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Well fight fans, so much for fight of the year. It wasn’t even fight of the night as Rivera vs. Judah had a lot more entertainment value. Most people, yours truly included, felt that, although this was not going to be a Corrales vs. Castillo type fight, it would still be a very entertaining scrap. Not even close! I take my hat off to “Winky” because he just completely boxed the socks off “Tito”, and did not use a stick and move style, but his own of standing, covering up, and countering. That style is the reason I picked against Wright, because I felt Trinidad’s aggressive style would wear him down, pounding on those arms and shoulders. Obviously, that never happened. By no means will I try to take anything away from Wright, as he really made everything look so easy, but, didn’t “Tito” look flat and disinterested last night? Uncharacteristically, Trinidad showed no emotion and seemed like he just never got himself going. I’m sure not being able to get past Winky’s jab helped with that, but still, Tito was just not, well, Tito. He is a fighter that thrives on emotion, and relishes the heat of battle. The problem was, against Wright, there was no battle.
Winky, as great a fighter as he is, just does not get the blood boiling. This whole I respect him, he respects me stuff is not Trinidad, but that’s exactly the approach Tito took for this fight. When had that ever been the case in the past? Trinidad usually enters the ring angry at his opponent, wanting to take his head off. Against Winky, he just entered the ring. That’s the problem with Wright. He does not get fans, media, and opponents excited. He does not fully commit to punches because he is so defensive minded, and does not have that “killer instinct” that bloodthirsty fans, which are the ones that make fighters millions, love to see.
Unfortunately for Winky, this win did nothing more than prove he is as an amazing boxer and deserves to be in the upper ranks of any pound-for-pound list. I wish him the best and hope he gets the major pay days his talent deserves. As for Trinidad, what can one say? Can this be the end of a legend? How could one of the most respected and exciting gladiators of our time be embarrassed and beaten so easily? Is Winky really that good? I guess we are just going to have to wait and see.
Sergio Martinez can be reached at srg_mrtnz@yahoo.com
