This is an exciting time for boxing fans. Every weekend there seems to be a host of intriguing fights, and Austin Trout taking on Miguel Cotto is one example. The two will meet on Saturday, December 1, at Madison Square Garden, for Trout's WBA light-middleweight title.
Trout may be the champion, but Cotto is clearly the biggest draw here.
The popular Puerto Rican fighter will attempt to bring home another win in his home away from home at MSG. Cotto has played host to thousands of fans in New York, where there is always a huge Puerto Rican contingent, before.
This fight should be no different. Cotto is 8-0 in the state of New York for his career.
Here's how you can catch the fight:
When: Saturday, December 1, 9 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
TV and Live Stream: Showtime and Showtime Anytime (PayService)
Age and Experience
Cotto: 32 Years Old, 37-3 with 30 KOs
Trout: 27 Years Old, 25-0 with 14 KOs
Cotto is five years older, and he's had 15 more fights than Trout. In some ways that experience could help him, but because Cotto has been in so many wars, you wonder when the wear and tear will catch up to him.
This is a significant step up in competition for Trout. It isn't every day that you face a future Hall of Famer like Cotto. There is no one on Trout's resume that comes close to Cotto in regards to accomplishment, or talent.
That said, Trout won't be fighting Cotto's trophy case; he'll be fighting the man. Trout's undefeated record and title bring some thought that he could possibly send Cotto into the final stages of his career.
Trout is also a southpaw, which theoretically could give Cotto a problem, but Cotto has only had issues with one southpaw in his career, and that was Pacquiao. Trout's skill set and style are completely different.
Styles, Stance and Stature
Cotto: 5'7", 67" Reach, Orthodox Stance
Trout: 5'9", 72" Reach, Southpaw Stance
Cotto wants to bang, but he isn't exactly a plodding slugger.
He has surprising hand speed, as Floyd Mayweather Jr. found out in their entertaining bout in May. His 30 KOs are proof of his formidable power, and despite being knocked out by Manny Pacquiao and Antonio "Cement Wraps" Margarito, Cotto has an outstanding chin.
In both instances, Cotto took a tremendous amount of punishment before he was finished.
The key to this fight will be whether Trout can keep Cotto at bay. He isn't a big puncher, but his height and reach advantage could be huge if he can maintain it.
Cotto will look to shrink this advantage by staying in close and attempting to turn the reach advantage into a disadvantage. Trout's longer arms could become a hindrance if Cotto can tie him up on the inside.
If Cotto tastes Trout's power and loses respect for it, I'm not sure Trout can handle the pressure Cotto will apply.
Prediction
Look for Cotto to bang the body early; he'll be looking to take Trout's legs away from him. Once he does that, Cotto will break him down and stop him in the sixth or seventh round. This fight will remind everyone that only great fighters—without dastardly doctored hand wraps—can beat Cotto when he's right.
Trout isn't on that level.
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