Tito too ambitious? - SPORTING CHANCE by Joaquin M. Henson

Puerto Rican warrior Felix (Tito) Trinidad is looking beyond World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight champion William Joppy. Has he forgotten that overconfidence led to the downfall of Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield?

Trinidad and Joppy mix it up at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday morning (Manila time). The winner battles World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) 160-pound titlist Bernard Hopkins in the ultimate unification duel on Sept. 15.

Trinidad, who holds the WBA and IBF junior middleweight crowns, doesn’t think much of Joppy who’s not a headline grabber like his previous victims Oscar de la Hoya, Pernell Whitaker, and Fernando Vargas. Trinidad’s sure of disposing of not only Joppy but also Hopkins. He plans to annex the supermiddleweight diadem, too, before gunning for the big one — the lightheavyweight belt around Roy Jones’ waist.

Trinidad’s goal is to collect five world titles in five different divisions. So far, he’s cleaned up the welterweight and junior middleweight ranks.

But is Trinidad biting more than he can chew? Despite his unblemished record of 39-0, with 32 KOs, he’s far from invincible. He barely beat de la Hoya and his win by majority decision was hardly decisive. A notoriously slow starter, Trinidad has suffered seven knockdowns in his career — five in the second round, one in the third, and one in the fourth. Three fighters who floored Trinidad were nondescript — Alberto Cortes, Kevin Lueshing, and Anthony Stephens. He also hit the deck in bouts against Yori Boy Campas, Oba Carr, Vargas and David Reid.

Still, you’ve got to give Trinidad credit for bouncing off the canvas to beat all those seven fighters. He stopped Cortes in three, Lueshing in three, Stephens in 10, Campas in four, Carr in eight, and Vargas in 12. Reid survived the distance and lost on points.

Boxing expert Graham Houston said the ability to recover from a knockdown is a Trinidad attribute that should worry Joppy. "Tito gets up and comes back, more dangerous than ever, after being on the floor," noted Houston. "He puts enormous pressure on his opponents with his sheer presence alone."

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Moving up in weight for the second time in just over a year may be a factor against Trinidad who hasn’t faced a fighter bigger than Joppy. "You’ve got to figure he’s going to be the strongest guy Trinidad has ever been in with," said trainer and TV boxing analyst Teddy Atlas.

Former fighter and TV boxing commentator Bobby Czyz said: "Joppy is a natural middleweight. Trinidad seems a little less durable. Plus, he’s moving up in weight, strength, power and execution. It’s a good matchup. It’s just difficult to say what will happen with not seeing how Trinidad handles the weight."

For Joppy, Trinidad is his ticket to stardom. Although he’s held the WBA title twice since 1996, the Maryland native’s a virtual unknown. Joppy worked hard to get to the top. He’s been out on the streets earning a living since he was 13. Joppy used to work at a McDonald’s store, was a carpet layer, did landscaping, had a job at K-Mart, and picked up garbage. A late bloomer, he saw action in his first amateur fight at 20 and turned pro two years later.

Not sure of how long he’ll fight, Joppy set up a window-washing business as an alternative source of livelihood.

If Trinidad is a slow starter, Joppy likes to turn on the heat early. He’s posted 14 KOs inside three rounds. Last year, Joppy pulverized Rito Ruvalcaba in a round to retain his WBA crown. That should be fair warning for Trinidad not to take Joppy lightly.

"I’ve got faster hands and quicker feet than Trinidad," said Joppy who’s been training in Kershonson, the upstate New York camp where Hasim Rahman and Lennox Lewis used to work out. "There’s no way he could handle me. Once I get a moment where I have him in trouble, I’m gonna stay on him and never let him back into the fight. Trinidad’s never been able to fight backing up and I’ll keep him backing up."

Trainer Kenny Adams predicted a Joppy win although Trinidad is a 3-1 favorite. "Joppy will outbox him," said Adams. "He’s a very intelligent fighter. He uses the ring very well. The power has to go with Trinidad but Joppy is the perfect guy to beat him because he uses angles just as de la Hoya did. That’s the key factor."

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Joppy, who has lost only once on a controversial decision to Julio Cesar Green (whom he beat twice in rematches), is no slouch. He’s won nine of 10 WBA title fights, six by KO. Trinidad is unbeaten in 19 world title fights at both 147 and 154 pounds.

In other fights to be shown on Viva Vintage Sports’ RPN-9 coverage this Sunday starting at 11:30 a.m., Barcelona Olympian Vernon Forrest battles Raul Frank of Guyana in a grudge rematch for the vacant IBF welterweight crown and Chris Byrd takes on Maurice (Sugar Moe) Harris for the United States Boxing Association heavyweight title.

Last August, Forrest and Frank fought to a no-contest. An accidental butt opened a nasty cut on Frank’s forehead in the third round and the fight was ruled a no-contest. Forrest’s record is 31-0, with 25 KOs and a no-contest.

Byrd, who lost the World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title to Wladimir Klitschko last year, is in line for a shot at the IBF throne. If he beats Harris, Byrd advances to fight David Tua for the right to challenge IBF champion Hasim Rahman. Byrd, a Barcelona Olympic silver medallist, boasts a 32-2 record, with 19 KOs.

If time allows, the satellite coverage will include an appetizer featuring Christy (The Coal Miner’s Daughter) Martin versus Kathy Collins.

Sunday’s card is a can’t-miss proposition.