IT JUST FELT SO RIGHT... By Elisa Harrison

May 11, 2002 marked the one year (minus a day) anniversary of one the most impressive demolitions of a legitimate champion in recent boxing history. Moving up in weight for the second time, Cupey Alto's favorite son challenged two-time WBA middleweight champ William Joppy at the Garden in New York City.

Félix "Tito" Trinidad set the tone of the bout by sprawling Joppy underneath the bottom rope within 12 seconds of the first round. Joppy would go down again in the fourth and fifth rounds, prompting a merciful stoppage by referee Arthur Mercante, Jr.

Trinidad became the seventh fighter in boxing history to win championships at welterweight and middleweight, joining "Sugar" Ray Robinson, Carmen Basilio, Emile Griffith, "Sugar" Ray Leonard, Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns and Roberto "Manos de Piedra" Duran.

Trinidad also helped set an attendance record that night as Madison Square Garden re-claimed its proper boxing Mecca status, enjoying its biggest gate ever for a non-heavyweight card, (18,235 fans) and the third largest gross for a boxing event since the Garden moved to its current location in 1968.

It was a most memorable night for yours truly; never before had I witnessed such an unabashed outpour of love for a fighter -or any other athlete for that matter- as I saw displayed for Félix "Tito" Trinidad. It was an impression that will stay with me forever.

On May 11, 2002 "el gran campeón" made a much anticipated and somewhat controversial return to the ring, this time in the heart of his beautiful Puerto Rico, against former WBC Middleweight champion Hacine Cherifi, a tough hombre who brought a reputable 32-5-1, 20 KOs record to the table.

The night of May 11, 2002 was supposed to bring some clarity as to Trinidad's future in the sport as well as the measure of his heart and the state of his pugilistic mind. Could he come back from the disastrous loss to Bernard Hopkins? Could he still count on the support of his fans? Could he put to rest the critics -and haters- with an impressive performance against the tough veteran Cherifi?

Many "experts" questioned whether Trinidad's so called one-dimensional style could be improved and if so, could Tito implement the changes successfully. May 11th, 2002 was a do-or-die night for Félix "Tito" Trinidad's career and in all honesty, it was a do-or-die night for this fan as well.

Traveling to San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday, May 8, arriving just in time to attend the Trinidad-Cherifi press conference, was a treat in itself. I hadn't visited the Island in more than 10 years...Witnessing the weigh-in the following day was equally special. The trip, the media blitz, walking around El Condado's main strip, looking forward to seeing Tito in the ring again, the anticipation, the buzz in the air, the butterflies in my stomach, (I always get them whenever covering live fights)...somehow, it all felt so right!

Deep down I had questions that only Tito's performance could answer. It would have been perfectly fine with me if he had retired after the loss to Hopkins, while still young, healthy and wealthy. I was not one of the die-hards who felt that Tito had to come back to prove a point or to set up a re-match with Bernard. For whatever it was worth, Trinidad had my support regardless of which road he would choose to take. His 40-1, 33 KOs record would have stood for itself, and his place in Canastota, New York had to be already secured.

While it all sounded great in theory, there I was amidst 16,000+ adoring Puerto Rican fans, in the heart of San Juan, this return taking place in the stadium named after another legendary and much loved Puerto Rican, the late Roberto Clemente.

The crowd went wild seconds after newly crowned WBA light welterweight champion Diosbelys Hurtado and Randall Bailey exited the ring, in anticipation of Trinidad's entrance to the arena. It all felt so right, it was as if the loss to Hopkins had never happened, as if all the vile accusations had never been made. Finally, I could see "Tito," looking fit and more cut than I had ever seen him before, confident and looking very much at home in the ring at the Roberto Clemente Stadium.

There was electricity in the air; the cow bells, the drums, the flags, the chant of "Tito," "Tito," the overt display of love for this man, much like the spectacle I witnessed at the Garden a year prior. The stage was set and it all felt so darn right! Tito touching his heart with his glove, acknowledging his fans, giving back the love and respect, making it seem like he is addressing each and everyone personally.

The Trinidad camp chose Hacine Cherifi as their come-back man, a tough Frenchman who beat WBC former middleweight champion Keith Holmes in 1998 and gave then middleweight champion William Joppy all he could handle and then some when they met in Las Vegas back in September 16, 2000. Joppy floored Cherifi twice on his way to a hard fought decision win.

Hacine Cherifi cuts a peculiar figure, bald at the top of his dome but sporting a long pony tail. He certainly seems a bit older than his 34 years; clad in black, his entrance to the ring almost went unnoticed. It was the other guy who got all the attention, the cheers, the support. The Puerto Rican flags undulated proudly throughout the venue, there were some funny banners addressed to Hopkins as well, and one question was answered immediately, Félix "Tito" Trinidad had not lost the love or the support of his fans.

The fight seems inconsequential now, actually it reminded me of the Trinidad vs Joppy bout, with Cherifi going down just like "Mr. Cheeks" did. It didn't take long, only four rounds, before the referee was forced to say "no más" and the courageous Puerto Rican former champ put the boxing world on notice that he was back, and that it all felt so right to him as well.

Félix "Tito" Trinidad carried the sport of boxing for a couple of years; he moved up in weight twice, challenging champions each time. He was the catalyst behind promoter extraordinaire Don King's Middleweight tournament; after all -and let's be honest- prior to Trinidad's challenge to Hopkins, Joppy and Holmes, how many fans really cared whether the three existing champions ever fought each other or unified their stale division?