Former WBA champ at 154 pounds, Austin Trout was beaten only by the best during his 18-year pro career. Slick southpaw Trout, who finished at 37-5-1(18) was bested only by – Canelo Alvarez, Erislandy Lara, Jermall Charlo, Jarrett Hurd, and Jermell Charlo, with only Hurd managing to stop Trout.
Now, at age 38 and having changed sports to bare-knuckle fighting, with Trout becoming the BKFC champ at welterweight back in February, Trout wants to fight all the guys that beat him…….in bare-knuckle rematches.
Speaking with Talk Sport ahead of Canelo’s fight with Edgar Berlanga on Saturday, the card to also see Lara in action, against Danny Garcia, Trout laid down the challenge.
“All of them, everybody I took a loss to, I want to fight in the bare-knuckle ring,” Trout said. “That means Canelo, Charlo, Lara, the other Charlo, Hurd, every one of those cats I would love to fight in the bare-knuckle ring; it’s different…Canelo, if you want that rematch, let’s run it or anyone else that has a high-profile name. Danny Garcia is another one I’ve been calling out for a while; I’d love to get one of those fights.”
So, will any of the fighters Trout mentioned express any interest in running it back with him but in bare knuckle? For sure, it would be very interesting if one of the fighters who beat Trout did take “No Doubt” up on his offer. Fan interest would likely be pretty high, and very, very high if Canelo agreed to fight Trout again but in another combat sport.
Trout went on to say that he thinks Canelo would have a good career as a bare-knuckle fighter.
“I do [think he’d do well in bare-knuckle]; he’s not one of those guys that has hand problems,” Trout said of Canelo. “I mean, he hits hard enough. He’s explosive without having to turn his while body so that protects his hands. I think he would do fine, he is a student of the game so he would learn the type of standing grappling that’s needed to be able to box, so I’m sure he’d figure that out.”
Canelo, the bare-knuckle fighter? Could it happen? These days, nothing can be ruled out when it comes to combat sports.
