Boxing bombshell - I am shocked.

[GonzoStyle]

In the history of boxing very few times can we point out a time where a fighter has left the game graciously and early. Marciano comes to mind, leaving when the time was right and with a perfect record to boot. How many fights does one truly need to be a legend? Archie Moore had over 200 fights Ali had a little over 50. But it's the big fights that count. Ali had more than any heavyweight champion, 3 with frazier, 3 with norton, 2 with liston, foreman, and on and on.

Today Felix Trinidad who was on his way to immortality before Bernard Hopkins derailed him, announced he is retired from boxing. Hopkins has denied him a rematch and Trinidad said a true champion is one who comes back to avenge his losses, my chance to avenge my only loss has been taken away from me. So I am retiring while I still have my health.

Trinidad has beaten most of the top welters and middleweights but will retiring so early hurt or help him? He has won belts in 3 different weight classes and beaten the best there were at the time. He personally ruined David Reids entire career, he beat delahoya, vargas, joppy, the list also goes on. He was champion for 7 years and his only loss is to Bernard Hopkins which is nothing to be ashamed of.

But today I am ashamed of Hopkins. He put on a boxing clinic last september when he schooled Trinidad and Knocked him out. But he was given his chance and in the fight game you always return that chance. Ali offered Foreman a rematch but Foreman wanted nothing to do with it but the offer was made. Roy Jones is offering Hopkins a 60/40 split and he is damn right in wanting 60 percent. Roy Jones is the bigger name, Roy Jones owns the belts they would fight for, and Roy Jones owns a victory over Hopkins as well.

Before this I was hoping that somehow Hopkins would once again pull off a miracle and beat Jones. Now I hope Jones whups him something awful. Cause Hopkins was always talking about he'd fight Trinidad anywhere, anytime and now he plainly refuses any chance whatsoever. Didn't mean Trinidad had to retire but he couldn't move back down in weight and he refused to fight for the titles that were taken away from Hopkins cause they weren't the true titles. So he couldn't fight for the championship since Hopkins owns them. He couldn't move up cause 168 there is no one there to fight.

Well it was fun while it lasted, and we all wanna see the "perfect fighting machine" lose. That's why we watch sometimes just to see the guy who gets too much credit get his ass beat and that was the fun in watching Hopkins beat Trinidad but can't take away in one night what Trinidad built over a decade.

[Keyser Soze]

I don't think Trinidad will retire for good. Ali retired and came back, Foreman did too. Trinidad is too young, too hungry and too talented to remain out of the game for too long.

An interesting question is if the Jones/Hopkins fight ever goes down, who will the winner have to fight? Will Hopkins remain in Jones' weight class and take on all comers? Would Trinidad be able to move up in class and return to fight Jones? In my opinion Jones and Trinidad were two of the most exciting boxers in this past decade outside of the heavyweight division.

For awhile the only excitement in boxing was coming from outside the heavyweight division. Tyson's absence left a void that they filled. Now that Mike has all but been demolished and finally revealed what we didn't want to believe, that he is a shell of his former self, who will take his place and be THAT guy in boxing that everyone pays to see? Lewis is a great fighter but he doesnt have the "kwon" that Tyson had.

[Skitchr4u]

its a shame if he does retire for good...but for his sake, lets hope that if he does retire he stays that way. too often a fighter will retire only to come back after a 2 year layoff and not be as good as they were in the past...i want to remember trinidad for his great fights, not as a guy struggling to come back because he got bored at home, or needed some quick $$

[GonzoStyle]

Will Hopkins remain in Jones' weight class and take on all comers?

Like Hopkins even stands a chance. Love him or hate him, Jones is the most gifted fighter you will ever see. He hasn't fought anyone but it's not that, he has fought the best there was, he just makes them look so fuckin horrid. Reggie Johnson was considered as good as Jones and the best out there and held the other belt but jones made him look like an amatuer. Lets not forget James Toney, toney was unbeatable Jones humiliated him and literally destroyed him.

Trinidad can't move back down from 160, plus he's beaten almost everyone below him. To move all the way down to 147 to fight mosley or forrest is asking too much. At 154 he's beaten both Vargas & Delahoya. The only people who can lure him from retirement is Hopkins firstly cause that is the fight he wants. Jones if he beats hopkins, & delahoya if he gets past Vargas.