Canelo vs. Trout: Great for boxing
US boxer Floyd Mayweather (2nd L) and WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Miguel Cotto (2nd R) of Puerto Rico pose with US boxer Sugar Shane Mosley (R) and Mexico's Canelo Alvarez (L) during a press conference at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on March 1, 2012. Mayweather and Cotto will meet in a WBA Super Welterweight World Championship fight on May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and Mosley and Alvarez will meet in a WBC Super Welterweight World Championship showdown on the same day. AFP PHOTO/Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) Credit: Getty/ROBYN BECK
Disappointed that the Canelo Alvarez-Austin Trout 154-pound unification fight won’t be on the Floyd Mayweather-Robert Guerrero undercard? Don’t be. It’s better for boxing if the two are not on the same fight card.
As great as Mayweather has become, he turned 36 years old in February. Boxing needs some new stars. Alvarez (41-0-1), the WBC 154-pound champ who is now an icon in Mexico, is in line to be one of those stars.
With that being the case, it makes sense that Alvarez (pictured left) headlines his own card. Early speculation was that Alvarez would fight on the Mayweather card. But there was a catch, Alvarez needed a guarantee that he would be next to fight Mayweather.
That guarantee never came to fruition and as a result, Alvarez will take on Trout (26-0), the WBA champion, on April 20 at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Showtime.
Truth be told, it’s better for boxing that a fighter like Alvarez and even Trout follow their own paths. Riding the coattails of Mayweather is great when a fighter is still finding his way. But Alvarez has become a star in his own right.
The downside is that this is a dangerous fight for Alvarez. His wins over Josesito Lopez, Shane Mosley and Kermit Cintron were impressive, but Trout will easily be his toughest opponent. A loss could derail a possible bout against Mayweather in 2014.
But Alvarez won’t be chasing Mayweather.
“Austin Trout impressed me with his win over Miguel Cotto and my brother,” said Canelo. “But I feel that in boxing, it’s my time now, and I will show Trout why I am the best in the division. Champions should fight each other because that’s what true champions do.”
Trout, who surprised many in the boxing with his unanimous-decision win over Cotto, doesn’t Alvarez has the experience to tangle with him.
“Although he is a true champion,” said Trout. “I don’t believe he has had the ring experience or has faced the competition he should have in order to be able to handle the skills that I will show him when we fight April 20.”
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