Boxing Comebacks a Mixed Bag;
82% of Media Say Trinidad-Mayorga
Will End in KO

Whether it’s money, the roar of the crowd or just to improve one’s place in history, there are more boxers who later regret the decision to return to the ring rather than those who stay home.  Puerto Rican superstar  and three-time world champion Felix “Tito” Trindad will find out whether he made the right decision to come back on Saturday night in Madison Square Garden and on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Fighters who have been successful include legends like “Sugar” Ray Leonard emerging victorious in his first comeback versus Kevin Howard—and, second, against another legend by the name of Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

If it had ended there it would have been better for Leonard, but it did not. Leonard failed in another comeback against Terry Norris as well as Hector Camacho.

Others who were successful in their comebacks include Muhammad Ali coming out of enforced retirement after three-and-a-half years to beat Jerry Quarry in his 1970 comeback fight. There are others who were successful, the obvious one and Poster Child of all comebackers, George Foreman.

Go way back, almost to the time Father Adam was dispossessed, and you’ll find Jim Jeffries failing against Jack Johnson in 1910. Almost as far back was Benny Leonard’s failed comeback against Jimmy McLarnin. Add the names of Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, etc., etc., to the list of failed comebacks.

The final media poll for Saturday’s middleweight clash in Madison Square Garden between Puerto Rican superstar and three-time world champion Felix “Tito” Trinidad (41-1, 34 KOs) and hard-drinking, hard-smoking, hard-talking and hard-punching former world champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga (26-4-1, 22 KOs) shows that an incredible 82% of the respondents believe the fight will end in a knockout.

Media members from around the world were asked if they believe the fight will end in a knockout.  Of the 99 respondents, 81 said yes with only 18 believing the judges will be asked to determine the outcome.

While considering a knockout, the ring records of both fighters shows Mayorga has never been knocked down in his entire professional career; however, Trinidad has been knocked down by seven different fighters:

• Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, 9/29/01, TKOBY 12

• “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas, 12/2/00, round 4

• David Reid, 3/3/00, round 3

• Kevin Leushing 1/11/97, round 2

• Oba “Motor City” Carr, 12/10/94, round 2

• Luis “Yory Boy” Campas, 9/17/94, round 2

• Anthony Stephens, 10/23/93, round 2

The media remains undaunted by the 7-0 disparity in knockdowns favoring Mayorga, as 71% pick Trinidad to win by knockout.