The Light Middleweight division is rather odd. At the top we have a part-time Light Middleweight in Floyd Mayweather Jr, somewhere below him we have Saul Alvarez and Miguel Cotto, two of the biggest draws in the sport. Then comes a lot of fighters looking to make a name for themselves. This includes fighters like Carlos Molina, Bryan Rose, Demetrius Andrade, Vanes Martirosyan, Akinori Watanabe and two men who fight each other this Saturday.
Those two men are Austin Trout (26-1, 14), a former WBA Light Middleweight champion, and Cuban Erislandy Lara (18-1-2, 12), the current WBA interim Light Middleweight champion. Unsurprisingly, having read they have both have links the WBA title, it should come as no shock that this bout will be for the vacant WBA title, allowing Lara the chance to upgrade his title and allowing Trout to regain his old belt.
This is, on paper, one of those true 50-50 match ups. This is reflected in the odds which narrowly favour Trout at this time of writing., though it genuinely nip and tuck ion the odds.
In terms of the fighters they are both very talented boxers, who can counter excellently, neither is amazing on the front foot but bother are great pure-boxers.
Lara is probably the better all-rounder and the better man on the front foot. He's very dangerous southpaw who has questionable durability having twice been down against Alfredo Angulo though did show a fighters heart to come back in that fight and eventually stop Angulo really messing up his eye in the process. In terms of what he has over Trout he definitely seems to hit harder and also probably has the edge in terms of speed and over-all experience having previously had a very long amateur record.
Staying on Lara for a second, many feel he should have won the only fight he lost, a controversial decision against Paul Williams, but then again many felt he was beaten by Carlos Molina. Factoring both of them in his record should probably stand at 19-1-1.
Trout on the other hand suffered his only loss last time out dropping a decision to Saul Alvarez. Although the judges had that fight all but decided after 8 rounds Trout was certainly not dominated and gave Canelo one of his toughest bouts. What Trout has proven capable of is controlling the distance with his jab and movement, and although he doesn't tend to score many stoppages he does seem to get opponents respect when he connects.
Unfortunately for Trout he's giving away several inches in reach here and with both men having capable speed this will see his jab neutralised by that of Lara. If the jab of Trout's can't help him establish distance and his power can't earn him the respect of Lara then this will be a very hard to win. I think Trout will try hard and try several game plans but at the end of it he'll be a clear loser at the end of the day. His effort however will see him given another shot somewhere down the line and he'll remain relevant despite a loss.
Prediction-Lara UD12
Showing posts with label Austin Trout. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Austin Trout. Show all posts
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Austin Trout v Saul Alvarez
The biggest fight of this weekend, by a notable margin sees the much maligned Light Middleweight division thrust into the boxing spotlight as unbeaten fighters collide in a genuinely exciting unification bout. In one corner you have the often over-looked Austin "No Doubt" Trout (26-0, 14) who currently holds the WBA Light Middleweight title in the other corner you have the WBC champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (41-0-1, 30). On the line are both the WBC title and the WBA "super" title and of course bragging rights, the Ring title and the consensus #1 ranking at 154lbs. The stakes could hardly be bigger.
Of the two men the pressure is certainly more on flame haired Mexican Alvarez. The 22 year from Jalisco is seen by many as "the next superstar of boxing" with a huge female fan base, a unique look, a fun to watch style and a genuine charisma about him as well the Golden Boy hype machine which has pushed him in to the limelight in the US in the hope of making him a superstar.
So far in his 42 fight career things have been good for Alvarez who has only been troubled a handful of times a career that dates back to October 2010. In fact the closest Alvarez has come to losing was a split decision victory over Miguel Vazquez (yes, the current IBF Lightweight champion) and a draw to little known Jorge Juarez, though he was rocked in his first high profile US bout by Jose Miguel Cotto (in what was Canelo's 3rd US fight).
The stocky Mexican fighter is certainly a born fighter having been impressive since he was 15 and fighting obscure opponents in Mexico. Though many do doubt his actual creditability in the Light Middleweight division where some have ranked him #1. So far his wins in world title bouts have been against very limited opponents including the brave but outclassed Matthew Hatton, the much smaller Alfonso Gomez and Josesito Lopez, the old Shane Mosley and Ryan Rhodes and the mentally weak Kermit Cintron.
With the other fighters in the division, including Trout, Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather, Javier Maciel, Erislandy Lara, Ishe Smith, James Kirkland and Alfredo Anguloit's fair to say that Alvarez's competition has been beyond poor since becoming a world champion.
Whilst "Canelo" has been fighting poor opponents he's been receiving the media acclaim of a fighter who is a pound-for-pound fighter. Whilst I don't mean to take away from his skills he doesn't look as rounded as the media have portrayed him. In fact defensively Alvarez has looked porous, offensively he's looked surprisingly quick though not as heavy handed as his record would indicate and whilst his shots are crisp he can be made to look lazy at times and his feet certainly aren't the swiftest.
As the under-dog it's fair to say there is less pressure on Trout who although unbeaten was pretty unknown by the wider boxing public just a few fights back, in fact until he beat Miguel Cotto (in what was considered a betting upset) it's fair to say that Trout was a completely overlooked fighter in the 154lb mix. This was despite notable wins in both Panama and Mexico over Nilson Julio Tapia, Rigoberto Alvarez ("Canelo's" brother) and David Lopez as well as a solid victory on Showtime against Delvin Rodriguez.
Like Alvarez, Trout is unbeaten since his debut in 2005 (a month before "Canelo") and although he's not had the hype and the promotional backing of Alvarez he's certainly proven his character fighting on the road on a regular basis. Be it in Panama, Mexico, Canada or Miguel Cotto's "adoptive home" of New York, Trout has had to prove his ability on the road and win decisions when he wasn't expected to.
In terms of his style, Trout has often been called a spoiler and whilst he can spoil fights, the southpaw isn't really that negative just very controlling in a fight. He's very highly skilled, he lacks explosive power but he certainly can hit hard enough to make fighters think twice, he has great movement and whilst not the most active at times he's a fighter who seems capable of putting his foot on the gas if and when needed. Like Canelo it's his hand speed more than anything that really stands out, though he certainly has a foot speed edge over Canelo and probably also a technical edge despite not having the power of the Mexican.
Going in to the bout Trout will know that he will need to clearly win the bout to get a decision. The Golden Boy backing that Alvarez has had won't be written off easily though "The Golden Boy Curse" could of course strike again here as it did Jorge Linares (against Juan Carlos Salgado) and Victor Ortiz (against Marcos Maidana).
With all the variables and intangibles going into this bout it's hardnot to get excited about it. Of course the bout has the potential to be a bit of let down considering whats on the the line especially when we remember back to the last unification bout in the US between unbeaten champions (Timothy Bradley v Devon Alexander) however I'm personally expecting an electric atmosphere and a bout to remember.
Sadly as much as I'm looking forward to this I can't help but feel that the actual result will be less than the fighters deserve. The gut feeling is that Canelo wins a very controversial decision due to his popularity though part of me also sees Trout turning it on very late and making sure the judges can't screw him. If Trout can't stop Alvarez he may end up getting a draw when he deserves a victory.
Prediction- Draw.
Of the two men the pressure is certainly more on flame haired Mexican Alvarez. The 22 year from Jalisco is seen by many as "the next superstar of boxing" with a huge female fan base, a unique look, a fun to watch style and a genuine charisma about him as well the Golden Boy hype machine which has pushed him in to the limelight in the US in the hope of making him a superstar.
So far in his 42 fight career things have been good for Alvarez who has only been troubled a handful of times a career that dates back to October 2010. In fact the closest Alvarez has come to losing was a split decision victory over Miguel Vazquez (yes, the current IBF Lightweight champion) and a draw to little known Jorge Juarez, though he was rocked in his first high profile US bout by Jose Miguel Cotto (in what was Canelo's 3rd US fight).
The stocky Mexican fighter is certainly a born fighter having been impressive since he was 15 and fighting obscure opponents in Mexico. Though many do doubt his actual creditability in the Light Middleweight division where some have ranked him #1. So far his wins in world title bouts have been against very limited opponents including the brave but outclassed Matthew Hatton, the much smaller Alfonso Gomez and Josesito Lopez, the old Shane Mosley and Ryan Rhodes and the mentally weak Kermit Cintron.
With the other fighters in the division, including Trout, Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather, Javier Maciel, Erislandy Lara, Ishe Smith, James Kirkland and Alfredo Anguloit's fair to say that Alvarez's competition has been beyond poor since becoming a world champion.
Whilst "Canelo" has been fighting poor opponents he's been receiving the media acclaim of a fighter who is a pound-for-pound fighter. Whilst I don't mean to take away from his skills he doesn't look as rounded as the media have portrayed him. In fact defensively Alvarez has looked porous, offensively he's looked surprisingly quick though not as heavy handed as his record would indicate and whilst his shots are crisp he can be made to look lazy at times and his feet certainly aren't the swiftest.
As the under-dog it's fair to say there is less pressure on Trout who although unbeaten was pretty unknown by the wider boxing public just a few fights back, in fact until he beat Miguel Cotto (in what was considered a betting upset) it's fair to say that Trout was a completely overlooked fighter in the 154lb mix. This was despite notable wins in both Panama and Mexico over Nilson Julio Tapia, Rigoberto Alvarez ("Canelo's" brother) and David Lopez as well as a solid victory on Showtime against Delvin Rodriguez.
Like Alvarez, Trout is unbeaten since his debut in 2005 (a month before "Canelo") and although he's not had the hype and the promotional backing of Alvarez he's certainly proven his character fighting on the road on a regular basis. Be it in Panama, Mexico, Canada or Miguel Cotto's "adoptive home" of New York, Trout has had to prove his ability on the road and win decisions when he wasn't expected to.
In terms of his style, Trout has often been called a spoiler and whilst he can spoil fights, the southpaw isn't really that negative just very controlling in a fight. He's very highly skilled, he lacks explosive power but he certainly can hit hard enough to make fighters think twice, he has great movement and whilst not the most active at times he's a fighter who seems capable of putting his foot on the gas if and when needed. Like Canelo it's his hand speed more than anything that really stands out, though he certainly has a foot speed edge over Canelo and probably also a technical edge despite not having the power of the Mexican.
Going in to the bout Trout will know that he will need to clearly win the bout to get a decision. The Golden Boy backing that Alvarez has had won't be written off easily though "The Golden Boy Curse" could of course strike again here as it did Jorge Linares (against Juan Carlos Salgado) and Victor Ortiz (against Marcos Maidana).
With all the variables and intangibles going into this bout it's hardnot to get excited about it. Of course the bout has the potential to be a bit of let down considering whats on the the line especially when we remember back to the last unification bout in the US between unbeaten champions (Timothy Bradley v Devon Alexander) however I'm personally expecting an electric atmosphere and a bout to remember.
Sadly as much as I'm looking forward to this I can't help but feel that the actual result will be less than the fighters deserve. The gut feeling is that Canelo wins a very controversial decision due to his popularity though part of me also sees Trout turning it on very late and making sure the judges can't screw him. If Trout can't stop Alvarez he may end up getting a draw when he deserves a victory.
Prediction- Draw.
Friday, 30 November 2012
Austin Trout v Miguel Cotto
Saturday's only world title fight sees WBA Light Middleweight champion Austin Trout (25-0, 14) attempt to score the biggest victory of his career as he faces former 3-weight world champion Miguel Cotto (37-3, 30). Although Cotto will be the huge fan favourite going into this bout he is seen by some as being a fighter on the slide and a fighter who may well be ready to wave goodbye to the sport whilst Trout is certainly heading in the other direction.
Puerto Rican hero Miguel Cotto is a fighter who is hard to dislike. The 32 year old has genuinely faced everyone and anyone from Antonio Margarito to Zab Judah, Manny Pacquiao to Floyd Mayweather. In fact if anyone was to be critical the biggest problem with Cotto is that he faced too many tests and took too much punishment in a career that has seen him claim world titles in the Light Welterweight, Welterweight and Light Middleweight divisions.
At his most exciting Cotto was a come-forward, body beater who cracked hard, nasty hooks to the ribs of opponents, breaking them down round by round. Defensively he's never been the sharpest though Cotto has developed his style in recent years to be more than just an offensive body attacking machine and has added a very nice sharp jab to his repertoire. It's this jab that served him so well in his most recent fight, a decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Although small for a Light Middleweight (5'7" and with a 67" reach) Cotto is often skilled enough to impose his fight on an opponent as he both uses controlled aggression and very under-rated foot work to work his angles and get inside a taller opponent. Sadly however we've seen him beaten down hard in the past by both Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, who both mentally and physically beat down Cotto (albeit Margarito did do it in a seriously controversial manner). The fact that those two men managed to really beat up Cotto does leave us wondering how much he can take, and although Mayweather didn't stop him, he looked like he could had he wished to.
At Light Middleweight Cotto's power isn't great despite being 3-1 (3) at the weight, his wins over Yuri Foreman, Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito really showed this. In fact all 3 of his stoppages at the weight have questions over them with Mayorga claiming a broken hand, Foreman damaging his leg and Margarito's damaged eye from his bout with Pacquiao, though his performance with Mayweather was still impressive.
Whilst Cotto, as mentioned, is seen as being on the slide, the 27 year old Trout is certainly seen as a fighter on his way up and despite being the champion is a betting under-dog. Whilst it's true that he isn't a big name in the sport, like Cotto or a number of Cotto's big name opponents he is still a hugely talented fighter who is fresh, confident and coming to make a real name for himself.
Southpaw Trout has slowly been making a name for himself with the hardcore fans since he turned professional way back in 2005 however it wasn't until 2011 that fans started to sit up and take notice as Trout bagged himself several notable victories. The most notable of those victories came in February 2011 as he out-pointed Rigoberto Alvarez (the older brother of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez) for the interim WBA Light Middleweight.
Since claiming the interim WBA Light Middleweight title, Trout has defended it 3 times, defeating David Lopez, Frank LoPorto and Delvin Rodriguez and barely losing a round in those three fights. Whilst he may not have been on killers row the victories over both Lopez and Rodriguez were still impressive and were worth taking note of, especially considering how good Rodriguez had looked in his bouts with Pawel Wolak.
Despite lacking the high level experience Trout has numerous advantages himself. Not only is he a fresher, younger fighter than Cotto but he is also a natural Light Middleweight and has notable size advantages over Cotto (stood over 2" taller and with a 5" reach advantage) both of which he will look to use to his advantage. This will likely see Trout using his right hand jab to keep Cotto at a safe distance and tie up Cotto at close, spoiling Cotto's work up close and neutralising Cotto's supposed power (which I actually don't think will be a factor here).
In terms of the fight, I'm going with the upset here. Like everyone I love Miguel Cotto though I can't help but feel that his age and hard career will be catching up with him as well as the weight. Cotto could still have one last hurrah, though I actually think that was the performance against Mayweather. Cotto's youth, speed and freshness will likely pay off here as he takes a competitive but clear decision.
Prediction-Trout by UD
Puerto Rican hero Miguel Cotto is a fighter who is hard to dislike. The 32 year old has genuinely faced everyone and anyone from Antonio Margarito to Zab Judah, Manny Pacquiao to Floyd Mayweather. In fact if anyone was to be critical the biggest problem with Cotto is that he faced too many tests and took too much punishment in a career that has seen him claim world titles in the Light Welterweight, Welterweight and Light Middleweight divisions.
At his most exciting Cotto was a come-forward, body beater who cracked hard, nasty hooks to the ribs of opponents, breaking them down round by round. Defensively he's never been the sharpest though Cotto has developed his style in recent years to be more than just an offensive body attacking machine and has added a very nice sharp jab to his repertoire. It's this jab that served him so well in his most recent fight, a decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Although small for a Light Middleweight (5'7" and with a 67" reach) Cotto is often skilled enough to impose his fight on an opponent as he both uses controlled aggression and very under-rated foot work to work his angles and get inside a taller opponent. Sadly however we've seen him beaten down hard in the past by both Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, who both mentally and physically beat down Cotto (albeit Margarito did do it in a seriously controversial manner). The fact that those two men managed to really beat up Cotto does leave us wondering how much he can take, and although Mayweather didn't stop him, he looked like he could had he wished to.
At Light Middleweight Cotto's power isn't great despite being 3-1 (3) at the weight, his wins over Yuri Foreman, Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito really showed this. In fact all 3 of his stoppages at the weight have questions over them with Mayorga claiming a broken hand, Foreman damaging his leg and Margarito's damaged eye from his bout with Pacquiao, though his performance with Mayweather was still impressive.
Whilst Cotto, as mentioned, is seen as being on the slide, the 27 year old Trout is certainly seen as a fighter on his way up and despite being the champion is a betting under-dog. Whilst it's true that he isn't a big name in the sport, like Cotto or a number of Cotto's big name opponents he is still a hugely talented fighter who is fresh, confident and coming to make a real name for himself.
Southpaw Trout has slowly been making a name for himself with the hardcore fans since he turned professional way back in 2005 however it wasn't until 2011 that fans started to sit up and take notice as Trout bagged himself several notable victories. The most notable of those victories came in February 2011 as he out-pointed Rigoberto Alvarez (the older brother of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez) for the interim WBA Light Middleweight.
Since claiming the interim WBA Light Middleweight title, Trout has defended it 3 times, defeating David Lopez, Frank LoPorto and Delvin Rodriguez and barely losing a round in those three fights. Whilst he may not have been on killers row the victories over both Lopez and Rodriguez were still impressive and were worth taking note of, especially considering how good Rodriguez had looked in his bouts with Pawel Wolak.
Despite lacking the high level experience Trout has numerous advantages himself. Not only is he a fresher, younger fighter than Cotto but he is also a natural Light Middleweight and has notable size advantages over Cotto (stood over 2" taller and with a 5" reach advantage) both of which he will look to use to his advantage. This will likely see Trout using his right hand jab to keep Cotto at a safe distance and tie up Cotto at close, spoiling Cotto's work up close and neutralising Cotto's supposed power (which I actually don't think will be a factor here).
In terms of the fight, I'm going with the upset here. Like everyone I love Miguel Cotto though I can't help but feel that his age and hard career will be catching up with him as well as the weight. Cotto could still have one last hurrah, though I actually think that was the performance against Mayweather. Cotto's youth, speed and freshness will likely pay off here as he takes a competitive but clear decision.
Prediction-Trout by UD
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)