Boxing’s great white ginger-haired hope Saul Alvarez will receive his toughest test to date when he faces undefeated underdog Austin Trout.
There’s a lot of hype and money invested in the 22-year old Mexican, who has Golden Boy Promotions backing him.
Alvarez may be young but he is hardly inexperienced – he’s won 41 of 42 pro fights, drawing one, and claiming 30 knockouts. But he has yet to contend with a really classy opponent at the top of his game, and that is coming now in the form of the unheralded 27-year old Trout.
Some Australians might remember Trout, he’s the boxer Anthony Mundine branded a “no-name” and refused to fight back in 2012. So the WBA stripped ‘The Man’ of his world title.
Trout went on to beat Delvin Rodriguez and Miguel Cotto, extending his record to 26 wins from 26 fights, with 16 knockouts.
Mundine went on to beat 42-year old Bronco McKart and lose to Daniel Geale.
Now Trout stands in the way of Alvarez’s climb to pugilism perfection.
This should be a beauty of a fight.
Trout is an awkward fighter. A southpaw, he moves well and can box. He has speed, a great left jab and undoubted toughness. He’s already upset the odds by defeating Cotto and he will be out to do it again against another Latin favourite in Alvarez.
The pretext to this fight has been amusing.
Mexican police are reportedly after Alvarez for an assault in 2011. The bout is being staged in San Antonio, Texas, so the big crowd should be heavily behind the young Mexican.
Texas has been known for odd officiating in the past. Trout defeated Alvarez’s brother, Rigoberto, a few years ago so the family revenge motive should be there.
The winner of this fight also has an massively enticing carrot in front of them, a possible shot at the money-making machine extraordinaire that is Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Saul Alvarez is seen by many as boxing’s next major superstar, primed to take over from the ageing Mayweather. A powerful puncher, he has near-god like status in his homeland.
The bookies are heavily backing ‘Canelo’ to defeat Trout. And this is probably exactly how Trout likes it.
The African-American WBA light middleweight world champion told the media this week, “I’ve been the underdog a lot. What they think doesn’t bother me. I think ‘underdog’ is a mind state. I’m here to win. I’m here to win decisively. What the odds say, what people say, is not really going to affect what happens in the ring.”
Alvarez will have his work cut out for him with the taller and older light middleweight having the longer reach. It won’t be a walk in the park like some of his earlier fights. Taking it easy with Trout, a former US amateur welterweight champion, would be a big mistake.
Australian IBO cruiserweight world champion Danny Green describes Alvarez as a “mad fighter” and is picking him to win.
IBO super featherweight world champion Will Tomlinson says Trout is a “very effective boxer”, and is expecting a good tactical fight, but he is tipping the Mexican.
WBO world ranked number two featherweight Joel Brunker believes it will be a great fight that should go the distance, but says Alvarez “will bully Trout”.
All signs point to Alvarez getting the win over Trout on Saturday. The Mexican defeating the fighter from New Mexico. The pale-skinned rednut schooling the tattooed African American. The popular and handsome kid against the no-name lacking big-name support and belief.
But as anyone who follows boxing knows, virtually anything can happen in the ring. It ain’t over until it’s over.
Either way, it should make for entertaining viewing.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
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