Kelly Swanson
Welcome, everybody. We are here today to talk about “Showdown: Cotto vs. Trout” for the WBA Super Welterweight Championship, set for this Saturday, December 1st, at Madison Square Garden. Everybody has received their fight week schedule, there’s a lot happening this week, so we look forward to seeing you in New York.
Oscar De La Hoya,
Welcome, everybody, all the media all over the world. We appreciate you being on the call.
Miguel Cotto and Cotto Promotions put together a tremendous card with an exciting co-feature with up and coming featherweight Jayson Velez against Salvador Sanchez for the WBC Silver Featherweight Title. We are also happy to have Danny Jacobs from Brooklyn, New York, fighting again and so soon after his ring return in October.
He made an incredible come back not only inside the ring, but outside of it too. I’m sure all of you know his tremendous inspirational story that really touched everyone’s heart across the globe.
This fight it taking place Saturday, December 1st at Madison Square Gardens, Miguel Cotto’s home, or shall I say second home. This event is being promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions, the up and coming premier promotional company already doing tremendous shows in Puerto Rico and looking to expand across the globe. The fight is also in association with Golden Boy Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions. We’re happy to announce that Corona is a sponsor of this event, as well as the Puerto Rican Tourism Board.
Tickets are still available; they’re definitely going fast, we do expect a sell out. Tickets are priced from $50 all the way up to $500. And we are always extremely proud to announce that this event is being televised live on Showtime Championship Boxing. To explain to you and give you details on the timing and is the Executive Vice President and the General Manger of Showtime Sports, Stephen Espinoza. Stephen.
Stephen Espinoza
We are extremely excited here at Showtime to have Miguel back on the network, especially in such a competitive fight when he goes up against a real up and coming young star in Austin Trout.
In the bigger picture for the network we’re in the stretch run of the end of our year, finishing up with a terrific bang; we had what ultimately turned out to be Ricky Hatton’s re-retirement fight this past Saturday; we are featuring this week Miguel Cotto versus Austin Trout, as well as a stellar undercard; and then you will be seeing Amir Khan against Carlos Molina in two weeks on December 15th. So we have those three names, Hatton, Cotto, and Khan, three of the biggest names in the sport, three of the most popular fighters, ending off the year.
For this particular fight we want to remind you that we have premiered the first episode of All Access: Cotto vs. Trout. It’s available On Demand, online on our Web site, also and playing on CBS Sports Network, on Showtime, and Showtime Extreme. Also the second episode, the epilogue episode, which covers fight week, fight night, and the aftermath, will be premiering before the championship show on December 15th. That is All Access: Cotto vs. Trout Epilogue immediately before the Amir Khan versus Carlos Molina broadcast on Saturday, December 15th.
De La Hoya
Thank you. Thank you very much, Stephen. Also I would like to acknowledge Cotto’s agent, who does a tremendous, tremendous job with Team Cotto, with Cotto Promotions, that’s Gaby Penagaricano. Also I want to acknowledge a man who is Director of Miguel Cotto Promotions, that’s Bryan Perez. Thank you very much for all your hard work and everything you do.
And at this moment let’s introduce, hailing from Caguas, Puerto Rico, Four-Time, Three-Division World Champion. He is one of the best fighters the island has produced, and we’re talking about champions like Hector, the late Hector Macho Camacho, we’re talking about Felix Trinidad. Miguel Cotto is definitely if not the best fighter that has come out of the island, who is fighting once again in his backyard, Madison Square Garden, his second home where thousands of fans have supported his illustrious career. He is one of the most successful fighters that have fought at the Garden in recent years. He does hold the record of 37-3 with 30 knockouts fighting once again, another world title against a very, very tough opponent in Trout.
Miguel Cotto
Hi, everybody. I’m just happy to be here again, and getting ready for this Saturday. I’m just in the final week of my preparation and I’m ready for all the questions you have for me.
Q
I think if this is a really tough fight, and God forbid you lose, I think people are going to look back and say, “Austin Trout, it was the wrong kind of guy to fight, twenty-seven years old, 25 and 0, very quick offensively.” I’m wondering if you thought twice about picking Trout as an opponent and who else that you did consider for this December 1st fight?
Cotto
Everybody who knows Miguel Cotto knows Miguel Cotto doesn’t pick easy fights, or easy opponents. Austin was the next in line. I’m ready for him and we’re just going to see what happen next Saturday.
Q
And as far as type of fighters that you have fought how does Trout line up as far as technique goes, as far as skills goes? Is he one of the best guys you’ve faced, is he in the middle of the pack, do we have to see Saturday? How do you set Trout right now?
Cotto
I don’t think about Trout. I’m thinking about myself; I just put myself in the training camp, in the training sessions, and I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever he tries on Saturday night.
Q
Hey, you know when we are in Madison Square Garden for your fights the noise is deafening for you once you enter the ring, when you throw a punch, when you acknowledge the crowd after a fight. How special for you does it feel and will it feel walking into Madison Square Garden and so many great victories in your career?
Cotto
I’m just happy to be here again. People here have supported my whole career, and I know next Saturday is going to be the same: a lot of people there shouting for me, being there just for watch entertaining fight. That’s what’s Miguel he’s used to over the ring. I’m ready. I’ve had one kind of good preparation for this Saturday, and I’m going to be the whole night on the fight until I beat Austin Trout next Saturday.
Q
I imagine, I was there the last fight against Antonio Margarito, that was obviously a huge, huge fight for you symbolically, and when you walked into the ring that night it was, again, deafening. How did you feel absorbing the praise and the cheers from the crowd as you walked into the ring? Does that lift you up, does that kind of fill you with energy when you walk in there and hear that?
Cotto
People just show me that they’re all good things they had for me that night. They are there for me, I’m there for them, and I’m going to make them proud and they’re going to help me whatever happen during the fight.
Q
Obviously you feel the punches, you feel and you really go to war in there, but when you-in football they call the crowd the twelfth man, and during your fight with Margarito you just seemed to really absorb what was going on. How big was the crowd in that fight for you and how energized were you in that special moment?
Cotto
This fight with Margarito was special; it was my redemption fight, and I just knew that it meant a great deal for the people that supported me during what happened the night 2008 and I just wanted be there for them, it was special for me as special for them.
Q
I know Austin Trout has said that he has been in other arenas and fought against the odds, but how must that be for your opponents to have to deal with the support that you have? Does that put you at an advantage and maybe put them at a disadvantage do you imagine?
Cotto
I know what he said, he said he’d been in Panama fighting with a Panamanian guy, he was in Mexico fighting with a Mexican guy, but next Saturday he going to be in New York in Madison Square Garden fighting with Miguel Cotto there. That’s my home, and I know nothing is going to be equal or the same as he has done before. That’s a special venue, that’s a special night for me, and I know he going to figure it out as soon as he get in there.
Q
What do you remember about Hector Camacho, about his life, his career, and they way his life ended last week.
Cotto
Camacho had a rough life, he made the decisions he made. I prefer to remember Macho Camacho for his brilliant career, his abilities in the ring, and the glory that he brought to his country, Puerto Rico.
Q
Now that you are going for another world title, another victory, and how do you feel you’re your future is going to look like,
Cotto
I am not thinking whatsoever about 2013, I am focusing exclusively on what’s going to happen on December 1st at the Garden.
Q
The fight in May with Mayweather, and I know you didn’t win that fight but you fought very well, a lot of people thought you gave Mayweather, whom many consider the number one fighter in the world, probably one of his toughest fights, if not his toughest fight, of his career. So even though you didn’t win how did you feel, even though without winning the fight, feel about the performance that you put on even in defeat?
Cotto
Mayweather was an excellent fight; it was a good fight. I didn’t win, but sometimes when you lose you win. That was my case in this fight. I’m felt rejuvenated after this fight. Everybody going to see on next Saturday.
Q
When you say that sometimes when you lose you win what do you mean by that? What is your analysis of that comment?
Cotto
We didn’t win the fight against Mayweather, but I won a lot of more things, especially with myself. I feel better with myself than I would have won.
Q
How do you feel good with yourself?
Cotto
No matter if I lost.
Q
Okay. Because a lot of people, and you know this because you’ve discussed this with many of us in the past, a lot of people thought they may be counting you out after maybe the loss to Pacquiao or even the loss to Margarito. Do you feel like you regained a lot of the thought from a lot of people that you know what even though you didn’t win that Miguel Cotto is still one of the very best fighters out there?
Cotto
I’m just trying to be here and do what I know to do the best I can. I work in every moment to try to bring the best I can in every session of my training and just to be the winner when I have to fight. That’s happened in this camp, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to be the new champion of the world.
Q
Also, Miguel, there was a lot of discussion about Madison Square Garden being basically your home court, you fought so many big fights there and sold so many tickets and had huge crowds. What is your take on the fact that Austin Trout is willing to come to fight in basically your backyard and seems quite fearless about it, has talked about Miguel’s a star, he deserves to have this home base, but I have no fear of coming there. What does it say do you think about the character of Austin Trout that he is more than happy and willing to come to Madison Square Garden to face Miguel Cotto, which cannot be easy for anybody?
Cotto
He doesn’t have to feel any kind of fear to being here in New York; people here are nice, people here are pretty good. At the end of the road only just the referee, Trout and myself are going to be inside the ring. What people outside the ring give to me, the people here that are rooting for me, people there going to be for me this night, and I’m going to win for them.
Q
Do you give him credit for being willing to come there to face you?
Cotto
You have to do whatever you have to do to be the boxer you want. He accepts the challenge to face me and I accept the challenge to face him. Everybody is going to see what happens next Saturday.
Q
What type of fighter do you think that you will find Saturday night in Austin Trout and what strategy are you going to use to defeat him?
Cotto
I’m not thinking about it, I have trained very hard, and I am prepared for whatever Austin Trout brings. Strategy-wise, I’m not giving up any details, but I can tell you that it has been carefully planned over weeks of training. The Miguel Cotto that you are going to see on Saturday is probably the best Cotto you’ve ever seen.
Q
Hi Miguel, I have a couple, a two-part question for you. One is at the end of your fight in May with Floyd Mayweather there was that very famous scene where he hugged you in the middle of the ring and said that you were the toughest guy he had ever fought in his career, and I think that really sums up the career of Miguel Cotto in one word-tough. You’ve had a lot of wars in your career; you’re a warrior who leaves everything in the ring every time. Do you have any concerns coming into the fight on Saturday against Austin Trout that these wars you’ve been in could catch up to you against a young, hungry champion?
Cotto
I’ve just put myself into a hard training camp just to be the winner, as I was my whole career. I’m here just to face Austin next Saturday, I’m here to win, and I’m not going to rest until I get it on December 1st.
Q
A lot of people have mentioned that there will be a lot of pressure on Austin Trout coming into the fight given that it will be an unfamiliar environment for him that will be very pro Miguel Cotto coming into the ring, while you’re in the ring. Do you feel any additional pressure fighting in front of your hometown fans, people who have put out a lot of money and time to come and see you and support you in the ring? So do you feel that the flipside of that coin is while Austin Trout’s never been on this stage before that is there an increased amount of pressure on you to give a good performance in front of your fans?
Cotto
I’m just thankful for being here again and I’m going to do my best just for all the fans, all the people who are going to be there for me. And I don’t know what passed through Austin’s mind, but I’m going to enjoy the whole night.
Q
Hey, guys. Miguel, it’s been over seven years since your first fight in the Garden. What do you remember about that first fight there with Abdulleav, and did you think this was going to turn into such a long relationship with the fans in New York?
Cotto
My first opportunity here, as you mentioned with Abdulleav, I didn’t think that this arena going to be so special for me in my entire career, but I’m happy, I’m thankful, and I’m just grateful for having such a wonderful career, such a wonderful performances here in Madison Square Garden.
Q
And this question is to you, Miguel, and also if Bryan is still on the line. A lot of great fighters have fought in the Garden over the years, not many have the relationship Miguel does here in the city. What is it about Miguel Cotto that the fans have attached themselves to?
Cotto
Can you repeat the question? I didn’t hear it very well.
Q
Over the years a lot of great fighters have fought in Madison Square Garden, but not many have the relationship you have with the fans here in New York. What is it about you that the fans have attached themselves to you like this?
Cotto
I can’t tell you exactly. I just train to be a good boxer, and then something special came when Madison Square Garden appeared in my career. People were there for Miguel Cotto. Miguel Cotto tried to was there the best he could for them just to bring them entertaining fight for them.
I think them appreciate that a lot, and I appreciate a lot more what the people who be there for me do to me.
Q
Gaby [Penagaricano], What is it about Miguel that the people in New York have just embraced him like this over the years?
Penagaricano
Well I think he has delivered here; he has fought eight or nine times, all wins, all of them exciting fights. So he has delivered what the fans want, and that’s why they’re so thirsty to see him again this Saturday. He’s just an exciting fighter, no boring fights when he steps into the ring, and it’s a big, big, big attraction between the two. So I know it’s very special for him.
Q
How do you evaluate Pedro Diaz and what he has done in the course of the two fights in which he has worked with you?
Cotto
I’m not here to evaluate, the people can see my performances when I have fought under the training and guidance of Pedro Diaz, so the public is the best judge to answer that question.
Swanson
Okay. So I am going to go ahead and turn this over to Mr. Cohen, Greg Cohen, CEO of Greg Cohen Promotions and also Mr. Trout’s promoter. And, Greg, if you’d like to make the introductions. I do know we also have Louie Burke on the line, who is Austin’s trainer, but if you’d like to make the introduction for Austin that would be great, and then we’ll open it up to media questions.
Cohen
Sure. Thank you. We’re very happy to be here today and I’m very lucky to be Austin Trout’s promoter. Austin, as you know, is the WBA 154-pound World Champion, he’s undefeated, he is a world champion inside and outside of the ring. And this is the opportunity he’s been waiting for his entire life, and we just couldn’t be more excited to defend the title. I know maybe outside of the boxing world a lot of people might not know Austin Trout that well, but we plan and know that after December 1st come December 2nd Austin Trout is going to be a household name.
So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce my World Champion, Austin “No Doubt” Trout.
Trout
Yes. I’m more than happy to be here. I’m grateful for this opportunity. I want to thank Miguel for allowing me to showcase what I’ve been working on all these years on a stage as big as this. We know if it wasn’t for his name to be carried out that we probably wouldn’t have been on this type of platform, so I’m very grateful to him for the opportunity. And I’m just ready to answer any questions and let you all get to know me.
Q
Good. As you look back at Miguel Cotto’s let’s say last five fights, maybe it’s six fights, I think he’s four and two, his two losses have come against guys who had very fast hands, a lot of good movement, defensive skills and everything, of course two outstanding fighters, Mayweather and of course Pacquiao. You fight more like those guys than the guys who stand in front of him, guys like Joshua Clottey and Mayorga, Yuri Foreman, Antonio Margarito. Have you been watching tapes of those two losses, and if you have what do you plan on doing to beat him?
Trout
We’ve definitely been watching tapes for those two losses. We’ve also gone back and watched tapes of Miguel Cotto when he was fighting around 140, 147. We plan on executing a game plan similar; we’re not going to necessarily run, but movement’s going to be a big deal as far as our game plan goes. Without going into too much detail, I do want to say that I am willing to sit down and fight. I know I’m going to have to put a lot of leather on him in order to get a decisive win in the Madison Square Garden, so a totally defensive fight is not going to necessarily be the key to victory for me.
Q
Judges often come into play so often. Let’s go back to Pacquiao and Bradley; we all saw one thing, the judges saw another thing. As I sit here I don’t know who the judges are going to be, I don’t know if you do, but if you do are you concerned with any of the judges and/or the referee?
Trout
Well I really can’t spend too much energy to be worried about the judging or the officiating. All I have to worry about is what I have to execute inside that ring. If we execute what I do in the ring and let it be up to God’s hands, as long as I’ve done my best that’s what I’m happy about it. If they “steal” it from me well that’s between them and God. All is can focus on is what I can do and what I can take care of, and then that’s my actions in the ring.
Q
Hey, I watched All Access, and the thing that’s really impressive is your candor and your honesty, but you’re also very confident. But at one point you asked for Miguel’s autograph, and I was like, “Wow that’s genuine.” But how do you go, I mean I’ve talked to boxers over the years who had to face their–Oscar De La Hoya being one, who had to face their idols when he beat Julio Cesar Chavez, and he really gave him a beat down, especially in the second fight-how do you go from being a fan to beating on a guy that you respect? How do you do that?
Trout
Well, it’s funny, because there’s two sides of Austin Trout; there’s Austin Trout the fan of boxing and Austin Trout the fighter, and you might get two different. As an answer I would say it’s a great fight, I’d love to watch this match up, but the Austin Trout the fighter is always thinking in the back of his mind I could beat both of those guys or I could beat that guy. So in the back of my mind I’ve always sized up anybody I’ve been a fan of. And really when I’m daydreaming as a kid, or even now, because I’m a daydreamer, when I’m fighting in that big arena and the person I’m beating up it’s one of my favorite fighters, because in my opinion to be the best you have to beat the best. So, yes, I don’t think it should be a hard transition coming from a fan to a fighter at all. I’ve been doing it my whole career.
Q
Who are those guys that you faced? Who are the guys that you’ve idolized in your dreams and beaten them up in your dreams? Name some of them.
Trout
Money Mayweather. When I was a kid, well not a kid, like more in high school, it way Roy Jones Jr.; that was the visualization I had. I even go back and visualize me beating Sugar Ray Leonard or Pernell Whitacker just to name a few. I have a big list of fighters that I really admire, and Miguel Cotto is on that list.
Q
So when you visualize this fight with Cotto what are the different scenarios that have come out with you winning?
Trout
Oh in the daydream, which I feel I can make a reality, it’s a win by knockout. It’s a hard, tough fight for a while, but I come out in the later rounds and pull ahead to get that KO victory. Either way my hands are raised; whether it’s a decision or it’s a knockout, my visualization is with my hands raised.
Q
Great. Two more questions for you. I’ve talked to Matthew Macklin, who has predicted that you would win. Obviously you sparred with him to prepare him for Sergio Martinez. And I talked to Martinez just about your jab, I didn’t ask him about this specific fight. Do you feel that the jab, your jab, is going to be a key in this fight and sustaining that over the course of the fight?
Trout
I definitely do. I’m going to have to keep him away from me and there’s no better measuring stick than the jab, and I have a pretty good jab so using the jab is definitely going to be a key. Just as he has a good jab and he’s going to try and use it I’m going to have to use my jab as well.
Q
And my last question is he says that, and I’ve been there during his fights, the crowd is deafening and they cheer everything he does from the time he walks into the ring to the time he leaves, every punch he throws, every acknowledgement he makes to the crowd, and he doesn’t think you’re going to be ready for that. What is your answer to that?
Trout
I just have to make sure I don’t give the crowd anything to cheer about.
Q
There was a lot of discussion when Miguel was on the call prior to you joining us about his relationship with the fans in the Garden and basically it becoming his home away from Puerto Rico where he’s fought I think eight or nine times so many big fights. You’re a guy that’s gone to the lion’s den, so to speak, fought in Mexico a couple of times against Mexican opponents, won your world title in Mexico, which I actually saw on TV just the other night. My question for you is what are your expectations for being in that kind of crowd and how do you feel like you will handle that mentally, emotionally?
Trout
Well actually my past experiences, which have not been on this type of level by far, but if practice makes perfect this is not my first time doing it, so I feel like I’ll be pretty comfortable being in the hostile territory. Really the crowd can only do one thing, and that’s to make noise; they can’t help him get up, they can’t help him punch harder, they can’t help him punch faster. I’m expecting and I’m preparing for Miguel to be at his absolute best anyway, so it’s not like they can make him better than his best. And I’ve done all the preparation now, and really the only thing I’m focused on is Miguel Cotto in that ring.
Q
So do you think, though, it’s one thing to visualize that. Like go back to when you were going to Mexico when you fighting Alvarez or when you were fighting I believe it was David Lopez, when you walk into the crowd and they basically want you to get knocked out walking to the ring how do you deal with that? Some guys would just find it to be me against the world kind of attitude, like I’ll show them. Others might shrink from that and be intimidated. What was it like for you making those ring walks in that hostile environment?
Trout
Yes, when I was walking to the ring my whole goal was to shut the crowd out. Going to the ring you get people likely throwing things at you, cursing at you, and things like that. It’s just exactly as you said; it’s me against the world, and I’m going to show them. I respect the Puerto Rican fan base and for their passion. I said at the press conference that if it wasn’t for them or the Mexican fans that boxing might be dead, especially in American. So as a fan I’m glad they’re keeping it alive, but I’m not going to give them anything to cheer about. My whole goal is to get the Garden absolutely quiet.
Q
Well that’s hard to do, obviously, when you’re dealing with a Miguel Cotto fight. Are you intimidated at all or do you embrace the notion of doing what you just said you’d like to do, shutting them up?
Trout
No, I embrace the notion. I’m not intimidated at all. This is what I feel like I have to go through to get to where I want to be, so I’m not going to le the crowd or Miguel Cotto be in my way.
Q
Austin, with all the different guys you’re fighting a very hot weight class. I know you have one of the titles, which I’m sure is one of the key reasons why you were able to get this fight, but I wonder with all the different possibilities that Miguel might have had, he had the opportunity to maybe fight Pacquiao in a rematch, there were other fighters in the weight class. When you got this fight I know back when it was first made you said you were very shocked and didn’t really believe Greg when he called you to tell you that you got the fight. Do you still sort of pinch yourself to say I can’t believe like after 25 fights basically in relative anonymity, even though you have a world title, that now you’re getting the opportunity to fight one of the biggest stars in the whole sport?
Trout
Now suddenly it’s reality. I feel like this has to be all part of God’s plan, because of my anonymousness and since I’m not so known and not the big name and he’s had so many names. The only thing I can think of is God made this happen, and I feel like it’s part of my destiny to be on this stage. I don’t doubt my skills or ability in this fight. I don’t doubt God’s positioning of me in this fight. So I feel real good about the fight. I believe that I will be victorious as well.
Q
Do you think you’ve even been with a guy that’s as good of a puncher as Miguel Cotto? You fought guys that can punch a little bit, maybe Rodriguez who has knocked some guys out. I don’t think he got touched much; he pretty much won every round. But I looked at your record and you fought some good opponents, but I’m not sure there’s been a puncher with the type of power that Miguel has displayed in his career. What are your thoughts about that?
Trout
No, I wouldn’t say I have. I’ve definitely faced bigger guys; I’ve fought guys that came down from super middleweight, so maybe with that body strength that they may be bigger, stronger than Miguel as far as that’s concerned, and I still pushed them back. Miguel Cotto is a very powerful and explosive fighter, and I’ve not necessarily faced anybody as explosive as him, but I think I’ve faced people that have been as strong as him.
Q
How shocked were you when you got this fight? Were you surprised by it? Because you kind of, let’s be honest, your performance against Rodriguez, even though you won, had a lot of people not really wanting to see you again for a while, and here you are getting this monster main event.
Trout
Well I do look at it as a redemption song. But yes, I was shocked; I was shocked that he chose a fighter like me, because a lot of times I’ve been known as high risk, low reward, even with the belt. So I figured if I can’t get these guys to fight me with the belt then what do I have to do, who do I have to beat to get these names going. And lo and behold, Greg Cohen and Al Haymon made the Miguel Cotto fight happen, and I can’t be more appreciative for it.
Q
Hey, Cotto said that the Mayweather fight maybe rejuvenated him a little bit, even though he went through the loss. And just as you look as his previous fights, and especially that fight, did you see a guy who maybe is on the downside of his career like some people say or is he still in his prime?
Trout
I would definitely say he’s still in his prime; he’s still a hungry fighter, he’s still eating and have hung with some of the best fighters in our time, I should say. His losses have only been to the top guys, and one of the losses is very controversial. So I don’t see why anybody would count Cotto as being on the downside of his career.
Q
And I watched the All Access and I thought the team in Las Cruces in a good light, and I was just wondering what you thought about it and talk about why you have decided to say here. Louie has talked about that before, like he was able to train in different places, but you stayed here throughout your career.
Trout
Well, my kids are here. I love being around my kids. I can’t really leave them, and if I was to go pursue my career in another city that would be the case, I would have to leave my kids behind, and there’s no way I’m going to do that. That’s one of the reasons why I’ve stayed in Cruces. Not to mention beautiful weather, no natural disasters, we have good elevation out here. It’s a good place to focus if you need to focus.
Q
What’s your sense about the way the community feels about you? They’re kind of been able to watch your career and watch you grow up.
Trout
Well I’m glad they’re getting excited.
Q
First, do you see any weakness in Miguel Cotto that you can exploit during your fight? And the second question, just wanted to ask you if you had any Hector Camacho stories or if you ever met him and what you think about his untimely death?
Trout
My heart goes out to his friends and family, even his fans. I have never had the pleasure of meeting Camacho. My coach, Louie Burke, he has had the pleasure of actually fighting Hector Camacho, so that’s probably as close as I’ve gotten to Hector personally. It’s sad that the way champions can come out or go out, and I hate to see a great fighter like him go out like that.
Q
Do you see any weaknesses in Miguel Cotto that you could exploit? I mean they mentioned before about he fighting fast opponents. Do you see anything on his game that you can take advantage of?
Trout
I do, but I don’t want him and Pedro working on it so I’m going to keep that to myself. We’re going to work on his eye; he has a lot of scarring up there, he can’t help that. That’s one thing that we want to not focus on, but we’re looking to take advantage of.
Q
A lot of times we see this happen in boxing where you have an older, more established fighter, like Miguel Cotto in this case, go up against a younger, hungrier fighter like you, and a lot of time this ends up being where it comes to a coming out party for the younger fighter. How important is it to you on Saturday night to go in there, win or lose, to give the type of performance that builds the name of Austin Trout in the boxing community and gets you more established for bigger fights going forward?
Trout
Well it’s just like you said, it’s very important because I’m trying to be established; I don’t want to be anonymous anymore. So I pray for a blessing of a satisfied performance that I can perform for my best of my ability, and I feel like if I do that then I will win with no question. Now anything happens in this game, in fact you lose and still put up a good performance. I’m not happy with that; I don’t want to lose my undefeated record or my belt.
I feel like the powers that be don’t necessarily want me in the boxing game, because I feel like I’m a thorn to everybody’s side that have to fight me. So a loss would be the best way for them to get me out of there, so losing is really not an option. Even if I still perform to the best of my ability I think that they won’t let me in, and they didn’t let me in anyway, I had to kind of climb through the window.
Q
Right. Austin, I think it’s one more thing I want to ask you is about you, your personality; you’re very personable, you’re a very well spoken student of boxing. You said before that as much as you are a fighter you’re a fan of the game, and I think a lot of the younger up and coming fighters, obviously an Adrien Broner is a good example kind of carrying on that torch of the Floyd Mayweathe type fighter, how important is it to you, Austin, to stay true to yourself as both the fighter and the fan and being the type of guy who doesn’t have to go out there and disrespect or talk smack about his opponent and just does things the right way to establish his name in the game?
Trout
It’s the most important, because, like I said, I have kids, and my daughter, who’s 10 now, she’ll call me out, like, “That’s not you, dad,” and I want them to see the real me. I feel like to know me is to love me, so why even put on any kind of a façade. If I feel one way I will express it in my truest form. I feel like it’s very important. I don’t want to be fake with anybody. I’m not saying that Adrien Broner is, I feel like he’s himself when he’s doing what he does, but that’s just not me. I just want to be me and let the fans embrace me as me.
Q
My question is recently you have exactly your last fight with Delvin Rodriguez was a unanimous decision then you have a TKO, it stopped in eleven. Your preparation for this fight I think it’s a little bit different than the ones that you had before. Miguel and you they have prepared exactly the most kind of the same, he was in Big Bear, California, and they were basically at the same kind of training. But Miguel is a hard puncher, and basically your previous contenders have not been as hard. Do you have to prepare to the kind of fight that you are expecting this Saturday that maybe is going to be a long 12 rounds or what your main goal on this fight?
Trout
Well as the training, we’ve picked up the intensity, we’ve gotten some good thin air to be intent in for the fact that Miguel Cotto is an intense fighter, and we don’t want to have to keep up with his intensity, we want to push the intensity. So we prepared definitely a longer and harder training camp to be at our best for the whole 12 rounds, and we’re expecting and preparing for a hard fought 12 round fight. Miguel Cotto is the best fighter I’ve ever faced and that’s no secret, but I’ve put in the hard work now so that way December 1st can be easier. And with God willing we’ll do what we’ve been working on and come out victorious.
Q
Do you think with this training that you did for this fight, because you were doing more cardio and just keeping up in there, do you have healthy in your strength and you feel right now different when you are basically on the city, obviously breathing up a couple of thousand feet is different than just being in the city, do that help you a lot in the way that you are performing, and how do you feel for this fight and the previous one that you had with Delvin Rodriguez?
Trout
Yes. No, I feel very healthy. I have no injuries, there’s nothing that’s coming into the ring with me but a healthy we’ll say Austin Trout, and I can’t be more happy with the outcome of the camp. All that’s left is just to maintain my shape until we weigh in Friday and then Saturday we get to show how.
Swanson
All right, everybody. So that ends our call. And again, you have received your fight week schedule. Please pay attention to it. Wednesday is the final press conference at the theater lobby at Madison Square Garden and Friday is the official weigh in, which is open to the public, and that’s at the Affinia Manhattan Hotel in the ballroom at 1:00 p.m.
END OF CALL
“Showdown: Cotto vs. Trout” is a 12-round battle between Four-Time and Three-Division World Champion Miguel Cotto and undefeated WBA Super Welterweight World Champion Austin Trout taking place on Saturday, December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-featured fights will see Jayson Velez take on Salvador Sanchez in a 10-round fight for the vacant WBC Silver Featherweight title and Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs battle Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick in an eight-round middleweight fight. The event is promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, sponsored by The Puerto Rican Tourism Board and Corona and will be televised live on SHOWTIME at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).
Tickets priced at $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are available for purchase at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.thegarden.com.
Photo by Claudia Bocanegra
