Reid Fighting Trinidad to Be a Spoilsport

Can David Reid beat Felix Trinidad?

Shouldn’t the question be: Why wouldn’t he? Isn’t that the natural order in boxing, to descend into the most chaotic state? If Reid beats Trinidad Friday night at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, there will be so many rematches and fight combinations in order we may never find a solution. Boxing promoters have a hard enough time doing the logical thing. What would happen if they had valid choices? Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya couldn’t get together after their Sept. 18 fight, in which De La Hoya turned into a NASCAR driver and ran laps around the ring, letting Trinidad walk off with the welterweight title. That’s why Trinidad will meet Reid.

Now all the principals are shifting aroun~d weight classes, other boxers such as Shane Mosley want in on the action and who knows when and if we’ll see Trinidad-De La Hoya II. But it’s hanging over the boxing world, so much so that Reid has addressed the topic of De La Hoya this week as much as he has his opponent, Trinidad.

“It’s always going to be like that, because they are the two main attractions,” Reid said. “Now I’m here to spoil all that. Oscar, he can fight against Felix Trinidad--after Trinidad loses--all he wants. I am here to spoil everything.”

He just might do it. After all, Trinidad is the one moving up to the 154-pound super-welterweight level.

Reid might be the guy with the droopy left eyelid, but Trinidad is the one who has to be keeping an eye on De La Hoya and could be just a little distracted.

De La Hoya, who has agreed to fight Mosley in June, fought an outclassed Derrell Coley Saturday, but Trinidad faces a challenging opponent--one who could hand Trinidad his first defeat and quell the demand (and lower the payday) for a rematch with De La Hoya.

For Trinidad, Reid is a risk.

“A monumental risk, man,” said Don King, Trinidad’s promoter. “That’s why you see me sweating like this.

“The safer fight would be an intelligent route to go, but an intelligent route to go never gets greatness. You’ve never seen intellect get greatness.”

Well, not in boxing, at least.

This fight will pay Trinidad $5 million; Reid will get $3 million. That’s all tip money compared with what Trinidad could land if he remains undefeated and faces De La Hoya again.

Trinidad “is taking a tremendous risk,” King said. “Because right now, the difference between him and 30 or 40 million dollars is Reid. That’s a hell of a risk.”

The man providing the risk has a gold medal from the 1996 Olympic Games. He has a record of 14-0, with seven knockouts. He’s quick and can hurt you with both hands, a holdover from the days when he started boxing as a southpaw.

And unlike Trinidad, who is pursuing greater agendas, Reid has only one pressing goal: “Go out there and get my hands raised.”

“This is the most focused I’ve ever been,” Reid said. “It’s just like fighting for the gold medal again. I’m fighting a lot of gold medals . . . and now I’m fighting the biggest fight of my life against Felix Trinidad. I’m in the best shape of my life right now.”

Trinidad (36-0) has more than twice as many professional fights as Reid. And Trinidad fought that hugely hyped matchup with De La Hoya, which is one more megabout than Reid.

“I think my speed, my power and the will to win is going to make up for all of that,” Reid said.

Reid’s tale could easily be called “Mama said knock you out.” He was a bad boy in the streets of Philadelphia, running with the wrong people, settling arguments with his fists. His mother, Marie, told him if he had to fight, better to do it in a gym.

So Reid went to the North Philadelphia Athletic Center, where he met Al Mitchell. Mitchell was the coach of the ’96 Olympic boxing team and is Reid’s trainer today.

Reid needed only 12 fights to get the World Boxing Assn. super-welterweight title, which he took from Laurent Boudouani in March 1999. He has successfully defended his belt against Kevin Kelley and Keith Mullings.

That’s nothing like going against Trinidad.

“This is like once in a lifetime, where a guy like myself, coming out of the streets, that hard ghetto, coming out and getting his chance. . . . What more can you ask for?” Reid said. “I’ve got to take this chance and run with it. I probably won’t get this chance in my life again.”

It’s the chance to play wrecking ball, to thrust himself into the big-money bout discussions.

And the chance to say the two words he’s dreaming of telling Trinidad and his fans: “Buenas Noches.”

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J.A. Adande can be reached at his e-mail address: [email protected]

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Fight Facts

David Reid (14-0, 7 KOs) vs.

Felix Trinidad (36-0, 30 KOs)

Friday at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

WBA welterweight title

TV: Pay-per-view, telecast begins 6 p.m.