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Frenzy for a native son in Puerto Rico
On ads for everything from pizza to stop-smoking aids, pictures of Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya appear in a nationalistic frenzy that has swept the island.
And there's no mistaking the loyalties: Trinidad, a native son and hero.
In Puerto Rico, more than a welterweight championship is at stake in Las Vegas on Saturday night. A Trinidad victory would give this U.S. territory of 4 million people a big lift on the international stage.
Few other causes -- aside from the Olympics, where Puerto Rico fields its own team, the Miss Universe pageant or singer Ricky Martin's domination of U.S. airwaves -- have generated such passionate and patriotic feeling.
"Tito is going to tear his head off," said Emilio Canciobello, a musician from Trinidad's mountain hometown of Cupey. "Also, he's got more of the upbringing and fury because he's Puerto Rican."
Housewives called talk shows to declare that their beloved Tito will win by a knockout in the sixth. For the indigent, the government sponsored a free viewing of the pay-per-view match on 16 giant screens at San Juan's Capitol building.
At four Puerto Rican prisons, some 2,000 lucky inmates will be rewarded for good behavior with a free showing of the bout. The cost to taxpayers is nearly $40,000.
In less than three hours, 8,000 people snapped up tickets to watch the bout at the Capitol. Jose Garcia of suburban Bayamon was the first, having arrived at the Capitol steps at 5 a.m. Thursday.
Handing out that ticket was the man who coined the idea, which cost taxpayers $72,000: Senate President Charlie Rodriguez, who, incidentally, has launched an early campaign for mayor of San Juan, a stepping stone to Puerto Rico's governorship.
Trinidad T-shirts have sprouted everywhere. San Juan's resort hotels, bars and nightclubs were charging up to $25 for a seat to watch the match.
Despite 6-5 odds favoring De La Hoya, nearly every caller to popular radio talk shows that dedicated the week to the bout argued not over who would win -- Tito, of course -- but when.
"He must win by knockout in the sixth or the seventh. Otherwise, a decision by points would be very bad for our Tito," said homemaker Angela Rivera of Puerto Nuevo.
"Trinidad in the sixth," predicted Pedro Sanabria, 23, a student at the University of Puerto Rico.
Even Trinidad's mother, Irma Doris Garcia Rodriguez, said Friday she had a "premonition" that her son would win by knockout in the fourth round. Just to make sure, she said she had sent her Tito some homemade chicken broth to fortify him.
Some in the minority weren't so sure.
"I think that Tito's going to win. It would be better for Puerto Rico," said Yeika Santos, an aerobics instructor and confessed De La Hoya fan. "But I know that it's difficult."
Given the fight's late hour -- roughly midnight local time -- police and government officials urged partying fans to stay off the roads.
"We hope that our Tito will triumph and that we will all celebrate, but with safety and peace in the streets," said Angel Luis Nieves, executive director of the Transportation Security Commission.
Police Chief Pedro Toledo huddled with his top officers to plan extra patrols. Full-page newspaper ads warned that anyone robbing the satellite signal could be fined up to $50,000 and jailed for two years.
At a Rent-a-Smart store in San Juan, manager Gerardo Alvarez said he was running out of big-screen TVs for those planning fight-night parties.
"Even 27-inch screens are scarce," he said.
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