Featherweight contender Omar Trinidad pays tribute to wrestling legend Eddie Guerrero after every victory by kicking his feet up and laying on the top ropes imitating the iconic wrestler. 

Trinidad hopes to strike that same pose on Saturday after his bout against Alexander Espinoza at Commerce Casino in Commerce, California. 

Trinidad, 18-0-1 (13 KOs), has enacted the maneuver that Guerrero made famous after many of his fights, but it was most notable after his first 12-round bout in October. Trinidad had to outbox rather than outslug Hector Andres Sosa and after the grueling bout hit the pose and pointed to the sky. 

“It means I get to relax, in a sense, but it's a tribute that I paid for the late Eddie Guerrero. I grew up watching WWE,” Trinidad, 29, told BoxingScene. “My brother got me into WWE because I loved Lucha Libre. The first guy that stood out was Eddie, who was on the lowrider with the Mexican flag, and I was like, ‘That's my guy right there.’ 

Trinidad emulated Guerrero and then something happened: his fans wanted him to do it after every fight. Trinidad has stayed active as a professional (and since signing with 360 Promotions). He fought in January, winning a unanimous decision over veteran Mike Plania, and the next fight will be his fifth in a row at the Commerce Casino.

“When I started going to the gym, Daniel Roman was in the gym, and right now, Arnold Barboza Jnr is at the gym and it's just an inspiration, because they came a long way,” Trinidad said. “They inspire me to keep going, because they come from similar backgrounds to mine.”

Espinoza, 23-6-3 (8 KOs), 32, is a veteran of the sport, having fought former belt holder Andrew Moloney and Olympian Peter McGrail. Espinoza of Managua, Nicaragua has gone 196 rounds in his 10-year professional career compared to Trinidad’s 91 rounds. 

“I know he has a lot of fights under his belt,” Trinidad said. “He's very active. He has a lot of volume punching.”

Given that most things in the fight favor Trinidad, when asked bluntly how he doesn’t overlook Espinoza, he countered: “I never do that. That's not part of my character. I never overlooked anybody. I just pay attention to what's in front of me.”

Trinidad’s activity has seen him rise in popularity in his media market of Los Angeles. Whether it is inspiration from pro wrestlers, professional fighters, or his family, Trinidad’s genuine nature and old-school mentality have seen him achieve more than some who have more accolades as a pro. 

“It is not only an L.A. mentality, it is my parents, the hard-working, Mexican people, and they just embedded that in me to work through any trials and tribulations,” Trinidad said. “Just to keep focused on the end goal, and just to make it out and make it a better life for my family and be financially stable.”