Interview with Austin “No Doubt” Trout - Now WBA #1 Contender By Ken Hissner (Jan 2, 2010) DoghouseBoxing
Unbeaten since the Olympic trials back in 2004 Austin “No Doubt” Trout is unbeaten in his 21 fights while scoring 13 knockouts. This southpaw from Las Cruces, New Mexico, has moved into the #1 spot in the latest WBA light middleweight ratings. “God blessed me with a wonderful team,” said Trout. The team consists of manager Bob Spagnola, who has guided unbeaten NABA champion David “Nino” Rodriguez into the WBA’s #12 spot and Chris Henry into the WBA’s #6 spot. Trout’s trainers are former super featherweight Louie Burke, who twice defeated Freddie Roach, and assisting him is Sam DiPace.
This past week the WBA’s interim light middleweight champion Nobuhiro Ishida, 22-5-2 (7), of Japan defended his title decisioning the #15 contender Oney Valdez, 19-10-1 (13). “We hope to win the bid for a fight with Ishida with a bid from promoter Nacho Huizar’s KO Entertainment promotions of Mexico,” said Spagnola. Trout was able to stop the former Mexican champion Martin Avila for the vacant WBA Continental Americas title in Mexico last March, in a fight promoted by KO Entertainment. After that he went to Ontario, Canada, and defeated Shawn “The Heat” Garnett, of Guyana, who had his last five fights in his adopted Canada. Garnett had wins over Epifanio Mendoza, then 16-1-1, and Andrey Tsurkan, then 18-0. “Once he felt my power he got on the run,” said Trout.
Trout has been in camp with both Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito. “It showed me I’m destined to be champ,” said Trout. He had won his first seven bouts by knockout and then faced Raul Munoz, 19-9-1, in Las Cruces. Munoz had gone the distance with Yuri Boy Campas and Hector “Macho” Camacho, but was stopped in the 5th round by Trout. In his eleventh fight he defeated Byron Tyson, 9-0-2, in Houston, to establish himself as a top prospect in the division.
Quite noticeable is a tattoo on his left arm saying “Soldier of God”. “As a professional boxer I continue to have the same desire to be the best. I am continuing to learn and grow within the sport of boxing and ultimately, through the Grace of God, I will be world champion,” said Trout. In July he defeated veteran Marcos Primera, 20-17-2, winning every round on the scorecards. Primera has been in with many a contender, having split in two fights with Curtis Stevens.
Trout has had a good amateur background posting a 160-45 record. He had fought the likes of Vanes Martirosyan, Danny Jacobs and Demitrius Andrade, who are all unbeaten as professionals. He lost to Martirosyan in the Olympic trials, but was an alternate on the 2004 team. He was a member of the USA Elite Boxing Team and winner of the US Open Boxing Championships. “Vanes and I are friendly competitors who will probably meet down the line,” said Trout. Austin trains at the Las Cruces PAL.
In September Trout traveled to Panama to defeat Colombian Nilson Julio Tapia, 11-1-1, by a majority decision over 11 rounds. “He had a real long reach and even though I thought I won 8 of the rounds it was my hardest fight so far,” said Trout. Tapia has fought out of Panama his whole career and lost his WBA Fedelatin title to Trout.
In his last fight in order to stay busy he added the WBC version of the Continental Americas to go along with his WBA version. He defeated Taronze Washington, 13-10, winning all 12 rounds. Washington had a win over Guadalupe Martinez, 16-1, a year ago. Though the Ishida fight is in the plans, a bout with WBA champion Yuri Foreman who won the WBA Super welterweight title in November over Daniel Santos is the goal. Ishida has never fought out of Japan or ever been stopped. It would be a challenge going to Japan and defeating him. Ishida has lost to two southpaws early in his career and fought a draw with another. Two Australian’s have come to Japan winning a decision and earning a draw.
In asking Trout who is favorite fighter is I was thinking Marvin Hagler, but he surprised me. “Sugar Ray Leonard is my favorite fighter,” said Trout. He has a daughter Kaira who is seven and a son Elijah Rey who is two. I could hear his children during the interview. www.austintrout.com is his website and well worth the view. “My parents divorced when I was young. My mother, Minnessa, raised me in a single-parent family. She would drive by the old PAL Gym and after years of asking she finally took him in. I had two strong male role models in my grandfather and my late Uncle Joe,” said Trout. As soon as he entered that gym he knew it was a perfect fit. “You have to have a love for the sport. I want to be known as a legend. You must do what the other guy isn’t,” said Trout.
Trout’s faith plays a big part in his preparation for boxing and for life. “Any man who kneels before God can stand before man,” said Trout. There is NO DOUBT that Austin Trout will be ready for the interim title bout with Nobuhiro Ishida and then for Yuri Foreman’s WBA light middleweight title! “I got God in my corner, an angel on my shoulder – it’s a rap,” said Trout. Hard to argue with that combination!
