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Eliot J. Schechter/Allsport
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Felix Trinidad
You don't have to be a boxing expert to know -- and trust me on this one -- that the game is all about heart. Quickness, stamina, punching power and a good chin are all important. But with no heart ... well, you're no mas.
Felix Trinidad has beaten everyone that anyone has ever thrown in front of him. He's been a champion for seven years. He is in the prime of his career, giving him an advantage in experience that can't be overlooked.
And now, all the sudden, a ferocious young lion named Fernando Vargas -- a good fighter, granted -- gets in the ring and people wonder whether Trinidad can withstand the onslaught? Whether "Tito" can hold off a fighter of Vargas' caliber?
C'mon. Oscar De La Hoya. Pernell Whitaker. David Reid. Before that, Hector "Macho" Camacho. Heard of them?
Trinidad has beaten the best. That is no mirage. And, as it seems many are forgetting, he can slug with the best. Vargas' 18 KOs in 20 wins are pretty impressive. So are Trinidad's 31 in 38.
Yeah, he starts slow. He's been knocked down. But "Tito" always gets up. He always wins.
Trinidad in a unanimous decision.
-- CNNSI.com's John Donovan
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David Leeds/Allsport
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Fernando Vargas
Fernando Vargas is boxing's next "Golden Boy" -- whether he likes it or not. And that's bad news for Felix Trinidad.
Vargas hates everything associated with Oscar De La Hoya, but he will outbox Trinidad much like De La Hoya did for nine rounds during their fight. Remember, Trinidad only won that fight because of De La Hoya's dance ensemble in rounds 10-12. Because he wants to prove he is better than Oscar, Vargas will not let that happen.
Although he won the WBA super welterweight title from David Reid in March, Trinidad got knocked down by Reid. He followed that up with a quick victory over Mamadou Thiam. But those wins are not so impressive now, especially after Reid won a controversial decision over journeyman, Kirino Garcia -- who lost 20 times prior to their bout.
Meanwhile this year, Vargas won a decision over Ike Quartey in April and got a convincing fourth-round TKO of Ross Thompson in August. Vargas is peaking at the right time.
Physically, Trinidad is the smaller man against Vargas. Yes, Trinidad has a height and a reach advantage on "Ferocious", but Trinidad cannot match Vargas' power. "Tito" will feel a punch more powerful that anything he has ever tasted.
Vargas in the 9th round.
--CNNSI.com's Robert Rodriguez
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