Wright wins by unanimous decision
In his first true big-time fight, the St. Petersburg resident dominates Felix "Tito" Trinidad in a middleweight bout.
By TOM JONES
Published May 15, 2005
LAS VEGAS - Fifteen years. That's how long it took St. Petersburg's Winky Wright to get to where he was Saturday night: in the middle of the ring, in the middle of the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in the middle of the boxing universe.
Fifteen years of sweating and sparring and running. Fifteen years of big-name boxers ducking him for someone less dangerous, less crafty.
After all those years and all those trips to Europe and casinos in the middle of nowhere to mix it up with opponents not worthy of being in the ring with him, and even after winning title belts, Wright finally and truly stepped into the boxing spotlight when he stood toe to toe with a legend not afraid to fight him.
And now no one can avoid him and his proclamation that he is one of the best boxers of his generation, not after his dominating unanimous decision victory against Felix "Tito" Trinidad in a nontitle middleweight bout. Proving he is on the short list of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Wright overcame a hostile crowd and a favored opponent with a cunning, yet relentless 12-round performance to hand Trinidad just the second loss in his 44-bout career.
"To beat me, you have to be one of the best in the world," Trinidad said. "And he is one of the best in the world."
Hitting Trinidad at will with his left jab and straight right, Wright (49-3) gave the performance of his career in the fight of his career.
Wright landed 262 of 756 punches, including 185 jabs, to 58 of 557 for Trinidad, who was credited with landing only 15 jabs. One judge, Duane Ford, scored it 120-107, giving Wright every round. Judges Jerry Roth and Dave Moretti gave all but one round to Wright, scoring it 119-108.
"It was a complete victory," Wright said. "That was the game plan, and I executed it perfectly."
Next up? Likely another fight against Trinidad (42-2) and, almost certainly, a $10-million payday.
"I would love a rematch," Wright said. "I think Tito will be better prepared next time, and he won't underestimate me."
The contract for Saturday's fight stipulated that if Wright won, he had to give Trinidad a rematch. But after Saturday, Trinidad might not want one. If he doesn't, might Wright be looking for the winner of the Bernard Hopkins-Jermain Taylor title fight in July?
"Hell, yes," Wright said.
No matter what, the kid from St. Petersburg has firmly entrenched himself as a superstar. Wright's career took a major step forward last year when he beat "Sugar" Shane Mosley twice and became the undisputed super-welterweight champion.
But the really big fight - and the money that goes with it - didn't come until Trinidad agreed to fight Wright, who made $4-million Saturday. To fight Trinidad, Wright had to go from his normal 154 pounds to 160.
The extra weight was no problem for Wright, who appeared quicker and fresher than Trinidad for all 12 rounds.
"He underestimated me out there, probably because of going up in weight," Wright said.
Trinidad wasn't the only one who doubted Wright. Showered with chants of "Tito, Tito" from his adoring fans, Trinidad entered the ring as a 2-1 favorite by oddsmakers and an overwhelming favorite among the 14,176 in attendance.
The cheers and waving of the Puerto Rican flag started several hours before the fight and grew into such a frenzy that one couldn't tell if the venue was Las Vegas or San Juan.
It was a classic matchup of puncher against tactician with Trinidad known for his heavy punch and Wright always looking to stick and jab. Yet it was Wright acting as the aggressor, constantly popping his right jab in Trinidad's face while Trinidad seemed to be measuring Wright for a big punch that never came.
"He has that great hook," Wright said. "And I kept my eye on it."
Unable to land any shots to Wright's face, Trinidad went to the body, but Wright continued to connect with jabs and, occasionally, mixed in a straight right that sliced its way through Trinidad's gloves. Wright's performance was so dominating that he bowed in the middle of the ring after the 11th round.
Trinidad's night went from bad to worse late in the ninth round when referee Jay Nady deducted a point for a low blow. That only made the final scoring worse in what turned out to be Wright's finest hour in 15 years.