On May 14th, 2005, Ronald “Winky” Wright handed Felix Trinidad his second career loss via a twelve-round unanimous decision, for a fight televised on HBO pay-per-view. The bout sold 510,000 pay-per-view buys and generated a total of $25.5 million.
The bout saw Trinidad come out of retirement to fight Wright, but Trinidad return once again after the fight, though Trinidad would return a couple of years later to face Roy Jones Jr.
Despite serving as an underdog, Wright fairly easily outclassed Trinidad in a one-sided boxing lesson. The trademark Wright jab would propel Wright not just to victory, but a spot on the pound-for-pound list.
The bout also served to decide the next challenger for the undisputed middleweight champion, Jermain Taylor’s title. Wright would go on to fight Taylor to a draw.
Wright landed 262 of 756 punches, with a whopping 185 jabs, to 58 of 557 for Trinidad. It was the career-defining moment Wright had been looking for on a big stage.
This was the end of the Trinidad era, as Wright silenced any hope of a re-emergence of the great Puerto Rican fighter with a masterful performance.
The Avoided Winky
Normally stories like “Winky” Wright turn out bad in boxing folklore. Yet, for Wright, he got more than his own share of glory. Wright spent a good part of his career having to go overseas to get opportunities as a tricky southpaw, who was known as a tough opponent. A few decisions that should have gone his way didn’t, but after losing to Fernando Vargas on a high-profile card that set the stage for a great final act.
Wright defeated Shane Mosley twice, and Felix Trinidad in three consecutive fights as Wright defeated two of the biggest fighters of the generation in a little over a year from 2004-to-2005.
In Wright’s victory lap after the Trinidad fight, a few interesting what-ifs occurred. Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions offered Wright a deal for a slew of money which was declined by Wright, as well as Wright declined a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., citing he had everything to lose and nothing to gain. Interesting things to reflect back upon now in the context of history.
Wright’s apex mountain was defeating Felix Trinidad as this was the moment in which the respect he always deserved was given. It also seems that after the Jermain Taylor fight, Wright was on the decline as his fights with Bernard Hopkins, Paul Williams, and Peter Quillin, all saw Wright lose in a manner not seen prior.
Trinidad Shows Boxing Is A Business
Felix Trinidad never had his prior success from the first half of his career as a cash cow for Don King’s promotional entity, after being stopped by Bernard Hopkins. Trinidad’s first fight back was in Puerto Rico as a tune-up bout, which led to a fight with Ricardo Mayorga. After stopping Mayorga in 2004, Trinidad would never win again as a professional.
During a time in the sport of boxing, no one outside of Mike Tyson or Oscar De La Hoya was bringing in more revenue as Trinidad had the whole island of Puerto Rico behind him. Don King set up the middleweight tournament for unification seemingly for Trinidad to emerge as the victor and a bigger star. Unfortunately for that plan, Bernard Hopkins had other plans.
Trinidad had a left hook of legend, which might just be the best-left hook in the history of the sport, and an iconic trait of once being dropped in a fight getting up, and sending his opponent to the canvas. Trinidad was what you would want your legends to be - stoic, but as great outside of the ring as he was inside the ring.
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