Junior Middleweight

Canelo Alvarez is the favorite to defeat Austin Trout in Saturday night's light middleweight unification bout, per Oddsshark.com.

But not only do I believe he can pull the upset, I predicted he would.

He must stick to a strict game plan, especially early in the fight. If he does, he will score his second consecutive upset victory after earning a unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto in December 2012.

Here are Trout's keys to victory.

Lateral Movement

Alvarez is a very good puncher when opponents stand right in front of him.

Most of the fighters he's faced have been either too old to move and create angles (Shane Mosley), or it simply wasn't their style (Matthew Hatton).

When facing a banger with a deliberate style like Alvarez, it is very important to change angles. Trout has the boxing acumen to do this. His southpaw stance will also be a benefit.

Alvarez has faced very few southpaws in his career. The last one was Ryan Rhodes in June 2011. He pales in comparison to Trout from a talent perspective, though

Rhodes is tough, but he isn't as slick or naturally as big as Trout. He tried to employ movement, but he wound up running and surviving because he couldn't offer enough offense to keep Alvarez honest.

This is a video of the entire fight, but you only need to see a few moments to get the gist of the night for Rhodes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYE6KiQqoLc

Trout isn't an explosive puncher, but as Cotto found out in their bout, he has enough power to make an opponent take notice.

If he balances side-to-side movement with the use of his underrated jab and combinations, he will find success.

Pick His Spots to Roughhouse on the Inside

At times, Alvarez will try to get physical on the inside. It is an effective intimidation tactic.

Trout must initiate these sequences at some point during the fight to gain his respect. He was able to do this to Cotto and it was a major turning point in the fight.

Most thought Cotto would have the significant advantage inside, but Trout proved he could hold his own. Check out some of these highlights:

Alvarez hasn't been in the ring with an opponent he couldn't physically bully or overcome. Trout is the first talented fighter he's faced who has been fighting at 154 pounds for an extended period—sans a washed up Kermit Cintron.

The difference will be apparent in the ring.

Finish Strong

The fight takes place in the Alamodome, where the crowd will be firmly behind the young Mexican fighter.

Quiet rounds are dangerous for an underdog, especially when they happen late.

Without being careless, Trout needs to close the fight strong.

Alvarez usually starts slow and I expect Trout to take advantage of that. He should have a lead on the scorecards and Alvarez will look to turn up the pressure around the fourth round or so.

Trout has to take control, but he can't coast late. He needs to make it nearly impossible for the judges to take the fight away from him.

As the challenger, that's essentially the way it should be.

I predict he gets it done.

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Let's discuss the obvious—this is not the fight Canelo Alvarez wanted. What was going through the Mexican sensation's mind on December 1, 2012 at Madison Square Garden as he watched the underdog Trout put on a boxing clinic? As the rounds wore on and it became abundantly clear that Miguel Cotto was going to lose in front of thousands of adoring fans, the Showtime cameras kept panning over to Alvarez. He held a poker face, but you didn't have to be a mind reader to guess what was going on behind the eyes. "Not again."

By the end of the night, when the scorecards were read and Trout was declared the winner, The Curse Of Canelo had become a very real thing. If this dude came anywhere near your fights, you were in trouble.

Once again, Alvarez was left in search of a new opponent. Of course, he still could have attempted to make a fight with Cotto; fighters have lost and still been awarded a mega-fight. But there was no doubt that the fight would have lost some of its luster, and Alvarez wanted a fight that would enhance his pound-for-pound status.

Enter Trout, whose stock skyrocketed after the relatively one-sided victory over the Puerto Rican star. His performance was brilliant; he boxed well and showed a willingness to stand and trade, something that was severely lacking in his last contest—a horrid snoozefest against Delvin Rodriguez. He earned the right to take on Canelo, and he was rewarded with the bout after talks between Alvarez and Floyd Mayweather fell through.

Trout now finds himself in the lion's den. He'll be in the ring with a 22-year-old punching machine in front of a hostile crowd looking for blood. Trout is still a relative unknown outside of the hardcore fans. Alvarez could sell out a building filing his taxes. Trout out-boxed Cotto, but beating a faded star who has been in several wars is much different than beating a younger foe who is still craving success at the highest level. 

If he's looking for inspiration, Trout shares a few traits with another junior-middleweight—Winky Wright. It was nearly eight years ago when Wright, a fellow southpaw, stepped into the ring with heavily favored Tito Trinidad. The unheralded Wright dominated nearly every second of the fight with his boxing skills and defense. He quieted the crowd early and kept Trinidad completely off balance and confused. Trout doesn't have the defensive prowess that Wright possessed, but he's a very good boxer. He's easily the best opponent Alvarez has ever been in with. Sorry, pounding an utterly shot Shane Mosley doesn't count for much.

Stylistically, the fighters are nearly total opposites. Alvarez is an orthodox fighter with a decent defense and heavy hands. He uses both hands well and enjoys stalking his prey by cutting off the ring. Trout uses a southpaw right jab to establish distance and he counter punches effectively. Fans who expected him to get on his bicycle against Cotto were pleasantly surprised when he stood and traded on numerous occasions in the fight. He would be wise to avoid trading punches with Alvarez, who hits harder than Cotto and is much fresher. One would expect his game plan to involve a lot of movement and counter punching. Utilizing a lead left hand would be an excellent tactic to keep Alvarez from setting up in the pocket.

Last week, we saw a puncher completely befuddled by a more precise boxer. Can Austin Trout pull the same trick with Canelo? If he can pull off the upset, he'll open up the doors to other major fights in the near future. This is the biggest fight of his career; one that will either solidify his status as a pound-for pound-threat, or leave him as another notch on the belt of a young phenomenon. He should take full advantage of the chance in front of him; many fighters only get one.

April has been a strong month for the sport of boxing. On Saturday night, the month will get even better.

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (41-0, 30 KO) will seek to unify two of the light middleweight championships as he stakes his WBC title against WBA Super champion Austin Trout (26-0, 14 KO).

When two young undefeated champions clash, it gets the attention of those who love the sport. This is a five-star fight in every sense of the term.

Alvarez has mowed down all comers with relative ease in his career. Despite being just 22 years old, he has already had 41 professional fights. In his most recent bout, he manhandled Josesito Lopez.

Canelo stopped his game, but overmatched, opponent in the fifth round.

Trout's rise to this event has not been as celebrated. He has just recently started to receive the attention most would pay an undefeated young champion.

The 27-year-old out-boxed Miguel Cotto in his last fight to score an easy unanimous decision victory.

That win represented a significant step up in competition and the biggest victory of his career. It has vaulted him into this opportunity to prove he is among the best fighters in the world.

On Saturday night, someone's "0" must go. Here's how you can catch the action and some deeper analysis into this matchup:

When: Saturday, April 20, at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas

TV: Showtime

The Book on Alvarez

Will a Win Eliminate All Doubts about Alvarez's Place amongst Elite Fighters?

Alvarez has a huge following, a sparkling record and undeniable charisma. But he still hasn't really fought anyone that validates him as being one of the top five fighters in the world.

Lopez has the heart of a heavyweight, but in reality, he was a bloated welterweight or light welterweight rising to meet a challenge and a major payday against Alvarez.

Take a look at the highlights of that bout:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu_JaBSNk8A

Before that win, Alvarez beat up a 40-year-old Shane Mosley about five-to-seven years past his prime. 

Canelo isn't ducking opponents. Many of the major names don't seem to be lining up to face him. It's not his fault, but his relatively weak list of opposition is a reality.

As much as I respect Trout, defeating him still won't give Alvarez all the credit he may very well deserve. In fact, he has far more to lose in this fight than Trout does.

From a notoriety standpoint, he dwarfs his opponent. 

If he loses, many of his critics will say: This proves their suspicions. If he wins, they will say: It was a decent win, but who is Austin Trout anyway?

Unfortunately for Canelo, this is a fight he must win, but he won't get full respect until he moves up to middleweight and captures a title or entices one of the bigger names to come to him at 154 pounds.

In the Ring

Strengths - Power, Accuracy and Composure

Weaknesses - Slow Starter, Untested, Robotic

Alvarez is a powerful puncher with great offensive weapons. He has always appeared a bit stiff to me, though. His emotionless demeanor is similar to his robotic fighting style.

He's so strong and technical, and he hasn't been exposed up to this point.

But his lack of movement makes me wonder what will happen when he faces an opponent he has trouble finding with his power shots.

The Book on Trout

Trout Would Force the World to Take Notice with a Win over Canelo

I doubted Trout in his last fight against Cotto. I picked the more powerful and experienced fighter to best the younger, more cerebral Trout.

I was wrong.

I underestimated the toughness Trout possessed and his underrated boxing ability. If he is able to pull a second straight upset over a more highly-regarded fighter, he will force his way into the pound-for-pound discussion.

Much like Canelo, a win may still cause critics to doubt his opposition, thus discrediting his victory, but it wouldn't be to the same extent.

Canelo is more established than Trout, thus the latter has an immense opportunity ahead of him. Beating Cotto in Madison Square Garden in front of tens of thousands admiring Cotto fans was huge.

But facing Canelo at the Alamodome could take the home-field advantage factor to another level. The fact that he will again be facing—and potentially defeating—another opponent in a hostile environment only makes him look better.

In the Ring

Strengths - Length, Punching Accuracy, Intelligence

Weaknesses - Not a Big Puncher, Carelessness

Trout proved he is physically stronger than many have given him credit for against Cotto.

Against the legendary Puerto Rican, he not only handled his opponent from a distance—which was expected—but he also proved that in close quarters, he couldn't be bullied.

Even with that strength, he isn't a huge puncher. At times, he can get impatient and lose sight of his defense in an effort to push the action. Because he doesn't have elite pop, that can get him into trouble at times.

He's a tactical, thinking fighter who must stick to his game plan to be successful.

Prediction

Trout proved me wrong in his last fight and I took notice. I'm taking him to upset Canelo on Saturday night. Alvarez has a little more than a puncher's chance, but his power could be the great equalizer.

Still, I see his lack of mobility and periodic lack of aggressiveness as a perfect setup for Trout to build up a lead. He will earn a unanimous decision victory.

We'll see what the scorecards officially say, but as far as in-ring action, that is what I expect to see.

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Follow @BrianMazique

There are those moments as boxing fans when we realize we are watching the future arrive. Sometime's it's a classic changing-of-the-guard moment, where the young superstar and the old lion share center stage for one last performance. Those kind of fights are enjoyable in the build up and sometimes deliver in the ring.

But it's a more sure thing that we will be rewarded when it's two young champions, both rising stars entering or still fresh into their prime. And that is what we are getting on Saturday, April 20, as two of boxing's brightest 20-somethings square off: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs Austin Trout, 12 rounds to unify the WBA and WBC junior middleweight belts.

The businessmen who are responsible for orchestrating the grand stage on which these sort of affairs take place would prefer it had been otherwise. They would rather be giving us Canelo Alvarez, the wildly popular 22-year-old Mexican star, versus the Puerto Rican legend, Miguel Cotto.

Heck, there were rumors going around last January that they were still going to give us that fight, even after Austin Trout rolled into New York City last December and handed Cotto a wide-margin unanimous decision defeat.  

But in the end, justice prevailed. Instead of Alvarez-Cotto, which I'll be honest, I would have, in elated state, gone to Yankee Stadium or the Garden to watch, we are getting Alvarez-Trout.

The fight, that it turns out, we actually needed to see after all. 

A lot of the credit for this fight happening needs to go to Austin Trout. After knocking off Cotto, he went on the road and campaigned for Canelo, doing media around the county and keeping his case for a shot against Canelo in the public, being talked about. 

I talked to Trout briefly after a Friday Night Fights card I covered at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. He came across as a guy with a passion for the sport and a head for the business side.

For a guy who was essentially traveling around, calling out another guy to fight him, he was extremely pleasant and laid back. Even during the press conference, when a fight writer baited him by asking, "Do you think Canelo needs a heart transplant?" Trout answered the question by putting the blame for ducking him on Alvarez's promoter, Golden Boy.

Saul Alvarez, in my opinion, I think he'd fight me. He's a fighter. I know a fighter will fight anybody. So when I say Canelo is ducking me, I mean Papa De La Hoya and Schaeffer are ducking me.

Trout is a likable personality and his popularity with the fans will increase as his success continues. With the combination of athleticism and craft that he displayed against Cotto last December, it is safe to assume that, win-or-lose against Alvarez, the 27-year-old will continue to compete near the top of the junior middle weight division for at least the next couple of years.

If he can prevail against Alvarez, he may be on the fast track to boxing superstardom.

Against Cotto last December he put on a boxing showcase, one that came as something of an awakening to many national boxing fans. Despite his undefeated record and world title, Trout had barely been on the radar of even some pretty serious fans.

But all night long against Cotto he used an exceptional jab and brilliant foot work to outwork and beat up the likely Hall-of-Famer.

Trout controls distance expertly and uses his legs very well. On paper that is the sort of game plan you would need to implement to beat a pressure fighter like Saul Alvarez.

And this fact doesn't necessarily mean anything, but is worth noting: Trout won more rounds against Cotto than Floyd Mayweather did. 

I expect Trout to be the toughest fight Alvarez has had to date. He's over a decade younger than Shane Mosley was when Canelo handed that future Hall-of-Famer a one-sided beat down on the Cotto-Mayweather undercard. 

He's much bigger than gritty Josesito Lopez, who had only fought once above 140 pounds when he faced Alvarez.

And Trout is simply better than Kermit Cintron.

Against Cotto, he expertly executed pretty much the same kind of game plan you would want to implement against Alvarez. 

Still, I don't expect implementing that game plan against Alvarez will be quite so easily done, even by a talent like Trout. Alvarez is a full inch taller than Cotto, and he has a 71-inch reach, four inches more than Cotto's 67, and only a inch shorter than Trout's 72. 

Cotto has been one of the great body punchers of his generations, but Trout was able to take that away from him all night long. The huge reach advantage he enjoyed was a large part of his success here. 

He won't enjoy those same advantages against Alvarez. And I frankly think the 22-year-old Alvarez is going to be a more relentless stalker than the 32-year-old Cotto was able to be. I think he is going to double up on his technically solid jab and look to turn the ring into a phone booth of pain. 

I expect Trout to have some success controlling the distance and keeping Alvarez on the outside, but I also expect infighting, and I expect it to be entertaining and competitive. Even when Cotto did manage to force the fight inside against Trout last December, Trout held his own and tended to get the better of the exchanges.

My own prediction is that Alvarez will be very patient with his body attack all fight long, allowing him to slow down Trout and overtake an early deficit to win by unanimous decision. 

Beyond that I expect a competitive and compelling fight. The winner will almost certainly get Floyd Mayweather in the Fall, so long as Mayweather takes care of business against Robert Guerrero in May.

But both of these two will be around the sport for the next several years. These are two next generation stars, sharing the stage with a peer for the first time. 

Junior middleweight contender Ishe Smith has always been a mercurial talent. Despite being an elite defensive fighter with natural boxing ability, Smith’s often lazy offensive output and unwillingness to let his hands go with abandon have cost him in his biggest fights. 

Narrow and sometimes debatable defeats to the likes of Sechew Powell, Joel Julio, Daniel Jacobs and Fernando Guerrero suggest that Smith can push top fighters but perhaps not overcome them. Of course, this was not due to a deficiency in talent. Rather, Smith (24-5, 11 KO) appeared to lack urgency in the types of fights where he needed convince fans, pundits and, most importantly, ringside judges that he was more than just an opponent. 

This Saturday, Smith will try to wrest the IBF 154-pound title from Cornelius “K9” Bundrage at Detroit’s Masonic Temple. Just when it seemed that Smith had been relegated to being one of boxing’s most competent gatekeepers, he will now travel into enemy territory to face a fellow alumnus of “The Contender” reality series. 

So, as the opponent and travelling fighter, how can Smith overcome Bundrage (32-4, 19 KO) in what amounts to both a title and crossroads fight? 

Despite setbacks that included a spectacular first-round TKO loss to Sechew Powell and an eighth-round stoppage defeat to Joel Julio, Bundrage has enjoyed a late-career renaissance since dropping a split decision to Grady Brewer. Though he has only fought three times since 2010, Bundrage has impressed on each occasion and established himself as a viable champion. 

In twice bludgeoning former champion Cory Spinks and notching a workmanlike measure of revenge against Powell, Bundrage has used tireless aggression to overcome supposedly classier boxers. By so impressively defeating two southpaws in three championship fights, Bundrage has shown power in his clubbing right hand, as well as the ability to distort and disrupt his opponent’s punching range. 

Bundrage finds himself in a similar situation against Smith. Though he is an orthodox fighter, Smith is a slick defender and better boxer than “K9.” For Smith, Bundrage’s pressure is a stark contrast to what he has lacked in his most significant fights, and it is this aggression that Smith must negate to impress the judges. 

One of Smith’s best attributes is his counter-punching ability. However, in order to disrupt Bundrage’s rhythm, Smith must include forward movement and stiff jabs into his arsenal. 

Over his last three fights against marginal opposition, Smith has shown more offensive flair. If Smith is aggressive early and works a steady jab, he could put Bundrage onto his back foot and force him into wild swings, which will allow Smith to then land stinging counters. 

It is no secret that Smith employs his own variation of the “shoulder roll” defense. Smith is also a sound athlete and rarely gets hit cleanly. By carrying his right hand next to his cheek, Smith is capable of launching sharp counters down the middle, even after he’s turned away from his opponent or dipped his body low to evade a punch. 

Smith will want to use his reflexes and ability to contort his body from a stationary position to set traps for Bundrage. If Smith can get Bundrage to lunge and reach with his right hand, Smith will be in optimal position to propel himself forward and counter with his own straight right hand or uppercut. When Bundrage misses, Smith will also have the option to clinch or sidestep, and turning Bundrage will open up angles for Smith’s combinations and force Bundrage to use his legs to reposition himself. 

One of Smith’s finest attributes is his body punching. However, landing cleanly to Bundrage’s midsection can prove difficult because of his ability to close distance and smother opponents. If Smith can control range by using his jab and channeling Bundrage’s aggression, he will create the natural space he needs to land to the body. 

Leading with hooks to the body is something that has served Smith well. Because Smith lacks one-punch knockout power, he needs to invest downstairs whenever he has an opening in order to sap Bundrage’s energy and make him drop his hands. While landing pot-shots from range isn’t thrilling, Smith will need to consistently initiate exchanges with these kinds of yeoman punches. 

The main problem that Spinks and Powell had against Bundrage is that they let “K9” bully them. In order to avoid this, Smith must secure Bundrage in a clinch when he starts to get inside and unload. That said, if Smith can commit to fighting back harder, he can avoid wrestling Bundrage every time he gets in-close. 

Variety will be essential with regards to negating Bundrage’s pressure. If Smith exclusively resorts to clinching, he could fall into a pattern where he ties up Bundrage, only to find himself overwhelmed by another barrage of punches. So, Smith needs to have moments where he simply digs in and backs Bundrage up. This sort of willfully aggressive display is what Smith needs to win the fight. 

Ultimately, to avoid his past mistakes, Smith needs to be first with his combinations. He must punctuate his volleys with hard hooks to the body and force Bundrage to retreat. If Smith can morph into the bully amidst spells of his naturally slick boxing, he could very well leave Detroit with the IBF strap.

At 6'5" and with a 79-inch reach, undefeated 20-year-old junior middleweight Alantez “SlyAza” Fox (8-0-1, 4KO's) certainly appears to have a bright future ahead of him.

A veteran of nearly 200 amateur fights, Fox has the amateur pedigree needed to become a champion. Many have compared the Forestville, Md., fighter to former titleholder Paul Williams because of their similarities in height, but according to Fox that is where the likeness stops. 

“Paul’s style is almost like the complete opposite of mine,” Fox said. “He throws a lot of punches and he would give up his height a little bit, but all in all he was working and kept working, and I like that. 

“Me, I am more tactical, I like to box and make it look a little more pretty, a little more flashy.” 

Fox has no problem mixing it up on the inside if that what the fights calls for, but he would prefer to box from the outside. 

“I am 6’5" and I have a 79-inch reach,” Fox said. “I got a pretty good inside game, but I am going to keep boxing, keep turning and keep moving.” 

Because of his unique physical attributes, Fox, much like Williams throughout his career, hasn’t had the easiest time finding opponents. He has only had nine fights since turning pro at the age of 18 in July 2010. 

Early in a boxer’s career, especially when they aren’t signed with a big promoter, it is oftentimes hard to find opponents, but for a fighter like Fox it’s proven especially difficult.

Since signing with promoter Mario Yagobi and his company Boxing 360, Fox hasn't had those issues and plans to be fighting roughly every six weeks in 2013. 

“It was a challenge (to find opponents) at first because of my height and the weight I am,” Fox said. “The guy I am about to fight, Julius Kennedy, he’s 5’8"; I know he probably looked and saw this kid is 6’5", that’s ridiculous.” 

While most guys with less than 10 fights are fighting pushovers, Fox’s opponent this weekend, Julius Kennedy, isn’t exactly a tomato can. 

Kennedy has a win over Aaron Pryor Jr. and sports a 7-2-1 record with 3 knockouts coming into this Saturday’s fight at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD., and has gone 10 rounds twice in his career. 

“From what I heard he’s pretty much a pressure fighter,” Fox said. “I know he’s fought 10 rounds so this six-round fight probably isn’t anything.” 

Fox should be able to use his superior height and speed to overcome his much smaller opponent and when he does, expect to see him back in action probably some time in February or March. 

Although it is too early to anoint him the future of the junior middleweight division, I suspect this is just the beginning of what could be very successful career.

Michael Walters is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.

Follow @MWalters202

If you expected Miguel Cotto's decisive defeat on Saturday night to end any discussion of a potential fight with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in May then you were wrong.

Dead wrong.

And if you expected Austin Trout to get the spoils of his victory over Cotto in the form of a match with Alvarez, you were equally wrong.

In short, this is what is wrong with boxing today. 

It's no longer about making the best fights. It's about making the most money possible. That's why the product suffers and fans walk away.

Sitting at the post-fight press conference the other night in Madison Square Garden, you got a distinct sense that Golden Boy Promotions was still hyping a potential Canelo-Cotto matchup.

It was evident in their attempts to create faux outrage over the scoring, which was 100-percent accurate, and with their ludicrous assertions that this was some sort of close fight.

It wasn't. Miguel Cotto lost clearly. He got beaten by a man who (at least that night) was the better fighter, and he doesn't belong in a ring with Canelo Alvarez.

But listening to Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who handles Alvarez, you'd never get that impression. He told ESPN after the fight:

Definitely [Canelo-Cotto] is still a possibility. We will talk to Miguel and see what he wants to do. Miguel is an exciting fighter. He always gives a great show, entertaining the fans. Sure, you always want to win more than lose, but I still think that Cotto-Alvarez is a very good matching of styles and it would be a great fight

This sums up pretty well something that become a frequent criticism of Alvarez in recent years—that he is protected and has yet to fight a true junior middleweight.

And you'd have a very hard time dismissing that claim. Alvarez has a fair amount of good names on his resume, but nobody you'd consider either in their prime or a true junior middleweight.

Most recently he fought Josesito Lopez, who two fights previously was at junior welterweight, a full 14 pounds below the 154-pound limit.

Before that, it was Shane Mosley, a great fighter at 135 and 147 pounds in his prime, who was at least three years past his best and had lost two of his previous three fights.

And before that it was Kermit Cintron, again a decent welterweight who had lost two of his last three fights at 154 pounds before facing Alvarez.

Even those without a keen eye for detective work can spot a trend developing here.

In facing Miguel Cotto in May, Alvarez would find himself in there with a great champion at welterweight who is past his best and who has lost two fights in a row. 

See the point?

You can come to many different conclusions about Alvarez at this stage based on his opponent selection.

One reasonable theory concludes that Alvarez is extremely protected and the people at Golden Boy Promotions are not willing to place him in there with a fighter they feel can beat him and derail a potential fight with Floyd Mayweather next year. 

They took that risk with Cotto by placing him in there with Austin Trout, and look how that ended. And this theory is buoyed by comments that Schaefer made to ESPN regarding the possibility of a Canelo-Trout matchup:

I don't think one fight in itself gives you a big, big fight. It's an accumulation of things you do. I really don't see that happening. But again at the end of the day it's not up to me. I think maybe have Austin Trout do a few more big fights

On its face, this doesn't pass the smell test.

For one thing, Austin Trout just won a big fight. And he did it in the most hostile of possible environments you'll find in boxing.

For another, the idea that the man who just won the fight, and convincingly, should lose out to the guy who got beaten is counter-intuitive. 

But it does give you some insight into the handling of Alvarez's career. All you need to do is compare the relative merits of fighting each guy.

Austin Trout holds the WBA junior middleweight championship. He's undefeated, coming off the decisive win over Cotto and would represent a chance to unify belts in the division. 

Even with his win, he's still a newcomer to the mainstream boxing world but would satisfy many of the criticisms against Canelo should he face him and win.

This fight also produces an interesting angle—revenge—as Trout won his WBA title by going to Mexico and defeating Canelo's older brother Rigoberto.

Miguel Cotto is a warrior and a surefire Hall of Famer. He's coming off consecutive losses—convincingly against Mayweather and now Trout—and seems to be on the downslide. 

He's still a huge name in the sport with a rabid fanbase that would absolutely tune in to see what could be his final fight. 

But he's no longer close to the biggest challenge Alvarez faces in his own weight division. That was clearly shown this past Saturday.

From a financial standpoint, which is, after all, the reason almost everyone is in boxing, the Cotto fight still makes sense.

But a win over Cotto would do absolutely nothing at this point to enhance Canelo's career. It will be dismissed, and rightfully so, as coming over yet another blown-up welterweight who has already seen his best days.

It will feed into the perception that the people at Golden Boy know something the rest of us don't, but many suspect—that they're steering him clear of real challenges so he doesn't get exposed.

And that may or may not be true.

But as long as they continue to peddle these fights to the public—and dismiss better ones—this criticism will not go away.

Want to make it go away? Face Austin Trout, the guy who won the fight.

After Saturday night's impressive, and somewhat shocking, domination of Miguel Cotto, many boxing fans will be calling for an Austin Trout and Saul "Canleo" Alvarez matchup. 

While Trout has certainly earned a shot at the redheaded Mexican wonder-boy, don't expect to see that fight anytime soon.

At the post-fight presser a seemingly agitated Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, mentioned a possible matchup between the two, but he seemed more interested in trying to salvage a Cotto fight for May 4, 2013.

Cotto and Alvarez can still be a big fight for Cinco De Mayo weekend, but at this point it has lost a lot of its luster after Cotto's thorough domination at the hands of the somewhat unknown "regular" WBA super welterweight titleholder.

Cotto may want to think long and hard before making any decision on whether or not he will fight again. 

With that being said, I firmly believe that Cotto will fight Alvarez for his WBC title in what will most likely be, and should be, his last fight near the top of the sport.

Trout said at the post-fight press conference that he would like to return to the ring in February, and then again in May, which is refreshing to hear these days considering most of the elite fighters in the sport only fight once or twice a year. 

The question now is who will Trout fight next or who will be willing to fight him?

Trout is advised by the Oz of boxing, Al Haymon, so he will definitely be back on one of the major networks soon and should hopefully start making Haymon-esque paydays.

I don't believe a fight with "super" WBA champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is an option as both men are Haymon fighters, not to mention Floyd will most likely be fighting Robert Guerrero after his punishing win over Andre Berto last month. 

It won't be IBF titleholder Cornelius "K9" Bundrage either, as I have a feeling he will likely be fighting Ishe Smith in early 2013.

Zaurbek Baysangurov, the WBO titleholder, is another fighter who most likely isn't interested in facing Trout, as he has never fought outside of the former Soviet Union.

With the chances of a title unification fight highly unlikely, I believe that Trout will most likely face a fighter from the Golden Boy stable due to the close working relationship between Haymon and the promoter.

If I were a betting man, I would put my money on Trout facing either Alfredo Angulo or James Kirkland some time in February or early March of 2013.

Michael Walters is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.

Follow @MWalters202

Austin Trout dominated the stalwart Miguel Cotto Saturday night at Madison Square Garden en route to a 12-round unanimous decision.

Now he is ready for boxing's big names.

Cotto had been a heavy favourite against Trout after his impressive performance against Floyd Mayweather and his destruction of Antonio Margarito. Cotto has been a pay-per-view star for years, and this fight was meant to be a precursor for a blockbuster showdown with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.

The undefeated Trout changed the boxing landscape dramatically.

"No Doubt" Trout capitalized on his height and reach advantage. He fought well at a distance, scored with his jab and demonstrated impressive hand speed. On the inside, he proved to be the stronger fighter and hurt Cotto in close.

Austin also used ring generalship to dictate the pace of the fight. He changed his tactics throughout the contest to keep Cotto uncomfortable. He fought well off his back foot, scored from range and pressured well, while using excellent defense to avoid feeling Cotto's powerful shots.

He threw more total punches than Cotto and landed the cleaner, more effective shots. Trout landed 238 of 779 total punches at 31 percent; conversely, Cotto landed 183 of 628 at 29 percent.

Trout won the jab contest by landing 46 of 349 to the Puerto Rican's 29 of 175. In conjunction with his defense and footwork, Trout's jab helped him control the fight as he scored well on the outside and orchestrated where the fight took place.

Trout also won in power punches, which Cotto was expected to win in compensation for his size and reach disadvantage. Trout landed 192 of 430 power punches to Cotto's 154 of 453.

By the end, Cotto's face was red and marked. 

The undefeated champion defended his title and raised interesting questions about upcoming superfights. The 27-year-old, WBA 154-pound champion poses a complicated problem to many of the pound-for-pound elite.

He is bigger, younger and stronger than Pacquiao and Mayweather. He may be at a disadvantage in speed but not significantly so. His ability to keep the fight at range with his quick, long, powerful jab would allow him a chance at upsetting these two icons.

After the win, in nonsensical Spanish, he called out boxing's future: "Quiero. Tu. Quiero."

His challenge to Alvarez does not have any meaning in Spanish, but a clash between the two champions would make perfect sense and plenty of dollars. A bout with WBC champion "Canelo" would clarify the 154-pound picture and segue nicely into superfights with Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.

These two belt-holders match up well, and this would be a marketable fight that is logical, lucrative and exciting.

The hottest thing out of Mexico since jalapenos is undefeated, charismatic, immensely popular and talented. At 5'9" and with a reach of 71 inches, he does not have the height disparity that Cotto faced. (Trout is 5'9" and has a reach of 72 inches.)

Alvarez's sterling record of 41-0 with 30 knockouts has made believers of his doubters, but a bout with Trout would be his biggest test to date.

This would help prove to the world that the carefully brought-along 22-year-old Mexican superstar is ready to swim with the big fishes and fight the best. This encounter serves both champions well. A respectable performance would keep them in the picture for superfights.

A loss by Trout would not eliminate him from future marquee fights—rather, the positive exposure would enhance his limited fanbase. Ironically, a loss to Alvarez might make it easier for the big names to accept his challenge.

Even without the Alvarez title unification contest, Trout is an excellent option for the big names in boxing.

As rumours circulate that Pacquiao wants to fight Brandon Rios in April 2013, a Trout fight makes far more sense. Rios just moved up from 135 after a poor final performance against Richard Abril and has since only fought at 140 once. While his lone win was epic and thrilling, it does not qualify him to fight boxing's biggest star.

A win over "No Doubt" offers far more credibility and enhances Pacquaio's legacy infinitely more than a Rios win.

Floyd Mayweather is still not scheduled to fight anyone in 2013. A match with Austin Trout would help show "Money's" detractors that he is not afraid of southpaws and facing bigger, stronger opponents. Many claim that Mayweather does not want to face Manny and Sergio Martinez because of their unorthodox stance. They also claim he had avoided Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams because of their size.

A definitive victory over Trout would assuage those rumblings once and for all.

Sergio Martinez is fighting unheralded Martin Murray in April 2013. This is no way for the 37-year-old to cement a legitimate legacy. Martinez deserves a chance to prove his greatness to the world. He is slick, athletic, fast and exciting to watch. The middleweight champion has bigger fish to fry at 154, and Trout would be a great place to start.

If Martinez is sincere in his desire to get blockbuster bouts, he should take a risk on Trout.

At 27 years old, Austin Trout and his undefeated record of 26-0 are sitting in an excellent position. There are many routes to the fame and fortune he has earned. An initial battle with "Canelo" that produces a fan-friendly result will open the doors to superfights in boxing.

Congrats to him, and the boxing world just got a little bit brighter. Here is a Spanish tip to help him get going: "Canelo, con todo el respeto del mundo, quiero pelear contigo."