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WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin Trout Heading for
High-Profile Showdowns
 The future is looking extremely bright for WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout (24-0, 14 KO’s) after the virtuoso performance he turned in against Australian challenger Frank LoPorto on Friday night at Cohen Stadium in El Paso, Texas.
Making the second defense of his title and his national television debut, Trout was masterful in logging a dominant TKO victory at 2:32 of the sixth round. Showing off his elite-level power, speed, timing, and fluid movement, Trout was barely touched while delivering a savage beating to his #14-ranked opponent.
It was the type of showing that gets the boxing world’s attention.
“I couldn’t be more proud,” said his elated promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions. “Austin was sensational. He set out to make a statement and he made it emphatically. He is now regarded as an elite-level fighter in a very talent-deep division.”
Cohen says that Trout now has two options for his next fight and both are lucrative, important fights.
“Miguel Cotto is the super champion of the WBA Junior Middleweight division. He won his title in June 2010 against Yuri Foreman. When you’re the super champion of the WBA, the rules state you need to defend against your mandatory every 18 months, so the winner of the upcoming fight between Cotto and Antonio Margarito must make their mandatory title defense against Austin Trout. We want to make that fight against either guy as soon as possible.”
If, however, the winner of the December 3 rematch between Cotto and Margarito declines to face Trout in his first defense, the other option would be a defense against Australia’s colorful Anthony “The Man” Mundine.
“If they choose not to fight us and vacate the belt, then we’ll be the only ones with a rightful claim to be WBA champion. In that case, we’ll make our mandatory against Mundine in a fight that would have not only all the new fans Austin made over the weekend, but the entire continent of Australia also buzzing the day it was made. Either way, it’s a win for my fighter. He’s finally going to get the kind of fight he’s dreamed of getting and all the recognition that will also come when he wins. He went from something of a secret in boxing to one of the hottest fighters in the sport with that one terrific performance.”
After that, Cohen says the Austin Trout hit list will have some recognizable names on it. “After Cotto or Mundine, it’s on to (WBC Light Middleweight Champion) Canelo Alvarez, James Kirkland, Alfredo Angulo; we’re going to clean out the 154-lb division before we’re done. The future is very, very bright for Austin Trout.” |
