Austin Trout's victory over Miguel Cotto went pretty much the way I expected it. I am not this right, this often, so allow me to gloat momentarily. Ok, now that that is done. Let me analyze this fight, and why it went the way I saw it going. Then, I will spell out the aftermath. First off, Trout is the naturally bigger man. Miguel Cotto's main forays into the 154lb division were against others who, like him, had moved up from other divisions. Whether or not he is boxing or slugging, Cotto needs a certain strength advantage over most opponents to truly employ his style. He did not seem to have it against Trout.
Second, Trout has been ducked for a long time. There has to be a reason why. We now know... because he's good. Cotto did not look shot, or old, or slow, or off balance. He simply got beat by a better, bigger fighter. Cotto is definitely not what he once was, but any thoughts that Trout was being avoided simply because he was a non-latino fighter with a small time promoter were out the window by round 4. he belonged there, and was winning rounds. Trout, unlike others, did not need to break Cotto down to beat him. He simply outscored him.
Neither man was really able to seriously hurt the other, but it was a necessary part of Cotto's plan to do so. No wonder Canelo was quickly rushed out of the building following the bout. Canelo vs. Trout makes more sense than any other fight at 154lbs. It is a unification between two young lions, and a chance for brotherly revenge. There is no decent reason this fight should not be made. That is why it will not be made. I hope I am wrong, but I doubt I am.
i am hearing that the crooks at Golden Boy plan on going ahead with Cotto as an opponent to milk every penny out of Canelo before we discover he is human. Trout is the Whittaker to Canelo's Chavez, and there is no way Richard Schaefer is risking his golden goose. Nobody is talking about JC Chavez Jr now, and he looked pretty good at the end of his bout with Martinez. However, he was exposed as not being an elite fighter, and his days as a big headliner are likely over soon. Top Rank and Golden Boy are essentially the same company... which makes their rivalry all the more bizarre.
Canelo is not elite either... at least not yet. Golden Boy would prefer that we find that out against Mayweather, for big dollars... not against Trout. Sadly, Trout will likely have to settle for a mandatory and another unification... probably with Cornelius Bundrage. Golden Boy can make more money off Trout this way (a fighter they do not own, by the way, but they have K9). Maybe by then Canelo will have grown into a middleweight, or lost to Floyd.
For Cotto, he is still vital. I would prefer to see him challenge Bundrage. Trout is potentially an all-time great. We don't know yet, but Cotto's loss to him may be entirely forgiveable. No disrespect to Bundrage, but we know him already. He is a belt-holder, and decent contender. He has heart and power, and an exciting style. Nothing more. K9 has been waiting long enough, though, and at 40, the clock is ticking. If Cotto still has it, however, Bundrage is a fighter he can beat. That is a better measuring stick for him than Trout will have been.
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com