Former WBA 154 Pound World Champion Austin "No Doubt" Trout of Los Cruces, New Mexico, headlined the Payne Arena in Hidalgo as big-time world championship-level boxing returned to the Rio Grande Valley. 37-year-old Trout removed any doubt if he can still compete at the highest level. Trout dominated rugged veteran Jose Charles of nearby Reynosa, Mexico.
The New Mexican showed all the craft and skills he possessed when he upset Miguel Cotto in Madison Square Garden in 2012. Moving in and out, jabbing from the outside, and flurrying on the inside. Trout was controlling a very strategic opening few rounds. Trout, a southpaw, was able to control a determined opponent in Jose Charles. Trout rocked him with a straight left hand that shook Charles up at the end of the second. The former world champ picked up the pace in the third and again rocked Charles late in the round. Charles rallied a bit in the fourth and scored with a double right hand that backed Trout up into the ropes. Charles had a few more moments forcing Trout to go backward.
However, the momentum was short-lived. Trout was able to get back in control in the fifth behind an educated jab and slick movement. He continued to shop shoot with the straight left, preventing Charles from getting into rhythm. Trout landed a ride hook and a big left-hand midway through the fifth that hurt his now badly outmatched opponent however Charles, determined as ever, answered with a straight right hand of his own! Trout seemed to be completely in his comfort zones knowing he was well ahead on the cards he would fire off a combination and would then appear to talk a little trash to his opponent. He landed a big lead right hook in the seventh and unleashed a bunch of unanswered power shots that had Charles in real trouble for the first time. Moments later a straight left bucked the Mexican again. Landing at will, Trout ran out the clock on the sided fight and scored with a double left hook towards the end of the eighth and final round for good measure. The scorecards were academic with each judge scoring the bout 80-72, every judge giving every round to Trout who took home the Texas State title. Post-fight Trout's trainer Bobby Benton was satisfied with the performance "He looked good, sharp combinations much better than his last performance." Trout said in a post-fight interview he wanted "a rematch with Jermell Charlo or anything that gets him closer to a rematch with him" Trout lost to the Houston native, who now holds all the belts at 154 in very close and competitive fashion back in 2018 via majority decision.