By Nick Bellafatto
In back to back weekends featuring unification bouts, this Saturday night’s contest between Mexican icon and WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (41-0, 30 KO’s) of Juanacatlán, Jalisco, Mexico and WBA titlist Austin “No Doubt” Trout (26-0, 14 KO’s) out of Las Cruces, New Mexico figures to be totally intriguing. And when the bell rings at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Texas in this battle of undefeated fighters, it will signify that Alvarez has at long last taken the step up to face an adversary worthy of consideration.
With a variety of set up opponents placed before him as a result of both Canelo and Golden Boy Promotions carefully orchestrating his career, the words used to criticize, or in some cases condemn Saul Alvarez, have ranged from coddled, to protected, to flat out manufactured. And why not? Basically maneuvered into his current title as a result of locking horns with the gritty yet significantly smaller Matthew Hatton in early 2007, “Canelo” has since mainly contested fighters either past their prime, those undeserving of a title shot, or both.
This would include facing pugilists such as Alfonso Gomez, Kermit Cintron, Shane Mosely, a smaller Josesito Lopez, and European champion Ryan Rhodes, arguably the most deserving despite having primarily fought unrecognizable opponents. But that all changes come Saturday night. Apparently those who surround the huge moneymaker fighting since the age of 15 feel that all the pieces have fell into place to finally allow Alvarez to contend with the likes of an Austin Trout. What’s more is that maybe his backers didn’t have a choice. “Canelo,” usually in lock step with his handlers, would break ranks to an extent and actually demand a fight with Austin.
Stated Trout, “and I know, as you know, De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer tried to not make this fight happen at every turn. When they changed the fight from Vegas to San Antonio there was talk of Angulo being their pony, but that’s when “Canelo” put his foot down like a champ and said, “no, I want Trout.”
Continuing on, despite what’s been said of the young red head who’s been a work in progress while in possession of the WBC title, something I would rant about as much as the next person, he’s phenomenally skilled, perhaps on his way to becoming north of the border the cash cow he represents south of it. But in order for that to happen he must first accomplish a feat that no other has been able to in twenty-six attempts, that being to upend Austin Trout.
And by chance what “Canelo” seems to do best may in the end be enough to turn the trick. That would pertain to the beautiful combination punching of Saul Alvarez, akin to that of pound-for-pound prizefighter Juan Manuel Marquez. Add in some footwork and upperbody movement, that which the Mexican has been working on, and combined this could prove troublesome for one of the most avoided fighters in the sport. But Trout has been avoided for good reason, as he certainly represents “Canelo’s” most formidable opposition to date.
Coming off his biggest win yet in defeating a somewhat resurgent Miguel Cotto in Miguel’s home away from home of Madison Square Garden, the even keeled Trout would show that he belongs. I mean he was simply unphased by all the hoopla in performing on the grandest stage of them all, this against a fighter significantly more experienced than he at the championship level.
Obviously poised as can be when it comes to plying his trade, the sincere and charismatic southpaw at this juncture feels that Saul Alvarez is rather destined to become another notch on his belt as had become his brother Rigoberto, at the expense of whom Austin would ironically earn his existing WBA strap. As a matter of fact, part of “Canelo’s”motivation in combating Trout is to avenge that loss, a mind set Austin dismisses as counterproductive and not worth contemplating considering what’s at stake.
Said “Canelo,” yes, definitely it’s a blood revenge that I’m looking at. I’m very motivated for it. I was there at the fight when he beat Rigoberto my brother, and I felt such an inability to do something. But now it’s [the fight] here and I’m very motivated and that’s a big factor.”
All told, at the risk of looking foolish once more I’m going out of my way to lean in the direction of a certain fighter in this high stakes affair, in this instance “Canelo” Alvarez. Foolish because after feeling that an apparently rejuvenated Cotto would be too much for the yet unproven Austin Trout, the Las Cruces native would render my position untenable, which he may very well do once more this weekend.
However, my feeling is that Trout will have trouble with the combination punching of Alvarez in much the same way he did with Miguel Cotto. For even though “No Doubt” would secure a crucial victory over the Puerto Rican fighter, when cutting the distance and throwing 3, 4, or 5 punches at a time, Cotto more often than not put Trout on the defensive, as unable or unwilling to punch in between Austin would in those instances appear disadvantaged.
The problem for Miguel was that he was unable to sustain a sufficient work rate, thanks in part to Trout’s elusiveness as well as ring generalship, so that I suspect the much younger “Canelo” Alvarez will. And assuming the relatively even sized Mexican adjusts accordingly to the southpaw style, I like him to edge Trout.
“Austin Trout like Pernell Whitaker is a southpaw, a slick, difficult fighter. He’s very difficult but that’s what we’re training hard for. We’re training hard for that and come the night of the fight we’re going to make it where it’s not so difficult for us,” commented Alvarez.
That aside, unless the light hitting Trout can elude the Mexican while piling up the points, I see Alvarez as winning more of the exchanges to gain the upperhand. Only time will tell in what should be a spectacle to behold. Could the talented and cerebral Austin Trout continue on a roll after toiling in virtual obscurity for so long, or will the young lion truly prove he’s ready for top flight competition in his first evenly matched bout?
Summing up, although Trout doesn’t have anywhere near the fan base of “Canelo” he will assuredly expand that base with an impressive performance this weekend. “I’m praying that after this win it’ll put me in a position to be your superstar like we want to be,” said Austin. “But first things first is we have to get through this beast called Canelo. To be 2-0 against the Alvarez’s will be great, but more importantly, to beat somebody who’s considered the best and to take that WBC belt, those are my motivations and I think those are imperative for my legacy. Expect fireworks.”
On the other end of the spectrum, fight fans worldwide, in particular those in Mexico who seek affirmation that their native son is the real deal, they will settle for nothing less than the red head face the best. For them, their day is at hand as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is set to take on Austin “No Doubt” Trout in a twelve-round junior middleweight world title unification for Canelo’s WBC title, Trout’s WBA title, and the vacant Ring Magazine Championship. It all starts at 10pm ET/7pm PT on Showtime Championship Boxing.
