Felix Trinidad and Roy Jones Jr will be fighting more than just each other on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
They'll also be fighting perceptions that both are far past their prime.
Jones, considered the best kilo-for-kilo boxer for the better part of a decade, turned 39 this week. He showed up to a news conference on Tuesday with a beard that made him appear much older, though he promised to shave it off when he makes weight of 77kg.
PHOTO: AFP
He's fought just twice since losing a unanimous decision to Antonio Tarver in 2005, both lackluster decisions against lesser opponents. For Jones (51-4, 38 knockouts), this 12-round bout represents one last step before a potential super-middleweight title bout -- a road block to a ninth world title.
"A lot of them think I ain't got it anymore," Jones said, stealing glances at a flat-screen TV with footage of his past performances, including him becoming the first former middleweight champ to claim a heavyweight title in more than 100 years. "This is a chance to show them I still got it."
Trinidad, meanwhile, was lured out of retirement after promoter Don King flew to his native Puerto Rico and promised him a bout with Jones. The five-time world champion has fought just twice since 2002, beating Ricardo Mayorga before sustaining a punishing 12-round loss to Ronald "Winky" Wright in May 2005.
Backed by an entourage 21 strong, Trinidad (42-2, 35 knockouts) defiantly said that nothing would slow him down -- not the long layoff, fighting at a weight 4.5kg heavier than ever before, or the high expectations that the large Puerto Rican fan base in New York City almost certainly will heap upon his shoulders.
"I'm feeling very good with a lot of passion," Trinidad said through a translator. "I trained and worked very hard to win, and this weekend we're really going to celebrate."
If nothing else, the two fighters are taking it seriously.
Trinidad has been training for the past six months in Puerto Rico, slowly putting weight on his slender frame while trying to retain the quick, heavy hands that have yielded a stunning 80-percent career knockout rate.
His father and trainer, Papa Trinidad, said Tito is in "one of the best conditions of his life."
Then, turning to Jones and cranking his voice up a notch, the father added: "You are going to fight against the best Tito Trinidad that anybody has ever fought against."
Jones, in a departure from his norm, left his home in Florida for a small, secluded training camp in the northeastern US with longtime trainer Alton Merkerson. Slowly he chiseled a his body down to fighting weight, and bared a ripped midriff on Tuesday.
"Unfortunately the only person I'm going to be facing is Tito. I really hate it I can't beat the dad, too," Jones said, smiling broadly to jeers from the opposing camp. "I can't even begin to tell ya'all how raw I'm going to be on Saturday night."
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
RSS