Trout back in ring, but more data is needed
Saturday’s victory, he admits, proves little
Las Cruces’ Austin Trout was a realist after his all-too-easy victory over Juan Armando Garcia in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Saturday’s fight against the hapless Garcia proved nothing, he acknowledged, beyond his looking fit and fast at his new fighting weight of 147 pounds.
What it did was get him back in the ring, having fought just twice the past two years, in a year he hopes will kickstart the former junior middleweight world champion’s return to relevance in his chosen sport.
“It feels so good to be back,” Trout (33-5-1, 18 knockouts) said afterward in an interview with Fite TV, which streamed the card. “I had to knock some rust off.
“... This fight won’t mean that I’m back, but this fight will lead to another good fight that will show you that I am back.”
Garcia (21-8-2, 12 KOs), who’d been idle since June 2018, presented no threat and offered little beyond the ability to absorb punishment. Trout’s barrage of punches bloodied Garcia’s nose in the eighth round, prompting the referee to summon the ring doctor. After a brief inspection, the bout was allowed to continue.
The Journal, scoring the bout off the Fite TV streaming, scored it 100-90 for the New Mexican. All three official judges scored it 99-91.
Throughout 10 rounds, Trout displayed the hand speed that helped him become a world champion 10 years ago. Whether he can once again become a world title contender, he acknowledged, remains to be seen.
“This fight was really to get my rounds in,” he said, “test the (new) weight against a tough opponent.”
Trout is 4-0 in Mexico, having won his junior middleweight title in Guadalajara almost exactly a decade ago (Feb. 5, 2011). His first successful defense was in San Luís Potosí some four months later.
He lost his title in April 2013 to Canelo Alvarez. After winning his first 26 fights, Trout is 7-51 since — though all five of his losses have come against current of future world champions.
In earlier bouts on Saturday’s card, two Las Cruces boxers who are part of Trout’s management team had mixed results.
Flyweight Brandon White (6-0, three KOs) knocked down Israel Flores Lopez (3-4) four times en route to a victory by fourth-round TKO.
Welterweight Savion Kent (2-1, one KO) lost by unanimous fourround decision to Elian Trejo (3-1, one KO) of Mexico City.