AP

Oscar De La Hoya and Trinidad are similarly skilled fighters, and both have shown weaknesses in their last several fights that the other can be expected to try to exploit. Each fighter has visited the canvas numerous times in his career, then gotten up and dusted himself off to come back and win a tough fight.

There is not one punch, or stylistic aspect of either fighter's game that will swing this fight in one direction or the other. The winner of this fight will be viewed as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world today, and may be regarded as one of the greatest welterweights of all time. But there is something much greater than that at stake in this fight.

Oscar De la Hoya will climb into the ring with his WBC welterweight belt, and the hopes and dreams of young ladies around the country who think he is cute to look at.

Felix Trinidad will enter the ring on Saturday night with far more than just his IBF welterweight title on the line -- he will have the hopes and dreams of a nation slung over his narrow shoulders as well.

Trinidad is fighting for national pride, for the ability to be placed on a pedestal with Roberto Clemente and for the right to be known as the greatest Puerto Rican fighter of all-time.

Felix Trinidad will win the fight convincingly, scoring a unanimous 12-round decision to carve his spot amongst the legendary athletes to come from the country of Puerto Rico, and kick off an amazing night-long fiesta in the streets on San Juan to celebrate their new national hero.

-- CNNSI.com's Jon A. Dolezar

AP

Dissect their styles all you want. Compare the dangerous left hand of Oscar De la Hoya the converted southpaw, to Felix Trinidad's explosive combinations. Compare their knockout power. Ponder the questions: Is De La Hoya a one-handed fighter? Trinidad's offensive arsenal too one-dimensional? Analyze them until you're hair stands up like Don King's.

Then consider that the key to this fight is going to be simple. This fight -- between two macho millionaires who have beaten all comers -- is about heart, courage, cojones. The winner will have to take a punch. He may have to get up off the canvas. De La Hoya is the battle-tested champion, while Trinidad has never been in a war, never had to work under attack.

De La Hoya knows what it's like to be losing on the scorecards, to be frustrated by a hard-to-solve opponent like Pernell Whitaker (`97 vintage), to need a late knockdown as he did against Ike Quartey. Coming up with the big punch in a big situation is a skill, and De La Hoya will win because he is among the best clutch hitters in boxing.

-- CNN/SI's Evan Kanew