Trinidad Fighting On March 12, But No Opponent Has Been Solidified

GL: Don Felix, can you update us on Tito's next fight? Will it be March 12? If so against whom? "We will be fighting on March 12. That's the date we're working with. As far as an opponent goes, no one has been solidified yet. We still need to have those conversations with Don King, who is a little sick right now, but once he gets better we're going to be having those conversations shortly."

GL: The last time we spoke you mentioned several names as possibilities. Names like Felix Sturm, Keith Holmes, Jermain Taylor ecetera. Have any new names been added to the mix?

Felix Trinidad Sr: "Winky Wright is another name that's out there. We think he did a great job against Mosley, he's shown that he's among the best fighters out there, so Winky Wright is someone else other than those names you mentioned who's on the list."

GL: There have been several rumblings that Tito may be moving down to junior middleweight. Is there any validity to that?

FT: "I don't who keeps on putting these things out there, but I can tell you it didn't come from me and it didn't come from Tito. Tito is a middleweight and that's where he's fighting. We're comfortable with the weight and we will Tito is at his strongest at 160."

GL: How does Team Trinidad view the Winky Wright fight? Is it your preference or is Winky just another name on the list as far as you're concerned?

FT: "As I said, Winky Wright is one of the best fighters out there and he's one of the guys Tito Trinidad would like to fight, but we don't have any favorites. He's a name on the list, Don King, who knows what it takes to make Tito Trinidad fights, will decide who we're going to fight next."

GL: As a trainer, what kind of strategy would you look to implement for a Winky Wright fight?

FT: "Well Greg, obviously I'm going to get into some of the things we'd look to do on the phone, but I will tell you that like every other Felix Trinidad fight, we will train hard, we will come up with the game plan and we will put in the proper preparation to be successful when we get in the ring."

GL: Did you see the Jermain Taylor-William Joppy fight? If so, what are your thoughts on Taylor?

FT: "I did see the fight. I think Taylor did what he had to do to win and he looked okay. There's something I'd like to get off my chest now though, William Joppy has been quoted in the papers and he's still talking nonsense about the way I wrapped Tito's hands like that's the reason he lost to Tito. 

"I'd like to ask William Joppy, who I have shown nothing but respect to William Joppy, when Don King first came up with the whole idea for the middleweight tournament, time and time again I said we thought William Joppy was the best middleweight in the world, so for him to make those false accusations was ridiculous. But I'd like to ask Joppy if he thinks the beating Jermain Taylor gave him had something to do with the way his hands were wrapped. 

"In Tito Trinidad's last fight at Madison Square Garden on October 2, the New York Commission was there when I wrapped Tito's gloves the same way I did for the Joppy fight, and they commended the way I professionally wrapped his hands. It's a shame that Joppy couldn't take his loss to Tito like a man. Hopkins beat Tito, we dealt with it and didn't accuse Hopkins of any wrongdoing, we took it like men. It's sad that Joppy hasn't.

GL: As far as Taylor goes, do you feel he's ready for a fighter like Tito Trinidad? Or do you think he needs more development before taking such a step...

FT: "We think Taylor is a very talented young fighter and we're not the type of people who want to insult anyone, so I think the best thing for us to do is just take Taylor's words about a fight with Tito. We heard him say with his jab he feels he could be successful. We heard him say he feels ready, so hey if that's the way the kid feels, we don't want to discourage him but we'd certainly be more than happy to give him the chance to show us in the ring."

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