OK, so it's not the catchiest title out there, but I've obviously got your attention. Besides, cut me some slack here, no one said anything about Steve Kim's 'Cheat-o' Trinidad eye-catcher on MaxBoxing.com last week. If you missed Kim's latest brain fart of a 'news' column by the same title, don't sweat it, he'll have another one for ya before you can say bean burrito.

It was indeed a toss up between Max Kellerman's editorial piece entitled Tszyu's overrated, so go with Zab humdinger, over Kim's equally asinine jewel. As tough a choice as it was, I allowed my obligation to all those who took the time to email us last week about the hand wrapping piece to sway me. However, hats off to Max, yours was no less a gem in its own right.

The essence behind Kim's article was that of shedding light on some infamous hand wrapping technique used by the 'Puerto Rican underground' to grant their boxers a punchers' edge. A ploy that was 'astutely' caught by the Hopkins camp, prior to Trinidad entering the ring on the 29th last month. Thus, exposing not only Team Trinidad as being a cheat and a farce, but the whole Puerto Rican boxing institution was inconspicuously thrown in the mix as well. If you think I'm being melodramatic, and you have a couple of minutes to lose, don't take my word for it, read the article if you haven't already.

Honestly folks, if it were not for the fact that the columnist writes for the top cyber-dog in Boxing, there probably wouldn't be any need to even address the subject, but I got a few minutes to kill, and again, judging from the emails received by TB this past week, Kim obviously struck a cord with some of you, so we'll play along with Steve on your behalf.

The column showcases former opponents of the Puerto Rican Trinidad (Reid, Vargas and Joppy), as they are given open forum to digress into one of the more pathetic displays of grown men wining about how they were slighted by the artificially induced cast iron fist of Trinidad. Each of which (with the exception of Joppy) have gone on to struggle with their chins and stamina due to the after shock of Tito's 'unjust' devastation of their egos, explains Kim as the story develops.

It came as a surprise to me that Steve didn't take a step further by also insinuating that Team Trinidad covertly acted as accomplices to Wilfredo Rivera, by wrapping the light punching former welter weight's hands for his bout with Vargas given that Wilfredo is also from Puerto Rico. Rivera you may recall, floored the rebounding Jr. middleweight Fernando Vargas a few months after his bout with Tito, only to pull back from the kill allowing the younger Vargas to turn the tide on him shortly thereafter.

If you note some cynicism on my part towards Mr. Kim it's only because the columnist continually abuses the medium of reporting the news when in fact he is just writing an editorial piece . 'Cheat-o' Trinidad is a perfect example of the reporter not being able to make the distinction or even worse, deliberately presenting it as fact knowing that it is nothing more than a full blown commentary piece masked to look like journalism. But for more on that, I would encourage you to read Sugarfree Shaw's article and the obvious differences of the two mediums and how Kim in particular has a problem distinguishing them.

As do all reputable publications, MaxBoxing.com has its obvious anchor to reality by way of its editor and chief Doug Fisher. Having once again been left to clean up after his 'shoot from the hip' peer, Fisher posted an almost immediate counter article relating Trinidad Senior's response to the rumors generated by Kim's article, as they were presented to Don Felix back in Puerto Rico.

Fisher basically presented the facts straight from the horses mouth, as Don Felix dismissed the whole debacle for what it really was as the trainer explained in detail the obvious intent of his wrapping technique being that of protecting the boxer's bread and butter if you will. I urge you to read Fischer's article as well which is granted, not as entertaining as Kim's but obviously far more trustworthy a source in my estimation.

I did find however, one very important oversight by the sites' chief. Shortly after Kim's story posted it appears Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic commission, Marc Ratner, in direct response to the article, did not hesitate to discard the whole matter as being less than unmerited. A gesture I thought to be far more revealing and appropriate then even that of Don Felix. But that's just me.

Ratner, having been the man in charge of keeping things on the 'up and up' on numerous occasions for Tito's bout in Vegas, went on to comment that to his recollection, he never saw any reason to question Team Trinidads' means of preparing their boxer to fight. These being in essence the words used by the commissioner as he addressed the matter. The statements included Tito's bouts with Oscar de La Hoya, Reid, Vargas etc.

He (Ratner) also pointed out that in each one of those bouts there was always someone of the opposing camp; as well as an assigned representative of the commission present, to witness first hand, the wrapping process from beginning to end.

Heck, even trainer and father figure to David Reid, Al Mitchell having been present in Tito's dressing room while they wrapped his hands did not pick up on any of this, even with his trained eye as a trainer. I guess Mitchell did not care as much about David as Don Felix does his son is the implication. Or maybe Mitchell needs to take a refresher course on one of the more basic aspects of his craft as a trainer.

What does this say of the dozens of corner men and state commission appointed officials present in all the other bouts Tito participated in? Is Kim inferring that every last one of them was completely oblivious of the goings on?

According to Ratner, never once was there any reason to question the Puerto Rican trainer's methods. The process presented by Don Felix met the governing body's rules and regulations each and every time.

Even veteran trainer and Boxing analyst Teddy Atlas made light of the whole thing focusing more on Team Hopkins having got the upper hand psychologically by offsetting, what to Trinidad had always been the customary wrap used for his fights. The no holds barred commentator opting not to touch on the subject, which obviously holds about as much water as a screen door on a submarine.

For the most part, all the other publications have had a similar reaction to the whole allegation made by Kim by choosing to just ignore it for it's lack of substance.

To further add irony to the matter, earlier in the year Dr. Margaret Goodman who has assumed the role of ringside physician for years now, spear headed the task of publishing a manual, which would serve to protect boxers from the obvious hazards of the sport. Goodman elected to quote and use the savvy Don Felix' input and technique in regards to --yes you guessed it-- the importance of protecting the athletes' hand by way of properly wrapping them.

The irony of this last fact almost being poetic and hard for me to refrain from, but instead, we'll move on shall we.

Perhaps it was the element of conspiracy that gripped you about Kim's story, then let's set our sights towards the officials responsible for correcting the "infamous" hand wrapping act that night of September 29th, prompted by the Hopkins Camp.

Now ex- president and lame duck official of The New York State Athletic Commission Mel Southard, for reason that have yet to be addressed, was for some odd reason the acting representative of the commission and the man responsible for carrying out the threat to withhold Trinidad's purse if he did not oblige them in making Tito re-bandage his hands.

Is it just me, or is this but another convenient oversight on Kim's part, who has himself questioned the reputation of this particular Commission and its subordinates, if recent memory serves me correctly.

I guess it was ok and not the least bit suspicious for Southard, whose ethics have come under severe attack from everyone imaginable, to execute the Commissions reprimand of the Trinidad's. But that's another story.

We could go on and on, but the bottom line simply being this, anyway you slice it, Kim's article is at best irresponsible, at worst hypercritical. How this stuff ever even makes it to print is probably the bigger question here.

I will leave you with the quandary. -- indulge me on this if you will-- what if the outcome of the fight would have gone the other way? Given Kim's reaction even in lap of being right about Hopkins victory over Trinidad, one is left to shudder and think, to what length would the writer have gone to prove his point when reality and fantasy so conveniently intertwine for Mr. Kim.

**Editor's Note: Bragging Rights Corner wishes to thank sister site Tainobox.com and its highly talented staff for their support and encouragement. This superb piece has been reproduced with their permission.