Austin Trout to leave no doubts on June 2
On June 2, a major showdown in the 154 pound division takes place in Carson, California, part of the Showtime “quadruple-header” billed as “Four-Warned,” which also features Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright. While not the main event, Trout’s title defense against Delvin Rodriguez is arguably the match of biggest consequence on the card as Trout is one of boxing’s most promising young talents and Rodriguez is coming off a big win over Pawel Wolak in which he looked extremely sharp. Tarver vs. Kayode and Wright vs. Quillin are definitely interesting bouts, but Trout vs. Rodriguez is a truly meaningful match which will shed some light on just who deserves a shot against one of the three big names at the top of, quite possibly, boxing’s best division right now, those names being Mayweather, Cotto and Alvarez.
Speaking from his training camp in his hometown of Las Cruces, New Mexico, it’s clear that Trout knows this is a huge opportunity to move from being one of the best fighters in boxing who few have heard of, to a major force in the sport. Nothing less than an impressive performance will do, and that’s just what Trout is gearing up for.
“Training is going good,” says Trout. “I’m excited. I can’t wait for June 2 to come. I’m more excited now than I’ve ever been. I run in the morning and do sprints, about four miles. Then we go to the gym for sparring and drills, do about 20 rounds. Then my strength coach takes over and we get into calisthenics and biometric workout after that. It’s rough.”
Trout in action against Rigoberto Alvarez.
Since winning the WBA title, Trout has taken on a public role in his hometown, going to schools and talking about bullying and how to prevent it. Over the last year, he has talked to thousands of kids. As a small child, he experienced the pain of being bullied. Now, he encourages children to not let bullying affect their confidence or hope for the future. Using his own success as an example of how bullying can be overcome, Trout tells kids that no matter what kind of ridicule they suffer, they can remain the master of their destiny by living up to their own unique potential.
As far as the bout on June 2, the southpaw Trout knows he’s facing a tough challenge in Rodriguez.
“We are preparing for the best that Delvin can be. I know he has boxing skills and that he likes to bang a bit. We’re making sure that in case he decides to stay outside and use that good jab of his, we’re going to cut off the ring and be aggressive.”
Trout says he respects Rodriguez, but adds he has no doubts regarding the outcome.
“It’ll be a good fight. He’s a warrior and he brings a hard fight for all 12 rounds, but I think I can get him out of there in the late rounds. It might be closer early, but I’ll pull away in the later rounds for sure.”
