Hopkins likely to fight dirty against Trinidad

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2001 | 9:58 a.m.

Provided the fight does not end in a draw -- or a no contest -- Saturday's bout at Madison Square Garden in New York between Felix Trinidad and Bernard Hopkins will result in the first unified middleweight champion since Marvin Hagler held all three major titles in 1987.

Trinidad, 40-0 with 33 knockouts, holds the World Boxing Association belt.

Hopkins, 39-2-1 with 28 KOs, is the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation champion. He trained for this fight, which was delayed from Sept. 15 by the terrorist attacks, near Las Vegas and is a slight betting underdog in sports books here.

"You're not the middleweight champion until you beat Bernard Hopkins," he told the Associated Press.

And while Trinidad may be able to do it, it's no sure thing.

What is a virtual sure thing: Hopkins will make the fight as dirty as possible, and the notion of him losing by disqualification is hardly a long shot.

"I've been accused of being dirty," Hopkins admits, and onlookers can expect him to smack Trinidad with as many forearm shivers as the referee will allow.

"I don't expect a dirty fight but you never can tell," Trinidad has said.

Hopkins has a roughhousing style and, given his remarks in advance of the fight, will be going out of his way to demonstrate that he is not intimidated by his higher-profile opponent. Hopkins can be beaten but he won't go down easily and his persistence figures to make this a potential Fight of the Year.

"I beat up guys who have heart," Hopkins said. "I'm going to knock the biggest symbol of Puerto Rico down."

Trinidad, 28, is fighting for only the second time at 160 pounds but is a renowned tactician with an assortment of skills including speed and power. A world champion since 1993 and now in his third weight class, he does, however, suffer from a questionable chin.

Hopkins, 35, lost the first fight of his career and then one to Roy Jones in 1993, but has not been beaten since (in 19 fights).

Yet Trinidad has not seemed all that impressed.

"(Hopkins) has been lucky up to now," he said. "I think I'll knock him out."

We'll see.