An even 30
Trinidad wins fight in fourth round with KO of Pineda
Posted: Saturday May 29, 1999 11:16 AM
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Felix "Tito" Trinidad hit challenger Hugo Pineda with almost every punch in the first round and knocked him out at 253 of the fourth round, improving to 35-0 with 30 knockouts.
Saturday night's fight at San Juan's Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Trinidad's native Puerto Rico was the fighter's 13th defense of his International Boxing Federation welterweight championship.
Equally important, it qualified him for a Sept. 18 challenge from WBC champ Oscar De La Hoya for a welterweight unification in Las Vegas. Trinidad's father and manager, Felix Trinidad Sr., and his promoter Don King have been squabbling over an additional $500,000 and details on HBO takings to a $10 million purse that initially wa to split with Trinidad getting $8 million and King $2 million.
Saturday night, the Colombian Pineda fell to 36-1 and 27 knockouts.
Trinidad, a little-known Puerto Rican with an impressive record, dominated from the moment the opening bell rang.
He used the first round to study his opponent while Pineda started off by just jabbing away.
In the second round, Trinidad became more aggressive, cornering Pineda and hitting him with solid left hooks. The Colombian became very cautious, concentrating on defending himself.
In the third round, Trinidad shocked Pineda with a solid left that he followed up with with a powerful right-left combination that left his opponent in trouble. Then Trinidad hit a low blow, and referee Robert Ramirez stopped the fight briefly for Pineda to recuperate.
Finally, Trinidad, 26, simply crushed Pineda, hitting with almost every punch in the fourth round.
A strong left hook to the lower body sent the 28-year-old Colombian to the canvas. He never got up.
"Tito! Tito!" hometown supporters screamed in victory.
The three judges had Trinidad ahead 3-0 when the fight stopped.
Both men weighed in at 147 pounds. Trinidad had shed 18 pounds (8 kilos) in two months to qualify in his category, according to his doctor, Roberto Munoz Zayas.
Saturday's card also included another world title bout in which Fred Norwood of St. Louis, Missouri, won a split decision over WBA featherweight champion Antonio Cermeno to reclaim the title that he lost at the same venue last April.
Norwood had actually defeated Cermeno, but lost his title because he didn't make the minimum weight.
Norwood is unbeaten in 34 bouts with 20 knockouts. Cermeno now is 35 and three with 23 knockouts.
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