By Jake Donovan
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Austin Trout both made weight for their 154 lb. unification bout Saturday evening at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Alvarez came in at 153.5 lb., while Trout tipped the scales at a trim and ready 153.25 lb.
The bout is a rare scenario of two unbeaten titlists squaring off in their respective primes and in their ideal weight class. Even more fitting is the fact that both won belts at roughly the same time just over two years ago.
Alvarez (41-0-1, 30KO) fights for the first time since his 4th round knockout win over Josesito Lopez last September. The bout marks the sixth defense of the alphabet belt he won in a vacant title fight versus Matthew Hatton in March 2011.
Trout (26-0, 14KO) comes in on the heels of a career-best win, a 12-round unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto last December in New York City. The Las Cruces (NM) native has made four successful defenses of the belt he won in a vacant title fight against Rigoberto Alvarez – Canelo’s older brother – in February ’11 on the road in Mexico.
Upwards of 40,000 fans are expected to pack the Alamodome for Saturday’s main event, which airs live on Showtime, in the network’s first true main event of the year after enduring three months worth of injuries and simply horrible replacement bouts.
The co-feature bout pits Weslaco (TX) native Omar Figueroa versus Abner Cotto (nephew of former three-division champ Miguel Cotto) in a terrific lightweight battle. Figueroa came in at 134.5 lb, while Cotto – who was erroneously announced as Abner Mares before Hall of Fame ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. corrected himself – weighed 133.5 lb. for their 12-round battle.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board, Yahoo Boxing Ratings Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
