Dawson vs. Trout looms in potential WBA title eliminator

 
DANIEL Dawson will be the fifth Australian boxer to headline on a major fight card in the US over as many weeks when he takes on former WBA light middleweight titlist Austin ‘No Doubt’ Trout in what is expected to be an eliminator for the WBA light middleweight title.

 
The bout is expected be the main event of the August 22nd fight card at a venue yet to be decided.

 
Dawson, 36, is a former world title challenger that is looking to go one better than his previous effort to land a coveted world title. The West Australian native is one of Australia’s most accomplished professional fighters across all forms of combat, having been a seven-time world champion in kickboxing as well as holding versions of the world title in Muay Thai.

 
“To me this is an incredible opportunity to showcase my abilities at an elite level in my sport,” said Dawson in a media release. “Austin Trout will always be known to Australian fight fans as the boxer that Anthony Mundine famously dodged.”

 
“I am aware of the challenge in Austin Trout and I believe my team and I are ready and focused on our winning game plan.”

 
Dawson previously challenged for a world title in 2010, taking on then unbeaten WBO light middleweight champion in Ukrainian Sergey Dzindziruk in which he suffered his only stoppage loss in his 44 professional contests in an admirable defeat.

 
“I have great confidence entering this contest due to the fact that I was afforded a full training camp, compared to my ten day preparation against Sergey Dzindziruk in Los Angeles in 2010,” he continued. “I have spent the last four years reinventing myself and building a powerful team around me.”

 
“I have transformed my boxing style significantly and we are eager to deliver the performance we have executed every day in training. It is an honour to be representing Australian Boxing at this time, my fellow Aussie’s and I are really making our mark in the sport of boxing on an international level.”

 
Dawson (40-3-1, 26 KOs) hasn’t fought in just under a year, beating Alex Bunema in thrilling circumstances in Perth, while Trout (26-2, 14 KOs) is riding a two-fight losing streak since his marquee win over lineal middleweight champion Miguel Cotto in 2012.

 
Australian professional boxing has gone from strength to strength in 2014 with Sam Soliman winning the IBF middleweight title when he dethroned reigning champion Felix Strum in May and now five of Australia’s professional boxers headlining on US fight cards in some of the biggest clashes of the year.

 
July 26th 2014 – Daniel Geale vs. Gennady Golovkin – WBA ‘super’ middleweight title
August 2nd 2014 – Blake Caparello vs. Sergey Kovalev – WBO light heavyweight title
August 9th 2014 – Jarrod Fletcher vs. Daniel Jacobs – WBA ‘regular’ middleweight title
August 16th 2014 – Sakio Bika vs. Anthony Dirrell – WBC super middleweight title
August 22nd 2014 – Daniel Dawson vs. Austin Trout