These Two Are Entitled to the Star Treatment

The trappings of a big fight are all here for tonight’s main event. A large mock ring dominates the lobby at the MGM Grand, and posters and banners depicting the combatants, middleweights Felix Trinidad and Winky Wright, stretch from one end of the hotel to the other.

The lines at the sports book are long, and a large media contingent fills the press room. A near sellout crowd is expected at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and the fight will be shown on HBO pay-per-view.

And what is at stake here? Nothing. No championship, no belt, no title. The winner tonight will be the winner. Nothing more.

Oh, whoever wins will be designated by the World Boxing Council as the mandatory challenger for its share of undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins’ title. But no such designation is necessary. The winner will be a logical opponent for Hopkins.

In the alphabet chaos caused by a plethora of sanctioning organizations with a plethora of meaningless championships, titles are no longer the major selling point for fights. Big names are.

And these two names, Trinidad and Wright, offer the promise of a compelling match. They will enter the ring from very different directions.

Trinidad (42-1, 35 knockouts), on the strength of victories over Pernell Whitaker and Oscar De La Hoya, became a viable candidate for the designation of best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Trinidad further enhanced his reputation with devastating victories over David Reid and Fernando Vargas, neither fighter ever the same after subjecting his body to Trinidad’s power.

In 2001, Trinidad, who had begun his career at 140 pounds, stepped into the ring as a middleweight to face Hopkins, with visions of next moving up to 168 pounds to fight Roy Jones. By the 12th round, that vision looked more like a delusion. Hopkins won by TKO in that round, sending Trinidad into a retirement that lasted 20 months, a period in which he ballooned to nearly 200 pounds.

Now he’s back, having beaten Hacine Cherifi on a fourth-round TKO in his comeback, followed by an eighth-round TKO of Ricardo Mayorga last year. A convincing victory over Wright would put Trinidad back among boxing’s elite.

Wright, on the other hand, relishes the attention he had sought for 14 years. He finally got it last year with two victories over Shane Mosley.

Now Wright (48-3, 25) can command big money. His purse for tonight will be $4 million. Trinidad will get $10 million.

Trinidad is a slight favorite in this matchup of contrasting styles. Trinidad steps forward and wears down opponents with his power.

He’ll find Wright waiting for him in the middle of the ring, face buried in gloves firmly set at the sides of his head. Wright’s success begins with his usually impregnable defense.

Opponents are further frustrated by his southpaw style and the sharp, stinging jabs that erupt from his peek-a-boo stance.

Don’t look for him to alter that style tonight.

“I’m just Winky Wright,” he said. “I can’t be nobody else.”

Responded Trinidad: “I don’t want to take anything away from Winky Wright or be disrespectful to him, but I have no worries about what he will do.”

With a story line like this, who needs a title?

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Tale of the Tape

How Felix Trinidad and Winky Wright match up in tonight’s 12-round middleweight bout (pay-per-view, 6 p.m.) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

*--* TRINIDAD WRIGHT AGE 32 33 RECORD 42-1 48-3 KNOCKOUTS 35 25 WEIGHT 160 160 HEIGHT 5-11 5-10 REACH 72 72 CHEST 32 40 1/2 CHEST (EXP) 39 1/2 43 BICEPS 13 1/4 15 1/2 FOREARMS 11 1/2 12 WAIST 31 32 THIGH 21 1/2 23 CALF 14 3/4 14 NECK 15 3/4 16 1/2 WRIST 6 1/2 6 1/4 FIST 12 12

*--*

Note: Measurements are in inches.

* Undercard: Zab Judah (33-2-1, 24 knockouts) vs. Cosme Rivera (28-7-2, 20 knockouts), 12 rounds, welterweight title bout.

Source: HBOppv.com