Fathers know best
De La Hoya, Trinidad get major support from families
Posted: Thursday September 16, 1999 07:51 PM
| |
The fathers Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad have good reason to be proud of their sons. AP |
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Even if Oscar De La Hoya beats Felix Trinidad
on Saturday night, he's not counting on being complimented by his
father, Joel De La Hoya.
"He's a Mexican father and has a big ego, and he won't tell
me," said the 26-year-old De La Hoya, who was born and raised in
East Los Angeles. His father and grandfather also were fighters.
Another proud father is Felix Trinidad Sr., who manages and
trains the IBF welterweight champion from Puerto Rico.
Father-son combinations in boxing often hurt the fighter, but
not in this case.
"I have to give credit to Felix Sr." said Gil Clancy, a boxing
adviser to De La Hoya. "He's done a marvelous job. In this case,
it works."
The elder De La Hoya does not manage or train his son, yet makes
his presence felt to the point that he has been accused of
interfering with Oscar's career -- but not by Oscar or trainer
Robert Alcazar.
"I have to say Joel De La Hoya has never interfered with
Oscar's training in any area," said Alcazar, who knows pleasing
Joel is not easy.
"Two weeks ago for the first time he came to me and said, `I
like what I see,'" Alcazar said.
The father, however, did not tell the son.
"I read it in the paper," the WBC welterweight champion said.
"It would have been nice to hear it."
De La Hoya did hear from his father after his split decision
victory over Ike Quartey on Feb. 13.
"He said I didn't put enough pressure on him," De La Hoya
said. "He said, `You gave him too much respect.' He was right."
The elder Trinidad also fought professionally. In 1979, he
fought the late Salvador Sanchez, a Hall of Fame featherweight
champion, and was knocked out in the fifth round.
A knockout is what Felix Sr. says his 26-year-old son is going
to do before a sellout crowd in a 12,000-seat arena at Mandalay Bay
and a big pay-per-view audience.
"The fight will end by a knockout," said the younger Trinidad.
"I really don't like to predict a round. My father has told me it
will not go past six rounds. He knows a lot about boxing."
De La Hoya wouldn't be surprised to win by a knockout, but he
added, "If I box well and win a decision, I'll make myself
happy."
A knockout could happen since both champions are power punchers.
De La Hoya has 25 knockouts on his 31-0 record. Trinidad (35-0)
has 30 knockouts.
What might decide the outcome, however, is how hard of a punch
each can fighter take.
De La Hoya suffered a flash knockdown by Narciso Valenzuela in
the first round of his 11th pro fight, Oct. 30, 1991. He also was
knocked down and hurt in the first round by Giorgio Campanella on
May 25, 1994, and was knocked down and hurt in the sixth round by
Quartey.
Trinidad was knocked down twice in the second round by Alberto
Cortes in his 16th fight, Oct. 3, 1992. He also suffered
second-round knockdowns in four other fights, the last time by
Kevin Lueshing on Jan. 11, 1997.
De La Hoya and Trinidad have had two common opponents -- Oba Carr
and Pernell Whitaker.
Trinidad got up to stop Carr in the eighth round of a title
defense on Dec. 10, 1994. De La Hoya knocked Carr down in the first
round, but didn't stop him until the 11th round of his last fight
May 22. De La Hoya said he bruised his left hand in the first round
-- the left hook is his money punch -- but the hand is fine now.
Both men won decisions in title defenses against Whitaker -- De
La Hoya on April 12, 1997, and Trinidad last Feb. 20.
"I believe Whitaker won that fight [against De La Hoya],"
Trinidad said. "A lot of people say the same thing."
Saturday's pay-per-view telecast will begin at 9 p.m. EDT.
The main event will be preceded by a four-round women's
featherweight fight between Mia St. John of Canoga Park, Calif.,
and Kelly Downey of Merriam, Kan.; a 10-round super flyweight match
between Miguel Angel Granados of Mexico and Eric Morel of Madison,
Wis.; a four-round heavyweight bout between Butterbean of Jasper,
Ala., and Ken Craven of Ellisville, Miss., and an IBF cruiserweight
title fight between champion Vassiliy Jirov of Kazakhstan, now
living in Phoenix, and Dale Brown of Canada.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
