BEST OF LUCK, BERNARD
By Rick Folstad
Send your best wishes to soon-to-be former IBF and WBC middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins. Keep your message short and simple. Tell him he was a great champion in a tough game and he did Philadelphia proud. Then give him your condolences and a pat on the back. He's the next name on the Felix Trinidad hit list, the next guy to go down muttering to himself about punches he never saw coming.
Barring a change in plans, Hopkins' reign as champion will end in New York City on Sept. 15. That's when Trinidad becomes the undisputed middleweight champion of the world.
I'm not saying Hopkins shouldn't stick around for the fight, but if he was smart, he'd forget this prize-fighting business for awhile, maybe look into the career opportunities in insurance. No one tries to knock your block off when you're trying to sell term life.
I keep waiting for Trinidad's glass chin to be exposed. I keep waiting for him to get out-boxed. I keep waiting for him to outgrow his power. And he just keeps me waiting.
How good is Trinidad? He's rolling through the middleweight division like a bowling ball through fine China. Even the heavyweights are keeping a wary eye on this guy, hoping he doesn't somehow put on 35 pounds.
"Trinidad is the best fighter in the world today," said trainer Larry Goossen following Trinidad's recent thumping of an out-classed William Joppy. "I love the guy. Most fighters don't have half the cajones he's got. Ever seen him turn down a fight?"
Why should he? The last guy to push Trinidad was just trying to get his autograph. His biggest threat is boredom. He's the only fighter south of the heavyweight division who can make Roy Jones turn in his basketball sneakers for two months of serious training.
"The best way to fight Trinidad is to beat him at his own game," Goossen said. `'Back him up and beat him up. Get his respect. Keep pressure on him and don't wait for him to throw punches. Show no fear at all because once he feels you're intimidated, forget it.''
It's a solid game plan. Unfortunately, King Kong can't make weight and no one else alive has been able to follow those instructions. The best weapon against Trinidad is a howizter. Make sure it's loaded.
"He's a throwback,'' Goossen said. ``He comes to fight and he's always in shape. Against Hopkins, it could be a boring-ass fight with a lot of holding, clutching and grabbing. But Bernard better be ready.''
Because he knows both the fight game and Hopkins, Goossen reminds you not to underestimate the soon-to-be ex-champ. Anything is possible. But don't bet the kids' allowance on the upset.
``The scary thing is, Trinidad just keeps getting better and better,'' Goossen said. ``And everybody thinks he's slow. Well, guess what? He beats all of them with his punches. He's the best fighter in the world. Not the best boxer. The best fighter.''
Best wishes, Bernard.
Notes: Was I the only guy who thought Floyd Mayweather Jr., was favoring his left hand over his right during his win over Carlos Hernandez on Saturday night? HBO's Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley kept harping about how sore his right hand was when it looked to me like it was his left that was bothering him the most over the last half of the fight. Usually, when a fighter switches to southpaw and jabs and leads with his right hand and never throws his left, it's a good sign his left hand is pretty sore.
One thing we did learn. If you take away Mayweather's hands, he's just another bum fighter. Of course, take away Mark McGwire' bat and he's just another bouncer checking ID's at the door. Take away Itzhak Perlman's violin and he's just another friendly face. Point is, Mayweather won going away while fighting with hands as tender as filet mignon.
You can reach Rick at folstad@insideboxing.com