Staff Picks – Cotto vs. Trout Predictions
The ProBoxing-Fans.com team is back with their official staff picks, this time with a roundup of Miguel Cotto vs. Austin Trout predictions. Will Miguel Cotto recapture a title at 154 lbs, and move ahead towards lucrative showdowns? Or will Austin Trout prove that it’s his time now, and catapult himself into stardom with the biggest win of his career?
Read on for the full Cotto vs. Trout predictions from the team here at ProBoxing-Fans.com.
Matt Andrzejewski: Austin Trout is a slick southpaw boxer and I look for his style to give Miguel Cotto some problems early. However, Cotto is a very savvy fighter who has seen it all. He will find a way to get to Trout and start breaking him down with his powerful combinations. Once Trout starts feeling Cotto’s power, I suspect he will be less willing to let his punches go and instead enter a more defensive mode. Cotto will continue to slowly break Trout down from there en route to a 10th round TKO victory. Prediction: Cotto via 10th round TKO
Scott Levinson: If we don’t know Cotto by now, we’ll never know him. The result of this fight therefore inevitably comes down to the question “How good is Austin Trout?” As opposed to Cotto, he’s at that stage where you really don’t know. This is his litmus test–is he big-time or another in a long line of “titleholders” who were here today and gone tomorrow? I think Trout is good enough to give Cotto a difficult distance fight. I don’t feel, however, that he has the experience to create the separation he will need to win a decision. Prediction: Cotto via Unanimous Decision
—> Read Scott’s full preview & prediction
Edward Fu: While Cotto is hoping to redeem himself following a close loss to Floyd Mayweather, Austin Trout hopes to gain recognition and remain undefeated. Cotto’s aggressiveness will definitely pose problems to Trout. With Pedro Diaz in his corner, Cotto has seemed to gain a whole new level of fighting, increasing his footwork ability and stamina. Trout is significantly taller than Cotto, and will ‘No Doubt’ use his reach as an advantage to try to keep Cotto at bay. Trout also has the stamina and strength to go the distance, and if Trout manages to win, he will do it in twelve. However, I think Cotto’s overall fighting ability and power may be too overwhelming for Trout towards the later rounds of the fight. Prediction: Cotto via Majority Decision
Clarence George: Austin Trout is a tough fighter and skillful boxer. Also, at 27, he’s five years younger than Miguel Cotto. And not only young, but ambitious. Trout knows that a win over Cotto could result in a bout with cream-of-the-crop fighters such as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez or Floyd Mayweather Jr. Finally, he’s a southpaw, and lefties tend to give their opponents fits. But Cotto is a true ring veteran, and it’s not just experience — Cotto is still amongst the elites of the junior-middleweight division. Worth noting that Cotto has tended to finish off his opponents later rather than sooner in recent matches (he didn’t stop Ricardo Mayorga until the final round, for instance). I doubt that Trout will be an exception. Prediction: Cotto via late TKO
Blair Newman: I expect Trout to box carefully early on as he eases his way into the biggest fight of his life. Cotto will have trouble getting going with Trout’s southpaw stance and patient mentality, so much so that he may find himself getting picked off at times. Cotto will drag himself into the fight with pressure and work-rate but will get caught in the process. Nonetheless, the pressure will pay, and an inexperienced Trout will find himself hurting in the final rounds. Ultimately, Cotto will do enough to squeak home to a close, perhaps controversial, decision on the judges’ scorecards. Prediction: Cotto via Majority Decision
Jake Emen: One of the most underrated aspects of Miguel Cotto’s game is his technical boxing. He has a quick, powerful jab, and strong footwork. However, against Austin Trout, he’ll be at a height and reach disadvantage, and will therefore need to first rely on the vintage Cotto we all knew so well years ago — the body punching aggressor who tore into his opponents so effectively and consistently. Trout is no pushover, but I don’t think Cotto is ready to disappear just yet. He’s the better fighter, and Trout doesn’t have the power to break Cotto down physically or mentally. Prediction: Cotto via Unanimous Decision
Nick Jukhoop: Trout is a naturally bigger man with a counter-punching style that might be effective if Cotto wades in like he sometimes does. He is also a southpaw which will take an adjustment on Cotto’s side. In the end, I think tactics will play a big part and I believe the big game experience is in Cotto’s favor, not least since he is fighting in his own backyard in Madison Square Garden. I fancy Cotto to take it to him and wear down the challenger and stop him around the 8th round. Prediction: Cotto via 8th round TKO
Cotto vs. Trout Predictions: Final Tally
- Miguel Cotto: 7 — 4 by decision, 3 by stoppage
- Austin Trout: 0
Well, the verdict is out — we’re siding with Miguel Cotto.
Surprisingly, not a single one of our expert Cotto vs. Trout predictions are choosing Trout, the undefeated titleholder, and the larger man, to win the fight. I guess we’ll see on Saturday, so be sure to check back in with us then for coverage of the results and aftermath!
