by David P. Greisman

Junior middleweight titleholder Austin Trout was arrested early in the morning on New Year’s Day in Texas “on suspicion of public intoxication,” according to the El Paso Times.

Trout was one of a handful of people arrested at 4:30 a.m. at a restaurant; he was put behind bars at 8:50 a.m. and set free on bail at 11 a.m., according to the newspaper.

Police were called to the restaurant for a report of a fight. Witnesses identified Trout and three other people as being involved. While speaking to those allegedly involved, officers smelled alcohol and noticed “slurred speech and unsteady balance,” according to the article, which cited the police report.

The 27-year-old New Mexico resident is coming off the biggest win of his career: a December unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto that took place at Madison Square Garden and headlined a Showtime main event. The victory brought Trout’s record to 26-0 with 14 knockouts.

Greg Cohen, who is Trout’s promoter, told Steve Kim of MaxBoxing.com that the charge is “ridiculous.”

“We’ll work vigorously to have this incident be taken off the record,” Cohen was quoted as saying, according to a posting by Kim on Twitter.

El Paso County’s online court records did not yet show any cases listed for Trout as of early in the evening on Jan. 2.

David P. Greisman is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow David on Twitter @fightingwords2 or send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com