Austin Trout Leaves No Doubt! Dominates in the RGV

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.

World Championship Level Boxing Returns to the RGV

The Rio Grande Valley will once again host elite-level boxing. Former Junior Middleweight world champion Austin "No Doubt" Trout will battle local favorite Jose Charles in the main event of an absolutely stacked card that is promoted by Pound 4 Pound Entertainment and will be held at the Payne Arena in Hidalgo and aired on ESPN Knockout.

Trout captured the WBA 154-pound strap back in 2011 when he outpointed Rigoberto Alvarez. From 2011 to 2012, he successfully defended it four times, most notably against Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden. Trout was able to outbox the Hall of Famer and Puerto Rican legend and pull a massive betting upset in what became fairly one-sided down the end of the fight. In his next fight Trout came to the Lone Star State and came up on the wrong end of a very close and controversial decision with Canelo Alvarez at the Alamodome. Trout, a native of Las Cruces, New Mexico, sports a career record of 35-5-1. In addition to Cotto and Alvarez, he has shared the ring with both Charlo Twins, Jarrett Hurd, and Erislandy Lara, He has a win over Delvin Rodriguez and a draw with former US Olympian Terrell Gausha back in 2019. He last fought in July and outpointed Florin Cardos in Germany.

Trout will battle local fan favorite Jose Charles, 20-2-1. Charles last fought in May at the Freeman Coliseum, dominating and outpointing Adam Ealoms of Bryan, Texas. He has won four fights in a row since being narrowly outpointed by touted Spanish prospect Cesar Nunez back in 2017. Charles's best win came in May of 2021 when he outpointed Raul Ortega in Reynosa, Mexico.

The Co-main event features highly touted 140-pound prospect and Rio Grande Valley native Sammy "El Fino Gallo" Castaneda. Castaneda, a hard-hitting prospect, ran off eight consecutive victories to start his career before settling for a disputed draw with Julio Sanchez of Houston in September at the Payne Arena. He looks to settle the score and fix the lone blemish on his track record. Castaneda, a highly regarded prospect, wanted the rematch and was willing to do whatever necessary to get it. He was able to secure the rematch and looks to make things right and get back on track to a world title.

The card will also feature former title holder Oscar Escandon who looks to get back in the world title picture in the featherweight division. Several other south Texas-based fighters will also be showcased in an absolutely stacked and exciting undercard. Quick-fisted and hard-hitting bantamweight Jaime Jasso of Laredo will battle with Roberto Cantu Pena. Fellow Gateway City natives Alex Ramos and Nicholas Molina will also be in intriguing four-round bouts. The card will also feature Rio Grande Valley native and knockout artist Javier Vargas. Vargas scored two knockouts in his two professional bouts. He scored a KO of the Year type of knockout when he fought in the Payne Arena back in September.

Sammy Castaneda's Road to Redemption "I've seen the bottom of the pit of hell and came back out of it."

Undefeated 140-pound prospect and Rio Grande Valley Native "El Gallo Fino" Sammy Castaneda looks to set the record straight on Friday, December 9th at the Payne Arena in Hidalgo, Texas. Right in the heart of the RGV. The exact location and against the same opponent that marked the first and only blemish on his record. Back in September Castaneda headlined the Payne Arena. It was his first fight in the RGV since 2019 and the first big card in the region post-pandemic. A card put on by Pound 4 Pound Promotions that was well-attended by a litany of world champions such as Jorge Arce and Orlando Canizales. It was a great stage set for Castaneda, who has world title aspirations. Except things didn't go as planned. Castaneda had to settle for a disputed draw with Julio Sanchez. a skilled and tough journeyman who sported a 5-6-1 record and was probably better than his record suggests. Ringside most spectators thought Castaneda had eeked out a close decision in a tougher-than-expected fight. However, the judge handed in a majority decision draw. Something El Gallo Fino makes no excuses for saying, "I watched it 3 or 4 times. It was just a terrible performance from me. There are no excuses. It was a bad day. We know what it was, and it's something that can easily be changed, and this fight peope are going to see that."

Castaneda is in camp with Jose Charles, who will be battling former world champ Austin Trout, in the evening's main event. The two are pushing and motivating each day in camp " I've learned a lot this training camp we've made the adjustments were doing what we're supposed to. It can't go any smoother than this."

A highly motivated Castaneda knows what is at stake. Unlike many other fighters in his stage of development, did not shy away from a rematch. He didn't look for an easier stylistic fight, or being the touted prospect, just move on to something else that fits him better. He was adamant in wanting to set the record straight with Sanchez. "I was trying to do anything I could do to get this rematch to happen! I needed it! That [ the draw] was never supposed to happen, so I needed it! I made it clear I needed that fight. I don't even need that check. I need that fight! That's really my mindset. Right away, I wanted to fight him. There were obstacles that almost made it fall through, but I just made it real clear that I needed it. I would do anything on my side to make it happen and we made it happen." The young Rio Grande Valley native explained.

A win against Sanchez, in the co-main event which will be televised internationally on the ESPN platform, will put the youngster back on course and will give him a huge platform to show off his skills and talents something he has kept a positive mindset about and describes what happened back in September as a blessing in disguise "Yea God has a plan for all of us. God has a plan for me, and I guess that's a part of his plan, for that to happen. Now I get to prove myself on TV. So yea, I feel like it is a blessing in disguise."

The unbeaten jr welterweight is a fighter and has been through worse than a draw and has fought his way back as he describes " I'm a fighter, man I've gone through the worst in life. I've seen the bottom of the pit of hell and came back out of it. That's what made me, and I know what I have because of that. I know what I got! Nothing's going to stop me!"

It's that motivation that will take Castaneda to the top and in the one of one of the most talent-loaded divisions in the sport. A division that features unified champ Josh Taylor, as well as 2x world Champ Regis Prograis. As well as a ton of young studs like former undisputed lightweight champ Teofimo Lopez, fellow RGV native Omar Juarez. The division will also, likely soon feature Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney as well. Meaning when Castaneda gets to the top, not only will there be world title opportunities, but huge mega fights and massive pay days. Something Castaneda always saw coming "my dream is a world title at 140...the big names are motivation. We all ran the same national tournaments! We're all going to be in the same area in the big leagues. Now it's becoming a reality. There's so much talent we can't ignore it. That's what I'm training for, and I'm ready for it."

Castaneda is ready and extremely confident in his skills, talents, and abilities. He wasn't deterred by the verdict last September "it happens to a lot of fighters. It's a blessing. I know what I got! I know my heart, I know my skills, and I know my talent, the most important thing is that I know my heart."

The path to redemption begins on December 9th for Castaneda, right back where it all started. In the heart of The Rio Grande Valley, which is now one of the budding hotbeds of boxing, and it will be aired for the world to see on ESPN.