Austin Trout Talks Sergio Martinez Sparring, Cotto, More

By Lem Satterfield

In the month since his February 5, unanimous decision over Mexican southpaw, interim WBA titlist Rigoburto Alvarez before Alvarez's partisan fans at the Arena Colseo in Guadalajara, Mexico, southpaw junior middleweight Austin Trout spent time as the sparring partner for southpaw WBA "emeritus" middleweight king Sergio Martinez.

The 25-year-old Trout (22-0, 13 knockouts) was helping Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KOs) to prepare for his March 12, eighth-round knockout of previously unbeaten southpaw WBO junior middleweight titlist Sergiy Dzinziruk (37-3, 23 KOs), whom Martinez floored for the first time his career once each in the fourth and fifth rounds and three times in the final round.

Trout also had worked with Martinez, he said, in preparation for Martinez's November, middleweight, non-title, second-round knockout of southpaw, three-time, two-division titlist Paul Williams (39-2, 27 KOs) that avenged a December, 2009, majority decision loss during which both fighters were down in the first round.

In defeating Alvarez (29-3, 19 KOs), who is the 33-year-old brother of 20-year-old WBC junior middleweight champion, Saul Alvarez (36-0-2, 26 KOs), Trout ended a three-bout winning streak that had included two knockouts during that run since having been stopped, himself, by Marco Antonio Rubio in the ninth round in January of 2010.

Against Alvarez, Trout was in his first bout since a November, 2009, 12-round unanimous decision over Taronze Washington.

Trout spoke to BoxingScene.com concerning his training with Martinez, as well as his desire to face bigger named, title-holding opponents, such as Saul Alvarez, WBA super world titlist Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) or IBF champ Cornelius Bundrage (30-4, 18 KOs).

BoxingScene.com: Were you surprised at how easily Sergio Martinez out-jabbed Sergiy Dzinziruk on the way to setting up the knockout?

Austin Trout: Well, yes, he did surprise me with how easily he was able to elude Dzinziruk's jab. So, yes, he did surprise me with that. Martinez shocked me.

BoxingScene.com: How do you think that your contribution to Sergio Martinez's training helped Martinez to handle Sergiy Dzinziruk's jab?

Sergio even made me feel a little better about myself in gaining more confidence, because I didn't think that my jab was as effective as it was. Because I thought that Sergio was having trouble with my jab in training. But he ended up out-jabbing Sergiy, which makes me feel better. He had a really good performance, which made me feel good.

Like I said, Sergio had been having trouble getting away from my jab. But he was getting away from Sergio's jab really easy. I figured that he would have more problems because he couldn't get away from my jab.

BoxingScene.com: Was that the first time that you had worked with Sergio Martinez in preparation for a fight?

Austin Trout: No, that's the second time. I sparred with him when he was getting ready to fight Paul Williams.

BoxingScene.com: So I guess that when Sergio Martinez fights southpaws, then you are the man that he needs to prepare him, huh?

Austin Trout: I guess so. I hope so. Maybe we can start a little situation where we do that. You know? Champions need to train with champions for big fights.

BoxingScene.com: So I guess that you feel that you have benefitted form working with sergio Martinez?

Austin Trout: Most definitely. I've learned so much from working with him, each and every day working with with that man. It's a definite benefit for myself. I'm just happy and proud that I can be a benefit to him as well.

BoxingScene.com: Can you characterize Sergio Martinez's skills?

Austin Trout: To be able to figure him out, I think that I should be able to figure anybody out. Sergio is a guy who changes things up three or four times a round. Sergio can go from trying to knock you around and bang you out to moving around skillfully and darting in and out. To be able to time his movements and things like that, it's going to put me so far ahead of the rest of the game.

Because Martinez, right there, you have a guy who can really mix it up. And he's a guy who really can throw some very good combinations.

Martinez throws some nice, one-two punches. If you don't make him miss, then you're going to miss four or five times before you can find an opening.

BoxingScene.com: What do you believe are the realistic fights that you can land in your division?

Austin Trout: I consider myself the real WBA champion. And, you know, Miguel Cotto considers himself the real champion, but I would like to be able to settle that in the ring. But, you know, people probably agree with Miguel Cotto. But I would really like the chance to settle that inside of the ring. Will that happen?

You've got to ask Miguel Cotto and Bob Arum. But I've been hearing that Bob Arum don't want no parts of me, period. Not unless there isn't another Top Rank fighter at 154.So I think that he's going to try to fight [ex-champion] Antonio Margarito, who, obviously, is with Top Rank.

BoxingScene.com: What about IBF champion Cornelius Bundrage, who is promoted by Don King?

Austin Trout: I think that that's a realistic fight. You know, Cornelius Bundrage, he has good skills and he's trying to fight. And, you know, I'm trying to get as many big fights as I can. I think that that would be a realistic fight.

BoxingScene.com: What can you do to force the issue with a Miguel Cotto, a Cornelius Bundrage, or, even a Saul Alvarez?

Austin Trout: I think that I need to get some more fights and get some more names under my belt. I need to people who will catch their attention into saying, 'You know, he's making a statement.'

Somehowe, I need to get the public to recognize me and to get behind me. I pray that a guy like Canelo [Saul Alvarez] would take a shot at me or give me a shot.

That's all that I'm asking. Give me a shot at him in front of the 10 million fans that he's supposed to possess. I don't know how we can get a shot at Canelo. You know, unless they say they want to unify the title. If they're serious about him unifying the titles, then they'll fight me. Those are the fights that I really want. I want the big fights.