12.05.05 – By Wray Edwards: When you look at Felix “Tito” Trinidad you see the friendly passion of his native Puerto Rico. There is a glimmer of mischief in those crafty eyes. When you look at Ronald “Winky” Wright there is sometimes a dark and “means business” seriousness. Tito, like Arnie, says let’s party and then all hell breaks loose.. Winky, like Van Damme, makes a frown and goes to it as if insulted that anyone would have the temerity to challenge him. Both, of course would like to “party” with Hopkins, providing that other Felix (Sturm) doesn’t get in the way.
This Middleweight title eliminator comes just a week after the epic battle between Corrales and Castillo. That’s a tough act to follow, but if any two boxers on the scene today can hope to make a credible effort, it’s these two. Wright comes to this battle fresh from his victory over Shane Mosley. His majority decision success against the Joe Goosen trained fighter was not quite as spectacular as Tito’s action-packed and stunning eighth-round TKO of Ricardo Mayorga for the NABC Middleweight title. Wright will be moving up, as well, to a territory more home-like to Felix as he has been there for two out of the last four years.
Yes Mayorga, who is better suited to the welter divisions, was in over his head, but he made a more kamikaze style effort than Shane did against Ronald. Tito finally shot Ricardo down with furious intent. Winky’s effort to defeat Mosley was a more protracted and less definitive event. Trinidad also has two scores to settle on his present course. He is still motivated to prove that his comeback is for real, and he, of course, must harbor deep desire to avenge the only loss of his career to Bernard Hopkins.
Both guys (Tito – 32 & Winky – 33), born about fourteen months apart, are on the age hump for middleweights. If either is going to make a mid to end-of-career statement, this fight might prove to be the lynchpin of that effort. Wright has been a bit more active than Tito, but his KO record is less impressive. Also his opponents have been generally lower profile. While Trinidad has fought the likes of De La Hoya, Reid, Hopkins, Vargas, Cherifi and Joppy (not to mention Comacho, Whitaker and Campas) , Winky has been in there for the distance with every fighter but two in his last ten fights, and Mosley was his most famous challenge. They have Vargas in common and Felix fared better than Ronald in that challenge.
Wright’s style seems stiff and unidirectional when compared with Tito’s dancing and flexible mobility. Tito’s pleasant dedication contrasts with Wright’s tendency to get personal and even reckless at times which betrays a big difference in their emotional stability. Who can ever forget Joe Goosen’s mouth hanging open when Winky offered Shane his chin Mayorga-style in round five? That was a perfect example of Wright’s loss of perspective due to emotions, and his indulgence egotistical bravado.
He better not offer his chin to Trinidad, a-la-Mayorga, as he did to Mosley, because Felix has seen that from the master boxing egotist and has an immediate and withering answer for such shenanigans. He might have gotten away with that against Mosley, but Tito has little patience with such showboating. Mosley probably didn’t take advantage because he was not prepared for such foolishness. Tito is a quicker study when such opportunities arise. Winky’s rock-drummer hand speed and co-ordination are equal to Mayorga’s but he carries more power than Ricardo. That factor is one which Trinidad would do well to watch out for. They both have journeyman chins but they’re not rocky enough with which to take chances.
Another thing that Tito will, or should, not brook is any unwanted affection from Wright. Apparently not wanting to risk himself and a slim margin lead, Wright took a page from John Ruiz in eleven and twelve when he fought Shane. He switched to a jab-and-grab tactic at the end of that fight. It seems that Wright is content to go the distance. Tito, on the other hand, seeks a resolute and clear outcome. No half-measures for him. If Ronald thinks he can get ahead on Tito and then hug his way to the end, he will be sadly mistaken. Just getting ahead will be a major challenge; trying to slide to the end after that, virtually impossible against the voracious motivations of Tito.
The talented Wright hails from St. Petersburg, Florida where quiet retirement communities are the order of the day. Ronald is neither quiet nor retiring. Born in our nation’s capital and trained by Dan Burmingham, the 48 – 3 (25KO) boxer is a community favorite in his home town. He is active in the community and presents a personable and friendly nature when appearing for such events. His early career was a bit of a globe trot as he fought in France, England and South Africa. Sort-of-a go anywhere fight anybody kinda guy.
The 43 – 1 (35KO) Trinidad carries national pride on his shoulders. Hailing from Puerto Rico, where he is a hero, he is trained and managed by his father. His two year plus layoff from the sport came after his only career loss to Bernard Hopkins and a quick victory over Cherifi. The fight with the Frenchman served only as a rust preventer while negotiations continued for a rematch with either Hopkins or De La Hoya.
Neither match could be made and Tito and his father, with really no new worlds to conquer, stepped away from the sport to let the brew ferment for a while. Meanwhile, Oscar did his goofy Mosley/ Sturm/Hopkins trilogy, losing two and a half of those, while Hopkins was sparring with Joppy, Allen and Oscar. It is pretty obvious that B-Hops knows that Tito was distracted by his humanitarian efforts after 9/11 before their fight, and has probably decided to avoid a fully prepared Tito. Don King has a Hobson’s choice in that regard.
That probably hasn’t changed much. Bernard is probably more interested in tending his legacy during his last few swan-songs, rather than facing a younger, resurgent Puerto Rican pugilist on a mission. He certainly does not need to be unceremoniously booted from the sport at the end of his career. He probably does not cherish the thought of having the red spots of Mitchell and Trinidad become the parentheses which bracket his career. And there is a good chance that Trinidad is just the man to administer the coup de gras.
Looking at the experience and records of these two, one would have to consider Felix the fave. Looking at the action in their fights things look a little closer. This writer just has a gut feeling that Felix has more momentum, more moxy, and more motivation. There is little doubt who the big winner will be with these two: the true fan of boxing.