The Legacy of a Boxer
When discussing the premier boxers of the current era, every fan of the sport has an opinion, and many times these opinions are as different as night and day. Out of that group of elite athletes, appears Felix Trinidad, a boxer who in the opinion of many, lacks the essential boxing skills that define greatness. Well, the reality is that Felix Trinidad is one of the top five “pound for pound?fighters of the last decade. There is no denying that he has the credentials to be considered an all time great, and also to earn a spot in the prestigious, International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.
“What has Felix Trinidad done to be considered an all time great??This is a question that skeptics love to bring to the table. How about becoming a five time world champion in three weight divisions? Not only did Trinidad achieve this, but he did it by facing the highest level of opposition available in his sport. He fought thirty five times as a welterweight, four times as a junior middleweight, and five times as a middleweight. His excellent record of 42 wins, against only 2 losses, with 35 wins by knockout is indicative of his undeniable quality as a fighter.
His performance in the ring is only surpassed by his resume. From 1993 to 1999, Felix Trinidad was the IBF welterweight champion of the world. Some of his early victories, which helped to cement his legacy, were against the likes of boxing legend, Hector “Macho?Camacho and multi division champion, Oscar De La Hoya. Trinidad’s fight with the latter, gave him the WBC welterweight championship of the world and jumpstarted his reputation as one of the best boxers on the planet.
As if being the unified welterweight champion of the world was not enough, Felix Trinidad also decided to embark on a journey to become the unified jr. middleweight champion of the world. First, he faced undefeated WBA champion, David Reid. Trinidad outclassed him and took away the title with a unanimous decision victory. Nine months later, he stepped into the ring against undefeated IBF champion, “Ferocious?Fernando Vargas, in a unification bout. The winner of the fight could claim to be the best fighter in the division. In an unforgettable back and forth war, Trinidad was the winner and, thus, became one of the top fighters in the world.
Felix Trinidad’s next step towards immortality, was his participation in a tournament to determine who was the best middleweight on the planet. In his first fight as a middleweight, he easily demolished the WBA champion, William Joppy. This was the fifth world title captured by Trinidad. Unfortunately, he lost that title and his undefeated record against the current undisputed middleweight champion of the world, Bernard “The Executioner?Hopkins. After the loss, Trinidad retired, only to return two years later. In the second stage of his career, he won one fight by knockout and lost the next one by unanimous decision. Still, after that last loss, Felix Trinidad deserves all the credit in the world for what he has done in his stellar career.
The aforementioned facts speak for themselves. The accomplishments of Felix Trinidad are carved in stone and nobody can deny the magnitude of them. He is one of the greatest Hispanic fighters of all time and definitely one of the top five boxers of his era. Warriors like Trinidad, only come every once in a while, but we have been fortunate to have witnessed an all time great as he achieved greatness.
Exciterx22
When discussing the premier boxers of the current era, every fan of the sport has an opinion, and many times these opinions are as different as night and day. Out of that group of elite athletes, appears Felix Trinidad, a boxer who in the opinion of many, lacks the essential boxing skills that define greatness. Well, the reality is that Felix Trinidad is one of the top five “pound for pound?fighters of the last decade. There is no denying that he has the credentials to be considered an all time great, and also to earn a spot in the prestigious, International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.
“What has Felix Trinidad done to be considered an all time great??This is a question that skeptics love to bring to the table. How about becoming a five time world champion in three weight divisions? Not only did Trinidad achieve this, but he did it by facing the highest level of opposition available in his sport. He fought thirty five times as a welterweight, four times as a junior middleweight, and five times as a middleweight. His excellent record of 42 wins, against only 2 losses, with 35 wins by knockout is indicative of his undeniable quality as a fighter.
His performance in the ring is only surpassed by his resume. From 1993 to 1999, Felix Trinidad was the IBF welterweight champion of the world. Some of his early victories, which helped to cement his legacy, were against the likes of boxing legend, Hector “Macho?Camacho and multi division champion, Oscar De La Hoya. Trinidad’s fight with the latter, gave him the WBC welterweight championship of the world and jumpstarted his reputation as one of the best boxers on the planet.
As if being the unified welterweight champion of the world was not enough, Felix Trinidad also decided to embark on a journey to become the unified jr. middleweight champion of the world. First, he faced undefeated WBA champion, David Reid. Trinidad outclassed him and took away the title with a unanimous decision victory. Nine months later, he stepped into the ring against undefeated IBF champion, “Ferocious?Fernando Vargas, in a unification bout. The winner of the fight could claim to be the best fighter in the division. In an unforgettable back and forth war, Trinidad was the winner and, thus, became one of the top fighters in the world.
Felix Trinidad’s next step towards immortality, was his participation in a tournament to determine who was the best middleweight on the planet. In his first fight as a middleweight, he easily demolished the WBA champion, William Joppy. This was the fifth world title captured by Trinidad. Unfortunately, he lost that title and his undefeated record against the current undisputed middleweight champion of the world, Bernard “The Executioner?Hopkins. After the loss, Trinidad retired, only to return two years later. In the second stage of his career, he won one fight by knockout and lost the next one by unanimous decision. Still, after that last loss, Felix Trinidad deserves all the credit in the world for what he has done in his stellar career.
The aforementioned facts speak for themselves. The accomplishments of Felix Trinidad are carved in stone and nobody can deny the magnitude of them. He is one of the greatest Hispanic fighters of all time and definitely one of the top five boxers of his era. Warriors like Trinidad, only come every once in a while, but we have been fortunate to have witnessed an all time great as he achieved greatness.
Exciterx22
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