Denial can be a boxer’s biggest asset and worst quality. It can make him think he’s invincible even when he’s especially vulnerable.
Denial will be in both corners tonight at the Garden when Roy Jones Jr. faces Felix “Tito” Trinidad in a clash of two of boxing’s biggest stars over the last decade.
Jones, 39, is out to prove he’s still an elite fighter even though many thought he should have ended his brilliant career after suffering back-to-back knockout losses to Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson in 2004.
“It’s my time to shine again,” said Jones, an eight-time world champion who was once recognized as boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighter.
Trinidad, 35, thinks he has enough skill left to beat Jones and thrill his passionate Puerto Rican fan base that begged him to return to the ring even though he was dominated in his last outing against Winky Wright in 2005.
“In the world of boxing, I gained titles and I learned to be famous and I have a lot of fans,” said Trinidad. “Right now, I just want to get a victory and celebrate that with all of the fans in New York and then go home to celebrate with all of the fans in the Puerto Rico.”
Trinidad’s following was evident at a chaotic weigh-in yesterday at the Garden. The weight for the 12-round pay-per-view bout ($49.95) is contracted for 170 pounds. Jones, who has fought from middleweight to heavyweight, stepped up a ripped 169 ½ pounds, his lowest weight since 1996. Trinidad was officially listed at 170, the heaviest of his career, after initially weighing 170 and two-tenths.
Jones didn’t care about Trinidad’s weight, but waged a protest over what gloves he wanted to wear. The contract calls for Everlast gloves, but Jones wants to fight in Grants.
His manager, McGee Wright, took it a step further, saying, “We don’t care what [Trinidad] fights in. He can fight in horseshoes for all we care. He’s getting knocked out anyway.”
A glove controversy is nothing new in boxing, and though Jones threatened to pull out of the fight if he isn’t allowed to wear Grants, don’t plan on any ticket refunds.
Jones needs to win tonight to be taken seriously again. The first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in more than 100 years has designs on fighting super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe, who is closing in on a fight with Bernard Hopkins.
Hype aside, Trinidad’s inactivity isn’t going to help him if the fight goes into the late rounds. Clearly, Trinidad is hoping to test Jones’ fragile chin and win by knockout. Jones, who still has fabulous hand speed, could outbox Trinidad, but has vowed to match him power for power. The pick: Jones by TKO 10th round.