PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
EIGHT-TIME WORLD CHAMPION ROY JONES JR.
FIVE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION TITO TRINIDAD
Friday, Nov. 23, 2007
Wilshire Grand Hotel, Kyoto Restaurant, Los Angeles
Two of the greatest boxers in history, Felix “Tito” Trinidad
and Roy Jones Jr., will face each other in a battle boxing fans have been
waiting for years to see at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden on Saturday,
Jan. 19, 2008, and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.
Trinidad (42-2, 35 KOs), from Puerto Rico, and Jones (51-4,
38 KOs) from Pensacola, Fla.,—both destined for the Hall of Fame—have built a
staggering list of accomplishments and will enter the ring for this highly
anticipated 12-round fight at or below the catch weight of 170 pounds.
Jones is an eight-time world champion, winning belts in the
middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions,
becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a world heavyweight crown
in over 100 years.
Trinidad is a five-time world champion with a stunning career
knockout ratio of 80 percent that has won titles in the welterweight, junior
middleweight and middleweight classes. He also holds the distinction of having
defeated three Olympic Games gold medalists: Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, “The
Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya and David Reid.
Here is what the future Hall of Famers had to say.
ROY JONES JR.
“I haven’t felt this excited about a fight in a very long
time. You haven’t seen me this pumped up in a long while. I have my fire and
energy back. I don’t know how I lost it, but I know I got it back.
“Some of the odds makers have me as a five-to-one favorite.
They don’t know what they’re talking about. I should be a 50-to-one favorite.
“I’m revved up for this fight. How can I not be excited? I’m
fighting Tito Trinidad.
“Tito says it won’t last two rounds. I’m going to be nice and
give him two more rounds and beat him in four.
“I can fight at practically any weight right now. I can drop
down to 168 pounds and take on (Joe) Calzaghe. I’ll fight him anywhere he wants.
Jones Jr. is back and ready to fight.”
FELIX “TITO” TRINIDAD
“Jones and I were suppose to fight during the peaks of our
careers. I believed back then that I could beat him and the same holds true
today.
“I respect Jones and the great career that he has had. I know
he thinks he can beat me, but that’s not going to happen. This will be one of
the biggest victories of my career.
“I’ll be ready for whatever Jones brings to the table. I’m
always in great shape for my fights so I’ll be ready.
“Even though I’ve been out of boxing for two years, I still
feel great. Anyone who knows me knows that I always stay in great shape
regardless if I have a fight on the horizon or not.
“I don’t think fighting at 170 pounds is going to be a big
deal. The heaviest I’ve fought has been at 160 pounds. I’m a little older now so
I carry my weight a lot better than I used to.”
11- 26- 2007
