With typical hyperbole, Don King introduced Felix "Tito" Trinidad as someone who is loved by everyone in the boxing world.
Well, everyone except Ricardo Mayorga, who was sitting about 6m to Trinidad's left.
"Tito has been knocked out ever since he signed that contract," said Mayorga, Trinidad's opponent in Saturday's middleweight fight that could be one of the highlights of the boxing year. "Once a car wrecks, it does not have the same value as before."
Mayorga, the former WBA and WBC welterweight champion, believes Trinidad lost his skills when he retired 29 months ago. To emphasize his confidence about beating the Puerto Rican star, Mayorga offered to bet "anyone who wants" US$1 million on the outcome of the 12-round bout.
The Nicaraguan even did a tap dance on a poster of Trinidad at Wednesday's news conference and wrote KO next to Trinidad's picture.
"When Tito falls and there is two to three seconds of silence, the only thing you'll hear is the old man (Trinidad's father and trainer, also named Felix) stepping up to the ring," Mayorga said, "to take care of his son."
Mayorga is known for his unpredictable behavior in and out of the ring. A smoker, he often has lit up cigarettes after fights. During bouts, he's been known to drop his glove and stick out his chin, daring an opponent to hit it.
Trinidad, who has 34 knockouts among his 41 victories (and one loss, to middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins), will gladly oblige Mayorga if so challenged.
"Tito is not coming to play in the ring," Trinidad promised. "He's coming to fight and will be hitting very hard [against] any challengers -- even more when they have a big mouth. This is the case even more with Mayorga.
"He doesn't understand with whom he'll be in the ring."
Mayorga (27-4-1, 23 KOs) will be in the ring with one of New York's most popular fighters.
Although the 31-year-old Trinidad grew up and lives in Puerto Rico, he has spent much time in the US.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
RSS