By Mark Vester
Although Richard Schaefer, CEO for Golden Boy Promotions, has approached Don King about Oscar De La Hoya-Felix "Tito" Trinidad rematch for December 6 in Las Vegas, Trinidad and members of his team are not convinced that De La Hoya is serious about making the fight.
Trainer, father and manager, Felix Trinidad Sr., says De La Hoya has used his son's name in the past as a negotiations ploy to secure other fights. He feels De La Hoya is once again using Tito's name to place himself in a better position with his upcoming negotiations with Miguel Cotto [if he beat Antonio Margarito on July 26]. He says Tito is not looking for anything, that De La Hoya called on them, but if the fight takes place, it would have to be on their terms.
As previously written, Trinidad Sr. has made it clear that Tito will not fight below 165-pounds and will not take less than a 50-50 split since his son won their first bout in 1999. Neither of those is likely, but the agreed upon weight is a bigger problem than the actual money involved.
De La Hoya has said over and over again, he will not fight Tito above 154-pounds. He refused to meet Tito at 160 when the Puerto Rican icon was fighting at middleweight, and now Tito is fighting at light heavyweight and unable to even get down to 160. De La Hoya last fought at 150 against Steve Forbes in May, while Trinidad fought Roy Jones Jr. at 170 in January.
"We are not looking around for our options [in boxing]. We are not looking for anything like that. Tito is resting and watching what's going on in the sport, enjoying the sport as a fan, but he still is an active fighter," Trinidad Sr. said to El Nuevo Dia. "I don't view the negotiations [for De La Hoya] as being serious."
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