Eight-time world champion Roy Jones Jr. visited the home of five-time world
champion Felix "Tito" Trinidad for a press conference at Coliseo Roberto
Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico this past Thursday.
While both boxers have been good sportsmen at previous
media tour stops in New York and Los Angeles, the emotion of being on his native
island caused Trinidad to sharpen his words towards Jones concerning their Jan.
19 showdown at Madison Square Garden and on HBO Pay-Per-View.
Trinidad became very serious at the end of the
media-packed press conference, striking the podium and telling his interpreter
to translate what he had to say in English because he wanted to make sure Jones
would hear him. "Roy, I am telling you this and I am serious this time,"
Trinidad said. "Every time I hit you it's going to hurt. I think Roy has a bad
memory when he says he's going to win in four rounds. What are you going to do
when I knock you out in the second round, Roy?"
Jones responded, "Tito's got to go in fo. He's doing a
lot of talking now. He's got a big mouth. That's a bad sign."
Roy Jones Jr.: "I love Puerto Rico. It's a great place. I've got to give
credit to Miguel Cotto for his performance against Shane Mosley. He came out and
out-boxed the boxer. Watching the Cotto-Mosley fight caused me to go home and
tighten up all of my bolts and screws because Tito comes from the same place
Cotto does so I've got to be on the top
of my game.
"I love to fight. Tito is a great world champion who
loves to fight. We are going to both come to fight on January 19 at Madison
Square Garden. Fans don't want to see a boring fight. They want to see
somebody's ass hit the grass.
"I'm going to take Tito down in four. He must go in fo.
(sic)."
Felix "Tito" Trinidad: "It's great to be on my island. Roy Jones and I are
donating money from our purses to help fight breast cancer and that is a good
thing.
"I want all of my friends and fans who know I have been
out of the ring for over two years to know that I am a clean person. I don't
smoke or drink so my body has been responding well to the conditioning for my
return to the ring. I am very happy with my performance in training. I want to
tell my fans once again that I am fine. I am ready. And I will do fine on
January 19.
"Roy Jones is a great eight-time champion of the world. He's been a great
champion and was undefeated for many years. He stepped up to heavyweight and
beat John Ruiz. All of this is true but on Jan. 19, Roy Jones, you will have
the toughest fight of your life. Every time I come into the ring I come to
fight. I come with only one bag into the ring, the bag of hitting you. The bag
of getting hit I left at home.
"I'm very sure Madison Square Garden will be sold out. You [Roy] will see a
Boricua Tito punching Roy Jones around the ring. I want you to be prepared Roy
because every time I hit you, you're going to feel it. I want my translator to
say this in English because I want him to understand what I am about to say.
Roy, I'm telling you this and I am serious this time. Every time I hit you it's
going to hurt.
"I think Roy has a bad memory when he says he's going to
win in four rounds. What are you going to do when I knock you out in the second
round, Roy?
Roy Jones Jr.: "Tito's got to go in fo. (sic). He's
doing a lot of talking now. He's got a big mouth. That's a bad sign."
12-10-2007