MONTEBELLO, Calif. — Félix Juan Trinidad García was the star of the show at Quiet Cannon.
Standing at the Quiet Cannon Crystal Grand Ballroom, voice catching between gratitude and memory, Trinidad spoke less like a Hall of Famer and more like a son who never stopped being guided by the man in his corner. On a day meant to celebrate legacy, his words made it clear that his story has always been shared with Felix Trinidad Sr.
“It’s an immense honor to have been with my father through my career,” Trinidad said. “Since I was an amateur fighter, to a professional, even when I became a champion. And when he retired, we retired together.”
The legendary father-son pairing that helped define an era of Puerto Rican boxing was inducted into the National Boxing Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 on Sunday.
Trinidad, a former welterweight, junior middleweight, and middleweight champion, built his reputation on destructive power and a willingness to meet anyone in front of him. But in his speech, the focus never drifted far from home. He thanked his team, but especially, the man standing alongside him.
The Hall of Famer credited his father for shaping the fighter the world saw and the discipline behind it. Training camps, early sacrifices, and the structure that turned raw talent into a championship pedigree all traced back to Trinidad Sr., who guided his son through a career that included victories over elite names and some of the most high-stakes fights of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
“Boxing is a tough sport. It’s a hard sport,” Trinidad said. “But I was able to become a champion. Just like everyone else here.”
For Trinidad Sr., the induction validates a career that often lived in the shadow of his son’s knockouts. But within the sport, his influence has long been recognized as the architect of preparation, the strategist in the corner, and the voice that steadied one of boxing’s most recognizable champions.
Trinidad also thanked Hall of Fame organizers, including president Bill and his wife Linda, for staging the event and recognizing the fighters’ contributions. After his induction, the former champion signed autographs and took photos with some media and peers on stage.
The Class of 2026 spans multiple generations and roles across the sport. Alongside the Trinidads, inductees include Timothy Bradley, Chris Byrd, Tracy Byrd, Seniesa Estrada, Wilfredo Gomez, Rafael Marquez, Erik Morales, Victor Terrazas, Paul Vaden, Max DeLuca, Dougie Fischer, Lita B. Kaufman, Larry Merchant, Mark Relyea, Marvin Somodio, Farzad Tabatabai, Thomas Taylor and Claudia Trejos.