Felix Trinidad dismissed De La Hoya, Hopkins and Vargas when naming the biggest puncher he faced

In boxing, the term “box-office” applies to a fighter who guarantees entertainment, drama and edge-of-the-seat excitement. One of the 1990s’ leading figures in that category was Felix ‘Tito’ Trinidad.

Standing 5ft 11ins, the Puerto Rican puncher amassed 35 knockouts in 42 wins and carried the kind of vulnerability that made his fights even more compelling. He could be dropped just as quickly as he could flatten opponents with his notorious left hook — and a right hand that could be just as devastating.

Beginning his career around the super-lightweight limit, Trinidad’s explosiveness propelled him to his first world title in 1993 when, at just 20, he blasted through welterweight champion Maurice Blocker. Blocker admitted in the build-up he had neither heard of Trinidad nor studied him — something he regretted midway through round two when he was sent face-first to the canvas and his title reign abruptly ended.

Trinidad’s popularity surged throughout the 1990s as he established himself as a devastating welterweight, taking on elite names such as Pernell Whittaker and Oscar De La Hoya. Remaining at 147lbs brings us to the hardest puncher Trinidad says he ever faced — a test that came six months after the De La Hoya victory when he moved up to super-welterweight.

Outdoors at Caesars Palace, Trinidad went to war with David Reid for the WBA world title. Speaking to The Ring for their ‘Best I’ve Faced’ series, Trinidad explained why Reid topped his list.

“David Reid had the power to knock me out; he hit hard. When I fought him, he hit me with some good punches in the early rounds. He won an Olympic gold medal by knockout, even with the fact that you fight with headgear and the gloves are more cushioned.”

Reid’s gold-medal right hand dropped Trinidad in the third round, but from that point the Puerto Rican took control. He hammered Reid’s body, floored him in the seventh with a left hook to the head, and eventually ran out a comfortable winner on the scorecards to claim the title.