TRINIDAD, MAYORGA ROLLING WITH TRASH TALK

It has been established for sometime now that the richest non-heavyweight fight in history arrives Sept.18 at the MGM Grand Garden. That’s the night Oscar De La Hoya challenges undisputed world middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas.

Yet when it comes to trash-talking, there is nobody on the planet to equal Felix Trinidad and Ricardo Mayorga which is the kind of pairing promoter Don King savors when his participants are knee-deep in cheap shots before and after the bell rings.

This super show is for the WBA International middleweight crown on Saturday, Oct .2 in Madison Square Garden. It ‘s appropriate King booked this 12-round title bout in a sold-out venue long heralded as the “Mecca of Boxing” for the long-anticipated return of Trinidad, a world champion in three divisions from Cupey Alto, Puerto Rico.

Trinidad, the first fighter to decision De La Hoya in
1998, has style and ability that few fighters can match and perhaps a point of frustration for Mayorga, an explosive puncher from Managua, Nicaragua whose bad mouth seemingly has gotten him in trouble every time the bell rings despite winning and losing the WBC/WBA welterweight crowns while building a 27-4-1, 23 K0s resume.

Trinidad can more than handle Mayorga in trading
slurs but he would rather do it with a heavy arsenal that created a 31-1, 34 KOs record en route to winning the IBF welterweight diadem at 22 in 1993, He won the WBC welter title from De La Hoya in 1998 and the junior middleweight honors from David Reid in 2000, overcoming an early knockdown.

King recently had a media teleconference in Madison Square Garden with Trinidad in attendance with his father-trainer Don Felix. Mayorga’s travel was restricted to Managua but he had the Latin press in his home to participate via telephone.

King served as host, explaining Mayorga’s enforced
absence and reminding New York media “Felix’s return adds a touch of class to the sport. He’s a lean, mean great fighting machine. Trinidad also is a patriot that adds a sense of pride and dignity to the sport unprecedented. To come back against a tough warrior like Mayorga makes his retrun that much more significant.”

The promoter then introduced Mayorga, via an interpreter, for his opinion on facing Trinidad Oct.2, in the Garden, “Tito is listening to everything that you are saying so tell us what you are going to do with Tito. And Trinidad will tell everybody what he is going to do to Ricardo.”

Mayorga didn’t hesitate: “I’m going to hit very hard
and that’s all he really needs to know. But I’m not going to fight pretty. All I know is how to hit hard. I will hit Tito’s memory right out of his head. That‘s all I really care about. And that’s hitting hard and not looking pretty. Tito’s father knows that his son is finished now. I have a lot of respect for Tito’s parents but after the fight, his father will have to call 911. He will be finished by the end of the fight.”

Trinidad greeted all the print and broadcast press and then turned to his provocative challenger.

“I’m speaking straight to Ricardo, advising him that
nearer to the fight, you clear up the (personal) situation that is happening now. I hope he can go to the ring because I’ll be waiting for him Oct. 2. I don’t want him to make any more excuses, so I want to keep him out trouble. I am working the right way and we will continue doing that and on Oct.2 we will show the whole world that I am the best. My regards to Ricardo and hope we can go from this situation very soon.”

Senior Trinidad added: “I will continue the line that Tito said before me and i want to advise Mayorga to keep out of trouble, have good behavior out of the ring and be ready to be in the fight, because if not, as of now, I will look at that as an excuse for not coming up to the ring and face Tito. So put yourself to work and prepare your self well. As always, I don’t desire any bad things for anybody. I just want you to be ready on that night because Tito is going to be ready for you.”

Mayorga, on his domestic distractions, told Tito and his father “I’m getting rid of all the problems I have and will be there Oct. 2”.

”I would like to thank all the American press because they have treated Trinidad nicely. And all the Latin-American people because we are all of the same race. I am very positive about this fight and everybody knows I am going to knock him out. I’m not going to say he is going to drop in the third or fourth round because every time I do that opponents get scared. That’s why I say I am going to knock Trinidad out in the eighth round, but I know I’m going to do it earlier than that. After I knock him out, I am always going to recognize his father as a great trainer.”

Trinidad, who will be back in the Garden where he lost the only fight of his career when Bernard Hopkins
scored an 12th round TKO in September, 2001, said he didn’t know all of Nicaragua was listening to the interview.

“I want to express all my regards to the people there. For me it is good that you are listening and I see that Mayorga continues talking even more than in person, Now I say to you as my father does don’t make any excuses, behave well and get in the ring on Oct.2 Then we will see what hands bring most leather. I hope that you will get well, resolve your situation and finally see you soon on the press tour. I hope you will be able to do that, so I can look at you in the eyes and tell you personally that I will knock you out.”

In wrapping up the teleconference, both fighters were super confident.

MAYORGA: “You know I am better than you and you know that I am going to knock you out. You are just being nice to the press but you know I’m a better man. You know I have fought fighters who hit twice as hard as you have and I have won. I will even give you a video of the fight for free so you can see how you lost.”

TRINIDAD: “You know you have never fought a man like me with my punching power. You will realize on Oct.2 how hard I hit when I punch you. Mayorga, you should know that your brain is really damaged because you think we can both talk at the same time. Take care of yourself and don’t get hit too much from your sparring partners because it is going to be a lot worse for you in New York.”

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and an exclusive contributor to Ringsports.com.)