Austin Trout confident his journey’s next date is a recaptured belt

Austin Trout has been to boxing’s promised land and admits he couldn’t handle it.

“Being out amongst the heathens and doing as heathens do, I felt like God said to me, ‘Nope. You’re losing this one, you’re losing that one,’ until you come back to me,” Trout, 30, said this week, reflecting on the path that’s taken him from an April 2013 super-welterweight title loss to Canelo Alvarez, to Saturday night’s opportunity at redemption.

Trout (30-2, 17 knockouts) will fight Houston’s Jermall Charlo (23-0, 18 KOs) for Charlo’s International Boxing Federation super-welterweight belt, a title shot that came because Trout answered a second 2013 loss to Cuba’s Erislandy Lara with four consecutive victories, including three stoppages.

“My confidence is soaring,” Trout said. “I’m a big believer in destiny and I feel the stars are lining up. Timing is everything. It’s the matchup and the feeling of being strong and sharp. It feels like the right time.”

Trout was on an ultimate high in December 2012, going into Madison Square Garden and defeating one of the building’s favorite boxing sons, Puerto Rico’s four-division world champion Miguel Cotto, by unanimous decision.

“As I jumped into stardom, I took advantage of it,” Trout said. “I’m always humble, didn’t get big-headed. If I’m not doing my family or my wife right, I’m not living right.”

That set up the San Antonio Alamodome showdown with Alvarez, who knocked down Trout in the seventh round and beat him by unanimous decision.

The lighter-punching Lara knocked Trout down, too, in a more lopsided decision.

“Those two losses were a good wake-up call to tighten things up, not just in my fight game, but to my life to make sure I’m the type of person God wants me to be at the destination,” Trout said.

“I learned you’ve got to enjoy the journey, not just worry about that destination. It’s about the ride. The journey prepares you. I feel enlightened. Moving to the spirit keeps one true.”

Charlo’s trying to retain his belt and hopes to join his 26-year-old twin brother, Jermell, in standing as the first twins to simultaneously wear belts in the same division. Jermell opens the Showtime-televised card at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas against John Jackson in a bout for the vacant World Boxing Council 154-pound belt.

“Jermall is strong, has power in both hands, good speed, a hell of a jab and he’s a champion – so he’s a good guy to have on my resume,” Trout said. “I don’t think he likes to fight too much inside. The inside fight is where he lacks a bit.

“I’m going to be a ferocious beast in there, don’t worry. They’re trying to promote this as the Charlo show. I hope they didn’t put all their money on it because I’m ruining history. I’ve done it before with Cotto. I’m making my own history. They’re not on that level yet.

“There’s never been two twin champions, and there’s not going to be, anyway.”