Las Cruces’ Austin Trout is banking on that being true.

Trout, the World Boxing Association junior middleweight champion, has struggled to get the big-money and big-impact fights despite his perfect record (24-0, 14 knockouts) and the WBA title he won some 14 months ago.

	April 28 Fidel Maldonado Jr. vs. Fernando Carcamo, several other fights: Santa Ana Star Casino. Tickets: $20-$55, startickets.com

Recently, Trout got an out-of-the-blue phone call from Haymon, a former concert promoter who quietly – very quietly; he grants no interviews and rarely is even photographed – has guided the career of Floyd Mayweather and gained a firm foothold within the boxing divisions of Showtime and HBO.

“It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least,” Trout said. “(Haymon) said he’s been a fan from afar. He’s been following my career since I won the title.”

Trout thus didn’t hesitate in signing a contract with Haymon – as an adviser. Las Cruces’ Louie Burke, Trout’s trainer, said the fighter’s relationships with manager Bob Spagnola and promoter Greg Cohen remain intact.

“(Haymon is) just an addition to the team,” Burke said. “He’s one of the most powerful guys in boxing right now. He can give Austin the exposure that he deserves and hasn’t been able to get.”

Other fighters associated with Haymon include welterweight Andre Berto, junior lightweight Adrien Broner, middleweight Paul Williams, featherweight Gary Russell Jr. and middleweight Peter Quillin.

Trout, a slick-boxing southpaw, has been shunned by major promoters who don’t like his style and by managers who don’t want their boxers to risk facing him.

Are things about to change?

“I hope so; I pray so,” Trout said. “I’ve just been waiting to turn that corner, and I think Al Haymon is the one that’s gonna make it happen.”

TROUT-DZINZIRUK: Trout’s next bout could be an Aug. 25 title defense on HBO, site undetermined, against former WBO junior middleweight champion Sergiy Dzinziruk (37-1, 23 KOs) of Ukraine.

But Trout, who last fought in November, doesn’t want to wait that long.

“(Haymon), I believe, told (HBO) we’re gonna fight in the meantime, and if you still want us after that, we’ll fight in August,” Trout said. “If you don’t want us, fine, we’ll find another.”

APRIL 28: Roswell’s Andrés Quintana (0-1) is the new opponent for Albuquerque welterweight Matthew Baca (1-0, one KO) on the undercard of the April 28 card at the Santa Ana Star Casino, co-promoter Dominic Gonzales announced.

Joshua Flynn, Baca’s original opponent, withdrew because of an injury. Quintana also competes in MMA; he has a 1-1 record in the cage.

Albuquerque’s Fidel Maldonado Jr. (13-0, 11 KOs) is scheduled to fight the main event against Mexico’s Fernando Carcamo (9-3, six KOs).

The Maldonado-Carcamo fight, and portions of the undercard, will be televised as an installment of Telefutura’s Soleo Boxeo series.

Also, Moriarty’s Brenda Gonzales has withdrawn from her scheduled featherweight bout against Farmington’s Chaviera Jack because of an injury.

Heather Jo Clark, a mixed martial arts fighter who trains at Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA, replaces Gonzales. Clark is 4-2 in MMA, but this will be her professional boxing debut, as it will for Jack. As a boxer, Clark trains at Danny Romero Jr.’s Hideout Gym.

Albuquerque welterweight Hector Muñoz (19-7-1, 12 KOs) is scheduled to face John Revish (10-5, eight KOs) of Baton Rouge, La., in an eight-round semi-main event.
— This article appeared on page D2 of the Albuquerque Journal