Comments Thread For: Felix Trinidad Comes Clean on 'Why' He Lost To Hopkins

[Mayas]

Tito lost cause he wasn't able to "load" his gloves like he did in the past.
Hopkins's trainer, Nazeem caught Tito with an illegally overwrapped hand, and made the NY commision order that Tito re-wrap his hand the proper legal way.

Once Tito had legal wraps on him, the fake power was gone from his overrated left hook.

[Mayas]

here are some statements from a Phillie newspaper:

THE SNEAKY DON AND HIS CINDERBLOCK HANDWRAPS. PT1.

Cherifi Better Watch Tito's Hand Wraps.
by R. H.

On September 29, 2001 before the fight between Bernard Hopkins and Felix Trinidad, team Hopkins sent a representative from their team to over-see Tito's hands being wrapped. When their representative arrived he was shocked to see that Tito's left hand was already wrapped, signed off and the boxing glove was on. In an exclusive interview, Bernard Hopkins (said), "I sent my team in there to watch Trinidad wrap his hands and when they got there

Trinidad's left hand was already wrapped and he had his boxing glove on. So my trainer, Bouie Fisher who has been doing this stuff for a long time went over there to straighten it up. The thing is Trinidad has been getting away with doing this for a long time. I know for a fact that he has done it in at least one other fight. They are used to being able to do whatever they want and get away with it. That is how it is in boxing."

First of all, you have to wonder who this commissioner was that let Don Felix wrap Tito's hand without anyone from the Hopkins camp being there. Hopkins said, "not only did he let him wrap the hands without us being there, but he was in there joking and laughing and talking Spanish with the Trinidads like they were best friends. When Bouie told them that he would have to take it off and rewrap it in front of someone fron their camp, he said "NO," its
already wrapped and it's too close to time for the fight to start. Bouie had to go to the head commissioner before they were made to rewrap his hands."

Luckily for Hopkins, Bouie Fisher is old school and he was not going to let this fight go on with Tito having wrapped his left hand and nobody from his camp watching it. "Bouie kept telling them, either we do this by the book or we don't do it all," said Hopkins.

It didn't make sense to Fisher why the Trinidad's were so insistent on not rewrapping the hand because obviously they knew the rules. They have been in enough of these big fights to know that a representative from the other camp is allowed to be in the room while they are wrapping Tito's hand. Even if the New York Commission's Representative didn't know any better, the Trinidads definitely did. The Trinidads went so far as to actually say, "If we have to rewrap Tito's hand then there will be no fight."

Why was this left hand wrapping so important to the Trinidads?

Finally, after the head commissioner became involved, the Trinidads were told to either rewrap the left hand or the fight was off. After much argument, they finally agreed to rewrap the hand with a member from the Hopkins team present.

Tito was made to remove his glove and the prior wrapping in front of Hopkins representative Naazim Richardson who noticed that the wrap looked very thick and when he felt it, he says it was as hard as a rock. All the sudden it became very clear why they had tried to get away with wrapping the left hand without anyone from the Hopkins camp watching and also why they didn't want to remove it and rewrap the hand.

Don Felix began to rewrap the left hand again, but Richardson noticed that Don Felix was putting layers of tape and then gauze, tape and then gauze, tape and then gauze which is not in accordance with NYSAC rules. The rules stipulate tape cannot be applied directly over the knuckles, and that repeating the process several times (is not permitted).

In an interview with Bernard Fernandez of Philly.com, Hopkins said, "If you put on tape, then gauze, then tape, then gauze, it's like a [plaster] cast. It's like being hit with a baseball bat. I'm giving out some secrets here, but you can dip your hands in ice water and that tape will, like, marinate and become harder. But it's only cheating if you get caught. Personally, I think Vargas' and Reid's people dropped the ball. Naazim did a brilliant job in spotting what [Felix Trinidad Sr.] was doing with the wraps." Don Felix was also putting tape on the skin and over the knuckles, both of which are not in accordance with NYSAC rules. New York's head commissioner put his foot down and made Don Felix wrap in strict accordance to the rules.

Don Felix has insisted in several interviews that, "I have always wrapped Tito's hands this way and nobody else has ever said anything."

That’s like saying, I beat my wife all the time and I've never got in trouble for it before. Now, all the sudden you guys want to make a big deal out this.

That's just not right, I'm a respectable man.

In a recent interview of Don Felix by Gerardo M. Avila-Planas and David Mesqueue., Don Felix was asked, "Do you think that the Hopkins camp did it (made them rewrap Tito's hand) to get to you psychologically?" and he answered, "Well, it got to us a little because,
since I couldn’t place the tape that I usually place on Tito’s hand.(which is illegal in Nevada and New York)..
I had to add some more gauze to make a type of pillow... This tends to take away some of the power in the punch."

.....
"I have always wrapped Tito's hands this way and nobody else has ever said anything."
........From the Mouth Of Don Felix.

......
“since I couldn’t place the tape that I usually place on Tito’s hand.(which is illegal in Nevada and New York)..
I had to add some more gauze to make a type of pillow... This tends to take away some of the power in the punch."
.....From the Mouth Of Don Felix.

There are a couple really important things in these two statements by Don Felix.

First, he admits that the New York Commission wouldn't allow him to wrap the hands like he ALWAYS DOES. There can only be one reason for him not being allowed to wrap the hands that way - it was illegal. Therefore, if that is how he ALWAYS wrapped Tito's hands in the past, the assumption that he always wrapped illegally is not far-fetched. But this time he was forced to wrap the hands in strict accordance to NYSAC rules.

Second, he admits that not being able to use the layers and to put the tape on the skin and over the knuckles, "TENDS TO TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE POWER IN THE PUNCH." So he admits that with the illegal wrapping Tito is able to hit harder.

[TuRoK'em]

are you guys serious trinidad lost cause hopkins was the better man. i mean really ODLH beat him. fernando vargas (being so freaken young) dropped him.evidently hopkins was gonna win that fight regardless. these are all excuses from tito.

[Left2theliver]

000o0oo0o0o0o so that's why he lost. Ok, that makes sense now. Becuase Bernard Hopkins' great gameplan wasn't what got to him at all. Ok, that definitely makes sense.

[ericsantos]

Tito is my favorite boxer of all times but I just dont see him beating Bhop,Im sure all that affected him but Bhop would have done a number either way,maybe not by knockout but definetly he would have ud Tito IMO

[S IP U IR S xII]

I always thought that Titos biggest problem was that he thought he was really bigger than he really was (weight wise). Sure he beat Joppy, but i dont think Joppy is anywhere near a Hopkins, or even a winky wright for that matter. Still love Tito though, and am kinda of disappointed hes making excuses almost a decade later.

[jbpanama]

I knew their was a reason he really lost. Hopkins got lucky Titos mind wasnt right.

Saw Tito Fight all the Tough Cats at Welterweight,
but with BHOP, He Believed the 5 to 1 odds in his
favor, but he failed to recognize his LIMITATIONS!!!

[Blount Brother]

here are some statements from a Phillie newspaper:

THE SNEAKY DON AND HIS CINDERBLOCK HANDWRAPS. PT1.

Cherifi Better Watch Tito's Hand Wraps.
by R. H.

On September 29, 2001 before the fight between Bernard Hopkins and Felix Trinidad, team Hopkins sent a representative from their team to over-see Tito's hands being wrapped. When their representative arrived he was shocked to see that Tito's left hand was already wrapped, signed off and the boxing glove was on. In an exclusive interview, Bernard Hopkins (said), "I sent my team in there to watch Trinidad wrap his hands and when they got there

Trinidad's left hand was already wrapped and he had his boxing glove on. So my trainer, Bouie Fisher who has been doing this stuff for a long time went over there to straighten it up. The thing is Trinidad has been getting away with doing this for a long time. I know for a fact that he has done it in at least one other fight. They are used to being able to do whatever they want and get away with it. That is how it is in boxing."

First of all, you have to wonder who this commissioner was that let Don Felix wrap Tito's hand without anyone from the Hopkins camp being there. Hopkins said, "not only did he let him wrap the hands without us being there, but he was in there joking and laughing and talking Spanish with the Trinidads like they were best friends. When Bouie told them that he would have to take it off and rewrap it in front of someone fron their camp, he said "NO," its
already wrapped and it's too close to time for the fight to start. Bouie had to go to the head commissioner before they were made to rewrap his hands."

Luckily for Hopkins, Bouie Fisher is old school and he was not going to let this fight go on with Tito having wrapped his left hand and nobody from his camp watching it. "Bouie kept telling them, either we do this by the book or we don't do it all," said Hopkins.

It didn't make sense to Fisher why the Trinidad's were so insistent on not rewrapping the hand because obviously they knew the rules. They have been in enough of these big fights to know that a representative from the other camp is allowed to be in the room while they are wrapping Tito's hand. Even if the New York Commission's Representative didn't know any better, the Trinidads definitely did. The Trinidads went so far as to actually say, "If we have to rewrap Tito's hand then there will be no fight."

Why was this left hand wrapping so important to the Trinidads?

Finally, after the head commissioner became involved, the Trinidads were told to either rewrap the left hand or the fight was off. After much argument, they finally agreed to rewrap the hand with a member from the Hopkins team present.

Tito was made to remove his glove and the prior wrapping in front of Hopkins representative Naazim Richardson who noticed that the wrap looked very thick and when he felt it, he says it was as hard as a rock. All the sudden it became very clear why they had tried to get away with wrapping the left hand without anyone from the Hopkins camp watching and also why they didn't want to remove it and rewrap the hand.

Don Felix began to rewrap the left hand again, but Richardson noticed that Don Felix was putting layers of tape and then gauze, tape and then gauze, tape and then gauze which is not in accordance with NYSAC rules. The rules stipulate tape cannot be applied directly over the knuckles, and that repeating the process several times (is not permitted).

In an interview with Bernard Fernandez of Philly.com, Hopkins said, "If you put on tape, then gauze, then tape, then gauze, it's like a [plaster] cast. It's like being hit with a baseball bat. I'm giving out some secrets here, but you can dip your hands in ice water and that tape will, like, marinate and become harder. But it's only cheating if you get caught. Personally, I think Vargas' and Reid's people dropped the ball. Naazim did a brilliant job in spotting what [Felix Trinidad Sr.] was doing with the wraps." Don Felix was also putting tape on the skin and over the knuckles, both of which are not in accordance with NYSAC rules. New York's head commissioner put his foot down and made Don Felix wrap in strict accordance to the rules.

Don Felix has insisted in several interviews that, "I have always wrapped Tito's hands this way and nobody else has ever said anything."

That’s like saying, I beat my wife all the time and I've never got in trouble for it before. Now, all the sudden you guys want to make a big deal out this.

That's just not right, I'm a respectable man.

In a recent interview of Don Felix by Gerardo M. Avila-Planas and David Mesqueue., Don Felix was asked, "Do you think that the Hopkins camp did it (made them rewrap Tito's hand) to get to you psychologically?" and he answered, "Well, it got to us a little because,
since I couldn’t place the tape that I usually place on Tito’s hand.(which is illegal in Nevada and New York)..
I had to add some more gauze to make a type of pillow... This tends to take away some of the power in the punch."

.....
"I have always wrapped Tito's hands this way and nobody else has ever said anything."
........From the Mouth Of Don Felix.

......
“since I couldn’t place the tape that I usually place on Tito’s hand.(which is illegal in Nevada and New York)..
I had to add some more gauze to make a type of pillow... This tends to take away some of the power in the punch."
.....From the Mouth Of Don Felix.

There are a couple really important things in these two statements by Don Felix.

First, he admits that the New York Commission wouldn't allow him to wrap the hands like he ALWAYS DOES. There can only be one reason for him not being allowed to wrap the hands that way - it was illegal. Therefore, if that is how he ALWAYS wrapped Tito's hands in the past, the assumption that he always wrapped illegally is not far-fetched. But this time he was forced to wrap the hands in strict accordance to NYSAC rules.

Second, he admits that not being able to use the layers and to put the tape on the skin and over the knuckles, "TENDS TO TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE POWER IN THE PUNCH." So he admits that with the illegal wrapping Tito is able to hit harder.

Tito looked up to Resto growing up .

[Roger Yomama]

Dude just put himself to shame in my opinion. Pretty much admitted that he cheated on his wife which is a non stand up thing to do and then blame that on his loss. Talk about lack of class. Just like most of the Rican posters on this site.

That's real classy stuff right there.

[djtmal]

a scaled down light heavy??

bhop weighed 157 for that fight

was a vegetarian back then and was thin and lean


what are you talking about

hell yeah a scaled down lightheavy...looking like a 157 lb crack patient