Do you think Trinidad was ruined by the Hopkins loss? I don't see it.

Oscar De La Hoya ruined Tito. It just took a while to catch up to him.

On a more serious note Roy, Hopkins, and Wright were too skilled for him at 160 and 170,

 

He wasnt ruined. He just didnt have the same passion for boxing as he did prior. Remember he was talking about fighting Roy Jones after Bernard Hopkins and then retiring.

 

I think it was more of a mental thing.

 

Often when it's said, the fighter is more "diminished" than "ruined". They are still good, just not 100% (or 90% or whatever) of what they were before. Meldrick Taylor & Miguel Cotto for instance.

 

:deal

Probably had the fire in his belly to return in devastating fashion after the Hopkins fight, but they really messed up by putting him with Wright. That killed his rebuilding motivation and I think being content with what he achieved he was fine to grow fight and make an ill-fated comeback (probably another case of a fighter missing fighting there).

 

Tito was never even a full-time fighter after what Hopkins did to him. He was beaten badly in every way. The Tito that fought Mayorga did not have the same legs that the one that fought Hopkins and all prior opponents. Mayorga was not even a dangerous opponent at that weight. Tito was still very good when he came back, but not the Tito of old. Hell, Winky might have stopped him If he would've tried.

 

No, but I think his desire waned. He had one fight after Hopkins, looked good, he was still one of the biggest stars in boxing, and then the guy takes two and a half years off.

And against Winky, I did think it looked like he may have been just going through the motions. Of course he was confused, but he was confused against Hopkins too and getting schooled, but kept trying til the end and went out on his shield. Maybe I'm off-base, but against Winky it just seemed like he sort of mentally capitulated and went through the motions.

Then he took another two and a half years off.

 

agreed. mayorga was no longer the force that he was at 147 where he could imipose his will.

trinidad was still a force at 160 but appeared to be a different fighter after the hopkins fight. he was far more successful at 147 and 154.

 

Yeah, that was his plan. To beat Hopkins and then jump up in weight to take on Jones. I think his plan was to coax Roy into moving down in weight for a clash at 168. Although most thought he would lose.

I personally thought he was the exact same fighter for all the fights after Hopkins. Against Mayorga, Cherifi, and even against Winky Wright he fought the same way he always does. People say he was past it for Wright, but I just think it was a matter of styles that made him look so bad. I never saw any real decline in Tito until the Roy Jones Jr. fight.

 

Ruin him? No. But Hops definitely enforced his notion of retiring sooner than later. I know he fought a few times afterwards few and far between, but it was more of a money/test the waters thing than a whole hearted passion for the sport.

 

I hated that they fought at that weight but good for them for drawing 500k ppv wise ..

 

Imagine how many buys it would do in 2001 if Hops didn't spoil the party.