Watch how the great Felix Trinidad became world champion against Maurice Blocker.
When you think of some of the greatest punchers over the last 25-30 years, Felix Trinidad has to spring to mind.
On June 19th, 1993, the Puerto Rican sensation was a perfect 19-0 entering his first world championship bout against IBF welterweight champion Maurice Blocker. “Thin Man” stood 6’2” which is ridiculously tall for 147 lbs, but he was no doubt a world-class fighter. After losing by TKO to Simon Brown for the unified WBC and IBF titles, he got the vacated IBF belt by beating Glenwood Brown by split decision. Two fights later, he ventured up to 154 lbs and was erased by Terry Norris in just two rounds.
Returning back to welterweight, there were questions about how Blocker’s chin would hold up against the fast, incredibly hard punches of Trinidad.
(Narrator: Not very well!)
Trinidad was far too skilled, too quick, too sharp, and too damn powerful for Blocker. Two right hands towards the end of the opening round had Blocker shaken up and jelly-legged, and it would get far worse from there. Midway through round two, Trinidad uncorked a left hook to the body, another hook upstairs, a right hand over the top, another left hook, and one more right hand for good measure as Blocker fell face-first onto the canvas. No, a count was not necessary and Robert Byrd called it off immediately.
Watch the video at the top of the page. The knockout is at the 14:10 mark.
Blocker (36-4, 20 KOs) did fight twice more against nondescript opposition, winning both times before retiring in 1995. Trinidad of course never lost at welterweight and would remain unbeaten until he was knocked out by Bernard Hopkins in 2001 for the undisputed middleweight belt. He was never the same after that, and he retired after losing to Roy Jones Jr in a light heavyweight bout in 2008. With a record of 42-3 (35 KOs), Trinidad is in the International Boxing Hall of Fame and is one of the greats of his era.
