Former three division world champion Felix "Tito" Trinidad (42-3, 35 KOs) of Puerto Rico is ready to return to the ring - but this time for charity.
Trinidad, 44 years old, retired back in 2008, after a shock return - after nearly three years of retirement - to fight Roy Jones Jr. at light heavyweight. Trinidad was dominated over twelve rounds at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Trinidad wants to raise money for the large number of his countryman in Puerto Rico, who were severely affected last month by Hurricane Maria. Only 20% of the residents have regained power - over a month after the disaster.
And what fight would Trinidad desire?
The one fight that Trinidad believes would raise a lot of money - a rematch would Oscar De La Hoya.
The two boxers met in a mega-fight unification, at welterweight, back on September 18, 1999, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. Trinidad walked away with a controversial twelve round majority win, off scorecards of 115–113, 115–114 and 114–114.
De La Hoya, sensing he was way ahead in the fight, coasted in the championship rounds as Trinidad came on. Afterwards, De La Hoya admitted that he made a big mistake in miscalculating the scorecards.
The rematch was in very high demand, but it never happened. Trinidad eventually moved up to junior middleweight to win more belts, and then to middleweight to win some more belts.
Better late than never?
"It was a fight where a lot of people were left with the desire to see the rematch. I won the first fight and on September 18, 1999, Puerto Rico celebrated," Trinidad said.
De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs), is also 44 years old and he also retired back in 2008 - after he was battered up by Manny Pacquiao - in a fight that many had predicted would be a mismatch, as Pacquiao was moving up from 135-pounds to take the fight at 147.
2023-10-19 20:02:38
