |
| Height: | 5 Ft 11 inches. 180cm |
| Reach: | 72 inches. 183cm |
| Stance: | Orthodox |
| Weight Class: | Welterweight, Light middleweight, Middleweight, Light heavyweight |
| Professional Record: | Total Fights: 45, Wins: 42, Wins by KO: 35, Losses: 3, Draws 0, No contests 0 |
| Notable Fights | Felix Trinidad vs Maurice Blocker, Felix Trinidad vs Pernell Whitaker, Felix Trinidad vs Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad vs Fernando Vargas, Felix Trinidad vs William Joppy, Felix Trinidad vs Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad vs Ricardo Mayorga, Felix Trinidad vs Winky Wright, Felix Trinidad vs Roy Jones Jr. |
Overview
Felix Trinidad was an explosive former professional boxer from Puerto Rico who competed from 1990 to 2008. During this time ‘Tito’ was one of the most charismatic and destructive fighters of the last 3 decades (just check his record) holding multiple championships in three weight classes and fighting in some of the greatest mega-fights of the time. Something that has led to Felix Juan Trinidad Garcia to give him his full name almost always being cited as one of the greatest Puerto Rican boxers ever.
Felix Trinidad Jr: Early Life and Amateur Career
Dependent on source Felix Trinidad Jr. began boxing in his dad’s (Felix Trinidad Sr.) gym at the age of ten or twelve, compiling a respectable record of 51 wins and six losses whilst acquiring 5 national amateur titles in the process. During this time it was apparent that a young Felix Trinidad Jr. possessed a devastating knockout punch, in particular his left hook which lay waste to many an aspiring amateur fighter long before its destruction was unleashed on the professional ranks when Felix turned pro at the age of 17 on the 10th March, 1990.
The Professional
Not surprisingly then or in retrospect Felix Trinidad started his professional career at Welterweight with a bang. Knocking out fellow debutant Angel Romero in only the second round at the Miramar in Puerto Rico. Indeed the beginning of Trinidad’s career would see him KO an astonishing nine out of his first 10 opponents.
Felix did slow down (slightly) thereafter as he competed against more experienced boxers like Jake Rodriguez who on the 6th of December, 1991 he defeated by unanimous decision. In doing so Felix Trinidad suffered an injury to his right hand. A casualty of hitting so hard ? Possibly. Irrespective it would force Felix Trinidad into inactivity for five months.
Yet when Felix returned it seemed the fire in Trinidad’s fists had only hardened as once again he knocked out the big punching Raul Gonzalez (5KO’s from eight fights) after first putting Gonzalez down three times before winning by 4th round TKO on the ‘Main Event’ of the fight card. Felix Trinidad now in possession of a somewhat fearsome record of 14-0 and 11 KO’s.
First Professional Title
Naturally with such a fearsome record came a fearsome reputation and it was not long before the two led Felix Trinidad to a title fight. On the 19th June, 1993 Felix Trinidad travelled to San Diego, California and brutally defeated established fighter and respected champion Maurice Blocker in two rounds on a fight card televised by Showtime.
The Showtime aspect was particularly significant afterwards for due to Don King’s exclusive relationship in staging fights for the cable channel, Felix Trinidad would now regularly be showcased on ‘Showtime Championship Boxing’.
The title win was also significant as Felix Trinidad would go on to hold it for 6 years, eight months and fourteen days.
Very Notable Fights:
As his career continued Felix Trinidad would engage the best boxers of the time. Let’s take a look at some of those fights and a few of the highlights.
Felix Trinidad vs Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho
Felix Trinidad’s first appearance in Las Vegas (at the MGM Grand) was on the 29th January, 1994 and it was a perfect venue for the Puerto Rican showman. Cautious through the first few rounds, Trinidad established himself on the fight from the third round onwards. Camacho wary of Felix Trinidad’s power, adopted a defensive posture thereafter and lost by some margin on the judges scorecards 117–109, 116–110, and 119–106. Remarkably for Trinidad it was one of the few times he was actually forced to the judges scorecards and the first time since he won the championship.
Felix Trinidad vs Yori Boy Campus
Felix’s second fight in Las Vegas saw him return to the MGM Grand on the 17th of September later that same year. The fight was a test of Trinidad’s mettle for his opponent was a known puncher who boasted a record of 56 and 0. Felix Trinidad would suffer the second knockdown of his career in the 2nd round but would climb off the campus to trade combinations with Campas, breaking his nose and injuring his face to the extent that the referee would stop the fight in the fourth round. Felix Trinidad thereby inflicting the first defeat of Yori Boy Campus’ career.
Felix Trinidad dispatches quality opposition on route to the Mega fights:
For his fourth fight outside of Puerto Rico Felix Trinidad engaged another undefeated fighter – Oba Carr in Monetary, Mexico. Once again Felix Trinidad was ‘dropped’ in the second round but again this only sought to invigorate him. Trinidad pursuing the challenger thereafter and after injuring Carr in the 4th with a solid punch, scored three consecutive knockdowns in the eighth to end the contest by technical knockout.
Some short highlights which encapsulate the entirety of this can be seen here
For the next four years Felix Trinidad would spend his time defending his title against numerous notable fighters in televised bouts on Showtime. Roger Turner, Larry Barnes, Rodney Moore, Freddie Pendleton, Ray Lovato, Kevin Lueshing, Tory Waters, and Ekoli Zulu, were all dispatched within the distance before he would place his undefeated record of 33 wins and 0 losses on the line with consecutive fights against not one but two of the greatest of his or any other era: Pernell Whitaker and Oscar De La Hoya.
Felix Trinidad vs Pernell Whitaker
On the 20th February, 1999, Felix Trinidad defended the welterweight championship against the already legendary defensive fighter Pernell Whitaker. Whitaker’s career may have been coming to an end but he was still a force to be reckoned with and it took a much younger, much stronger Felix Trinidad to be the first to comprehensively defeat him. Felix Trinidad winning by unanimous decision 117–111, 118–109 and 118–109 on the judges scorecards.
Truth be told ‘Tito’ was troubled little throughout the 13th defence of his title. Pernell great fighter that he was suffered a rare flash knockdown in the second and although he gamely traded combinations and power punches in the middle rounds in an effort to get back into the fight, by the final round Whitaker had a badly swollen right eye, displayed a purely defensive stance and avoided his opponent throughout. Felix Trinidad however continued on aggressively until the final bell.
Felix Trinidad vs Oscar De La Hoya
On the 18th September 1999 two of the biggest promoters in the game, Don King (Felix Trinidad) and Bob Arum (Oscar De Hoya) came together to match their fighters at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in one of the biggest mega-fights to date for the Lineal, WBC and IBF Welterweight championships.
In what was regarded as a bit of a let down to its billing, the fight saw Felix Trinidad fail to connect with his aggressive offence whilst the undefeated Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya employed some skilful boxing tactics to avoid Trinidad’s attacks whilst connecting with combinations of his own. So much so that by the fifth round Oscar had swollen Felix Trinidad’s eye and bloodied his nose.
Oscar’s clever movement causing Felix Trinidad big problems throughout the fight up until the middle of the tenth round. Their-in despite the fact ‘Tito’s’ eye swelling had worsened and he might have been there for the taking, Oscar had largely burned himself out and had to remain ‘on his toes’ for the remainder of the bout. This allowed Felix Trinidad to win the last two rounds and pinch an extremely close and controversial decision 115–113, 115–114 and 114–114 on the judges scorecards.
Moving up to Light middleweight
In the year 2000 Felix Trinidad decided to vacate the Welterweight championships and move up to the junior (light) middleweight division in order to challenge and defeat another undefeated fighter David Reid, for the WBA title. His obligatory visit to the canvas in the 3rd round aside, Felix Trinidad would come on strong afterwards, taking control of the fight with his jab en route to scoring, first a knockdown and then three consecutive knockdowns in the eleventh round before winning 114–107, 114–106 and 115–106, on the judges scorecards.
Felix Trinidad vs Fernando Vargas
On the 2nd of December, 2000 Felix Trinidad fought a unification match for the IBF junior middleweight championship against ‘Ferocious” Fernando Vargas in one of the most eagerly anticipated fights of the year.
Here was a fight (that you should really seek out and watch the whole of yourselves rather than have it described to you as it’s simply a belter) that lived up to all expectation. Two undefeated knockout specialists, going ‘toe to toe’. Their respective records going into the fight nothing short of simply brutal:
Felix Trinidad: 38 Wins, 0 Losses and 31 KO’s vs Fernando Vargas 20 Wins 0 Losses and 18 KO’s
Take a look and enjoy!
Middleweight
Following his epic fight with Fernando Vargas, Felix Trinidad moved up to Middleweight and took part in Don Kings 2001 Middleweight World Championship Series. This was an extravaganza designed to unify the middleweight title and saw Felix Trinidad drawn against WBA champion William Joppy in a round robin tournament which also included WBC champion Keith Holmes and IBF champion Bernard Hopkins.
Felix Trinidad would start well, winning the WBA middleweight title with an impressive five round destruction of William Joppy making him a three weight world champion. Later that year though and as the tournament continued Felix Trinidad suffered a major upset and his first professional loss.
Felix Trinidad vs Bernard Hopkins (first loss)
On the 29th September 2001 in a fight rescheduled after the 9/11 attacks Felix Trinidad lost his newly won WBA title to a man that made not knowing how to lose (despite his advanced age of 36) an art from. Bernard Hopkins ring-craft master and master of gamesmanship in general did what no-one else had done before and made Felix Trinidad look average before stopping him by TKO in round 12.
Hopkins fought a brilliantly pragmatic fight, constantly ensuring Felix Trinidad was not allowed to gain any rhythm or foothold in the match, with a clinical display of speed and power. Yet the fight might possibly have have been won long before the bell for it had ever been sounded as Hopkins had been employing and utilising a variety of ‘mind games’ and unsporting tactics in the weeks leading up to the bout in order to unsettle ‘Tito’.
Whether this knocked Felix Trinidad out of his stride to the extent he became fallible is debatable. But amongst other; when you enrage not just a man but his entire fellow countrymen by throwing the flag of their country onto the floor in not one but two press conferences, it seems plausible that this would have a disturbing effect on a fighter’s preparations. Given Hopkins actually caused a riot when he had the temerity to do this in Puerto Rico, it’s understandable the pressure on Felix Trinidad to exact vengeance would have been immense and just maybe that was enough to knock Felix Trinidad off kilter and allow Bernard Hopkins to cause one of the biggest upsets in boxing ever.
Felix Trinidad, retirement, comeback, retirement!
No-one other than Felix Trinidad will likely know the effect Hopkins or the pressure had on him. What is known is it was enough to cause Felix Trinidad to contemplate retiring from boxing for the first time and whilst he did not do so straight away few people believe his easy fourth round TKO of Hacine Cherifi in San Juan, Puerto Rico on the 11th May, 2002 was the way Felix Trinidad intended to go out. Following that contest though, Felix Trinidad did announce his retirement, leaving the sport with a record of 41 wins, one defeat, and 34 knockouts.
It would take until the 2nd of March, 2004 for Felix Trinidad to apparently set his mind straight or so it seemed and announce his comeback. Returning to the ring on the 2nd of October later that year, Felix Trinidad would return in emphatic fashion against the dangerous Ricardo Mayorga in an electric fight at Madison Square Garden. The ‘tale of the tape’ can be seen here and its well worth watching. Just listen to the atmosphere!
Felix Trinidad finally ending this epic contest in round eight with several knockdowns and ultimately a TKO after the third.
Felix Trinidad’s final fights
A fire clearly still burned within Felix Trinidad to continue boxing though he was woefully out of sorts in a comprehensive unanimous decision loss to Winky Wright on the 14th May 2005. So much so that his father Felix Trinidad Sr. informed him that he would no longer continue in his corner. This would force Felix Trinidad into a second but more temporary retirement.
Felix Trinidad however was not yet done with boxing and whilst both fighters were past their best, a final fight against the man known as ‘Superman’ – Roy Jones Jr. at Madison Square Garden on the 19th January, 2008 was a far more fitting comeback and end to the career of Felix Trinidad. Even despite the fact, Jones rolled back the years to put on a bit of a show and win comprehensively.
Highlights of a very sporting fight in which the quality of two all time greats is still apparent can be seen here
The end is nigh but the record still shines!
As has been seen in this short biography, Felix Trinidad engaged in some of the most highly anticipated and entertaining fights of his era against the best and most brutal around. Unafraid to to put his ‘zero’ loss record on the line Felix Trinidad frequently entered into fights in which the excitement was enhanced by the fact that ‘Someone’s ‘0’ had to go!’
Given the calibre of opponents he faced it was inevitable he would eventually lose at some stage. But considering his final and full record of 45 wins and 3 losses included two retirements, it is simply incredible and leaves no doubt as to why Felix Trinidad is rated as one of the greatest fighters and punches of the modern era.
Accolades.
Some of Felix Trinidad’s other major achievements not previously mentioned are listed below.
- Felix Trinidad was voted fighter of the year by ‘The Ring’and the Boxing Writers Association of America in the Year 2000.
- Felix Trinidad is ranked number 30 on The Ring’s list of 100 greatest punchers of all time
- In 2002 The Ring named him the 51st greatest fighter of the past 80 years
- Felix Trinidad was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014.
