Trinidad, Cotto React To Lack of Superstars in Puerto Rico

[Ruthless-RKO]

For the last few years, there has been a lack of boxing superstars in Puerto Rico.

Felix 'Tito' Trinidad was a mega-star with world titles at welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight.

After Trinidad retired in 2008, the superstar mantle was passed to Miguel Cotto, who captured world titles at 140, 147, 154 and 160 pounds.

And then when Cotto finally retired in 2017, there was a deep gap in the boxing landscape of Puerto Rico.

Several possibilities to take the throne from Cotto have fizzled out.

Fighters like Emmanuel Rodriguez, Alberto Machado, Felix Verdejo, Jose Pedraza and Christopher Diaz have all tasted defeat at least once in the last two years.

Trinidad believes fighters are not being groomed in the right way, which has led to a drought of top level boxers from the country.

"During my career it was my father who sought out those great fights. Now there are managers who are also coaches and they want their boxer to last a long time and if they fear a certain boxer, then they step to the side so they don't lose the title so fast," Trinidad told Carlos Gonzalez.

"Don King was looking for an opponent and my father accepted it because he knew what kind of a boxer I was, what I could do against anyone. I faced Yory Boy Campas, Oba Carr, later De la Hoya, William Joppy and Bernard Hopkins. They were opponents that I did not avoid. In Puerto Rico there are many boxers who have avoided that hard road and do not get the opportunity to face the best in each division."

Cotto, however, agrees with some of what Trinidad is saying but maintains optimism about the future.

"We have had seasons of scarcity in Puerto Rican boxing, but the talents have always been and they will continue to be there in the future. Sooner or later a new breed of boxers will flourish," Cotto said.

Francisco Valcarcel, President of the Puerto Rico-based World Boxing Organization (WBO), has his own take on the topic.

"There is a lot of talent, but it takes time. There are a lot of prospects, but until now that top figure has not arrived. It is cyclical. Each year a figure like this emerges. First came Gómez, then Trinidad and then Cotto. The extraordinary boxers are not born every day, they are born every 10, 12 or 15 years. This pattern does not only happen in Puerto Rico, but also in different parts of the world," said Valcárcel.

[Onekrazyrican]

Its a combination of different factors. I tend to agree with Tito. We have had very talented fighters that unfortunately have not developed the right way. Some were decent amateurs but were protected too much just grooming their records to make them the next Tito. In reality they just didnt develop enough and failed on their first big test.

When Tito had 12 fights he beat Jake Rodriguez who 3 years later won a title. On his 15 he got tested by Alberto Cortez a 51-2 Argentinian who had only lost to JC Chavez and an olympic silver medalist Australian prospect.

We have had kids with impressive amateur runs that fall short at the big stage. You need actual skills to be a world class amateur but you need to be at least mildly tested before entering the big stage. Getting the glory before being tested does no good to their confidence because when the doubt kicks in you need to be able to tell your self you have been throught it before and made it. Its kindof what happened with Verdejo. He had the looks and the skills but he was already main eventing and drawing big crowds before doing anything of note.

Its difficult to stay motivated when you feel like you have already accomplished your goal.