Holed away in his new, higher-elevation training camp in Ruidoso, New Mexico, WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout (25-0, 14 KO’s) says he’s not necessarily doing anything different in preparation for the fourth defense of his WBA title on December 1 against Four-Time and Three-Division World Champion Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden and televised live on SHOWTIME… he’s just doing more of it.
“I haven’t changed anything; it’s just a more intense camp,” Trout said. “I’m expecting a hard 12 rounds in an intense fight. Cardio is very important because I’ve never known him to show up unprepared. He’s still a very hungry fighter and I’m flattered he chose me as his opponent. That shows how hungry he still is, so I’m upping everything that I normally do. We had to acclimate to the high altitude, but now we’re continuing to work harder than ever.”
Trout says he’s been watching Cotto for a long time and knows what to expect when the two meet.
“I’ve got a pretty good bead on how he fights and I know my jab will be a problem for him, but I will have to put a lot of leather on him. He’s a warrior that comes to fight, but I’ve seen fighters like him before and I know what I have to do. I’m looking at this as my golden opportunity. He’s had his time and done great things with it, but it’s my time now. I’ll be damned if I let this opportunity slip away from me.”
The 27-year-old Las Cruces, New Mexico native says he’s not affected by the additional pressure of being in a career-defining fight. “This is part of the job,” Trout said. “It all comes with the territory. I was born for this.”
Trout admits to one weakness in camp though, “I definitely miss my kids.”
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“Showdown: Cotto vs. Trout” is a 12 round battle between Four-Time and Three-Division World Champion Miguel Cotto and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout taking place on December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event is promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, sponsored by Corona and will be telecast live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.
Tickets priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.comor www.thegarden.com.
Hailing from Caguas, Puerto Rico, Cotto (37-3, 30 KO’s) has held a world title every year since 2004 while winning 16 of the 18 world championship bouts in which he has fought. Puerto Rico’s most exciting fighter and one of its greatest of all time, Cotto held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Junior Welterweight crown from 2004-2006, successfully defending it six times before vacating it in order to fight for and capture the WBA Welterweight title at the end of 2006, a title he held for nearly as long. After controversially losing the WBA title to Antonio Margarito in July 2008, Cotto won his second welterweight belt in February 2009, knocking out Michael Jennings in the fifth round to become the WBO Welterweight champion. He lost the title in his second defense in November 2009, but captured the WBA Super Welterweight title in June of 2010 at Yankee Stadium in New York by stopping then-undefeated defending champion Yuri Foreman. Cotto successfully defended that title by stopping Two-Division World Champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga in the 12th round in March of 2011 and then avenged his loss to Margarito in December of 2011, once again retaining his title and giving him true peace of mind. He has also added to his huge fan base by giving Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao their toughest fights to date. Next on his plate is Austin Trout, and if he defeats the New Mexico southpaw, it will be another world championship added to his Hall of Fame resume.
27-year-old Austin “No Doubt” Trout (25-0, 14 KO’s) has been boxing since the age of 10, but the 2004 United States amateur champion didn’t begin making noise in the sport until he began mowing through opponent after opponent while maintaining an undefeated professional record. By the tail end of 2009, he was 20-0 and the WBA international, WBA Fedelatin, and WBC Continental Americas super welterweight champion, but fights were hard to come by. In February of 2011 though, Trout emerged and captured a world championship by defeating Rigoberto “El Español” Alvarez, Canelo’s older brother, for the WBA Interim Super Welterweight World Championship. He has since been elevated to full champion and successfully defended his belt three times against David “Destroyer” Lopez, Frank “The Italian Stallion” LoPorto and Delvin Rodriguez, setting up the fight of his life on December 1 against Miguel Cotto.
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