TRINIDAD-HOPKINS POST-FIGHT ANALYSIS

September 30, 2001 - by Bert Sugar

Long before the first punch was thrown, the Undisputed Middleweight World Championship between Felix "Tito" Trinidad and Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins was impacted by several events that shaped the mood for the fight. First, terrorism and its aftermath put anticipation for the fight on the back burner, delaying the showdown for two weeks. Indeed, heroic firefighters and police in the Madison Square Garden crowd were honored in speech and song before the Main Event.

There was the open hostility between the fighters, which began on the press tour when Hopkins had the audacity to throw down the Puerto Rican flag. This hostility (game-playing?) spilled over into the pre-fight moments, when Hopkins' handlers complained about how Trinidad's fists were being wrapped. They claimed the Trinidad camp wrapped their champion's fists too tight, an almost cast-like tightness, that violates boxing's highly interpretive standards. At one point, the word from Trinidad's dressing room was that if he was forced to re-wrap, he would not fight.

Ruffled feathers were somehow smoothed, and the grand context for the first Undisputed Middleweight Championship since 1987, was laid out at center ring. Many great middleweights of the past were on hand, as was the Sugar Ray Robinson trophy, which would be given to the winner of the bout. Hopkins entered in his trademark--albeit red, white and blue- executioners mask. Trinidad entered patriotically, showing support not only for Puerto Rico, but for the USA. Tito wore a New York policeman's hat, his father, a firefighter's hat. The tribute worked for the Trinidad's. Because despite the fact that Hopkins is from 90 miles down the New Jersey Turnpike in Philadelphia, noise in the Garden proved the crowd was overwhelmingly in favor of "Tito".

The first connect of round one was a right by Hopkins. He held Trinidad's head while he threw a couple punches, but what would a Bernard Hopkins fight be like without a little of that? Everyone was expecting Hopkins to get right in Trinidad's face, but "The Executioner" had a different strategy to execute.

Through the first few rounds, Trinidad tried to close the distance and line up Hopkins with one of his explosive power shots. But Hopkins stayed just out of range, jabbing and countering effectively. Trinidad's real power reached him for the first time early in the fourth round. Surprisingly, Hopkins did not go down in a heap. In fact, he came back in the furious exchange with power shots of his own. In the fifth round, Hopkins outpunched Trinidad 2-1, and put a nasty punctuation on the round by hitting after the bell.

The snarl was back in the fight. Round six was a war, Trinidad scoring solidly, but Hopkins standing toe-to-toe and firing back. The fighters exchanged power with power, and Trinidad drew referee Steve Smoger's warning by shoving an elbow up to Hopkins' throat. Still, Hopkins hung in through the next few rounds-jabbing, countering, not allowing himself to be trapped against the ropes. For every punch Trinidad landed, Hopkins would respond with two. And though Hopkins seemed to be racking up points with each round, Trinidad's father kept telling his son that he was winning the fight.

Action and emotions erupted again in the tenth round. In close with Hopkins against the ropes, where you'd figure Trinidad could do the greatest damage, the fighters stood tall and slugged. Both fighters connected solidly, although the blood that was spilled only came from Trinidad's nose. And once again, the bell was ignored and punches were traded until a full five seconds after the end of the round!

The titanic tenth took a lot out of Trinidad. Hopkins was in charge in the 11th round, and for the first time in Trinidad's career, it looked like he might not have the power left to get the knockout he needed. Hopkins knew it, and instead of staying away from Trinidad in the twelfth round and taking the decision, he went after Trinidad to close the deal. And close it he did! Shockingly, stunningly--the undefeated and seemingly invulnerable Felix Trinidad was knocked to the canvas by a neck-snapping right hook. Hopkins had the knockout, the undisputed middleweight title, the Sugar Ray Robinson trophy, and a lifetime of vindication for what he had just accomplished.

Bernard Hopkins had the career-defining fight of his life. At age 36, he can finally get the boxing world to acknowledge his greatness. Felix Trinidad is undefeated and unbeatable no longer. At age 28, he has time to go about the business of restoring his greatness. And in the storied middleweight division, for the first time since 1987, there is One Middleweight champion. And surprise, surprise...that One is not Felix Trinidad.