Boxing - The Sweet Science

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Trinidad starts comeback

05/10/2002
By Dan Rafael, USA TODAY


The comeback is as much a part of boxing as the rematch and the unretirement.

Aside from Rocky Marciano, every great fighter loses eventually. Then comes the comeback.

"What defines greatness is how you deal with the adversity of a loss," says Sugar Ray Leonard, who was 27-0 before suffering his first defeat, a 15-round decision to Roberto Duran in 1980. Leonard responded by beating Duran in the infamous "no mas" fight five months later.

"I know from personal experience that the first loss can be a devastating and traumatic experience," Leonard says. "It's emotionally draining. The worst time for a fighter after a loss is when he's by himself and there are no 'yes' men around. There's no cheering section. There's no one to build you up, and you, the fighter, relive that last fight in your head. Your head is like a VCR."

Felix "Tito" Trinidad's Waterloo was in September, when Bernard Hopkins knocked him out in the 12th round to win the undisputed middleweight title.

Eight months later, Trinidad's comeback starts. He meets former titlist Hacine Cherifi (32-5-1, 20 KOs) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday night (HBO, 9:30 ET). Most believe it's a safe fight, that Cherifi is the perfect opponent to launch a comeback against because he has a name, he is durable, he is not particularly quick and he doesn't have dangerous punching power.

But no one knows for sure how Trinidad will react once he's in the ring.

"The question about Trinidad is his mental stability," Leonard says. "Does he have that? People want to see what he has and what Hopkins took away. Trinidad could be gun shy. He won't know until he fights. That's what is so intriguing about a comeback fight."

Says trainer Emanuel Steward, who has experience bringing fighters such as Thomas Hearns and Lennox Lewis back from losses, "There are always little doubts that they try to suppress, but they're there in the shadows.

"Everybody reacts different to losing, but most of the great fighters don't lose confidence. Being that Trinidad is such a high-strung and emotional fighter, I don't think he'll lose too much. He'll come back with more determination.

"He seems to have accepted the loss. Most guys find excuses to justify a loss."

Trinidad (40-1, 33 KOs), who won titles at welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight, says he's ready to fight again.

"I think I have overcome the loss to Hopkins," Trinidad says through translator Bobby Munoz. "I'm positive that I have put that fight in the back of my mind so I can concentrate on Cherifi. Every world champion has lost a fight or even two or three or four. It's OK. That wasn't my best day, but I will overcome that, win this fight and then fight Hopkins again."

Steward was with Hearns when he suffered his first loss, a 14th-round knockout by Leonard in 1981. Three months later, Hearns returned against a tough but safe opponent in Ernie Singletary. Steward says that fighters often take a loss better than their team.

"Tommy was stronger than I was after he lost," Steward says. "I brooded so much over the fight, locked myself in the house. Tommy came over two weeks later and told me I had to come out of this. He said, 'Let's go play some video games.' He said, 'I lost the fight, it was a good fight. We'll just to go back and win more championships.' "

Leonard agrees: "My camp was more traumatized than I was. People were crying. But I gave 100% against Duran and I was OK with it. I didn't like it, but I was OK with it."

Trinidad's most dangerous moment will be the first time he gets hit.

"The second he gets hit, his brain will remember things real fast," Leonard says. "He'll remember the Hopkins fight, trust me. We'll see how he deals with it. I think he'll be fine."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/stories/2002-05-10-trinidad.htm