It's much more.
"This is like a religion; this is something that people, frankly, friends, we get together to watch the fights and usually when there's a big Puerto Rican fighter like [Felix] 'Tito' [Trinidad], Wilfredo Gomez, [Wilfred] Benitez, [Miguel] Cotto, that's very big," he told Maxboxing last week."When 'Tito' beat [Oscar] De La Hoya, the country stopped that day when he returned to the island; even the governor gave everyone the day off. So it's pretty big and important. This is a sport we take very seriously here."
Every time a marquee Rican fights, national honor is at stake. This is no different than the Olympics or the World Cup.
"Oh, yeah, definitely," said Rodriguez, who is a project manager for an internet company. "When they win, everybody feels like they won." And when they lose? Well, let's just say that a pall is cast over the island and its people. They say that every American knows exactly where they were when the attack on Pearl Harbor took place on December 7th, 1941 or when JFK was assassinated. For Puerto Rican boxing aficionados, the night of September 29th, 2001 is that day, as their idol, Felix Trinidad suffered the initial loss of his career at the hands ofBernard Hopkins. And “Tito” wasn't just beaten but stopped in the 12th and final round.
"That's one of the saddest days of my life," admitted Rodriguez. "I was devastated when Trinidad lost." That same sentiment carried over toPuerto Ricans on the northeast. Luis Cortes III, a frequent contributor to Maxboxing.com, who was born and bred in Philadelphia- the hometown of “B-Hop”- recalls, "I remember being younger in 2001 when I swore Trinidad was going to knock out Hopkins, even though Hopkins is a Philly guy- I was going for Trinidad and in any other fight, I would've been backing ‘The Executioner.’ Then with what he did to Trinidad, I was depressed for a little while."
For Boricua boxing fans, that truly is a day that will live in infamy.
"It is; it really is," said Cortes, ruefully. "It crushed our hopes and dreams that [Trinidad] was going to be the [first] guy that knocked out Roy Jones Jr. Of course, I knew that would've been stretching it a little bit. But you learn; I learned a lot that day. I learned that one guy isn't invincible."
Just one fight prior, Trinidad had systematically destroyed William Joppy in the first round of Don King's four-man middleweight tournament in May. At that point, there was talk that after the mere formality of getting past Hopkins, “Tito” would then move up to face Jones as a super middleweight. Every Puerto Rican was absolutely convinced that his man would be the one to top the pound-for-pound ruler. What was really memorable was just how raucous the sold-out crowd was at the Madison Square Garden. It was the very definition of pandemonium as Joppy was nearly beheaded by Trinidad’s lethal left hooks (There was also a tinge of controversy as there were a smattering of boos from the partisans while the American national anthem was sung. It was a protest over the U.S. Navy and their bombing exercises on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques).
To this day, this reporter has never seen such a passionate mob. It seemed as though everyone either had a Puerto Rican flag or bandana on them. It was truly their night.
Trinidad holds a special place in the hearts of every Puerto Rican, it seems, as does Wilfredo Gomez and Wilfred Benitez. But there is a familiar dynamic at work as it relates to boxing and fans of their culture or nationality. Just like with Mexicans, a fighter who is seen as a national- say like Julio Cesar Chavez or Erik Morales- is supported with more fervor than boxers who migrate to the States. There is a formidable list of boxers of Puerto Rican descent who were based in America, like Hector Camacho Sr., Eric Morel, John Ruiz, Fres Oquendoand Kermit Cintron, just to name a few.
"And part of that has to do with the fighters from here in the United States, their lack of education in terms of knowing how to work the local media here in the United States, locally, especially where you need to start, for one's marketing is not really going to be up to what's happening in the world of boxing. Whereas on the island, if you're an up-and-comer, they're going to seek you out. Here you need to make sure you're sought out," theorizes Cortes, who might have a point. The reality is, in Puerto Rico, boxers are treated like NFL or NBA stars and have major promoters like PR Best Boxing who work year-round to make sure their clients are seen or heard on a regular basis. Cortes adds, "Guys here in the United States, they think, 'Hey, I'm Puerto Rican; I'm going to get that type of adulation,' that a guy from the island would and it's not the case."
Maybe this is truly about location, location, location.
Cortes, a guy who watches every fight and covers local fight cards on a regular basis, admits when a Puerto Rican standout is on the bill, he does have a greater sense of anticipation.
"Oh, absolutely, just being a fan of the sport and in general and having a passion for the sport, especially when they're guys from your national background, you really get that extra feel for the event," he says. "You get the emotion put into it and it's your guy. You feel connected to them. You just want to see them win."
Perhaps “JuanMa” will be that guy soon. He's getting there but he's got a ways to go.
"It takes time," said Rodriguez, who says he has over a thousand boxing matches on DVD and VHS and traveled to see Trinidad face Ricardo Mayorga
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