DENVER (January 6, 2015) — Undefeated No. 2-world-rated super middleweight contender GILBERTO “Zurdo” RAMIREZ of Mexico will face the toughest challenge of his professional career when he rumbles with once-beaten Top-10 contender MAXIM VLASOV from Russia. The 10-round light heavyweight battle will be the co-main event to the final chapter of one of this era’s most exciting trilogies — Denver’s “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO vs. BRANDON “Bam Bam” RIOS of Oxnard, Calif .Ramirez vs. Vlasov and the 12-round World Boxing Organization (WBO) International welterweight title fight between Alvarado and Rios will headline an all-action card, Saturday, January 24, at the 1STBANK Center, located outside Denver in Broomfield, CO. Both fights will be televised live on HBO, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

The four gladiators boast a combined record of 126-6-1 (84 KOS) — a winning percentage of 95% — with two-thirds of those victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zapari Boxing and Tecate, remaining tickets to the Alvarado-Rios welterweight championship event, priced at $250, $200, $125, $65 and $40, are available at www.AltitudeTickets.com, by phone at 866-461-6556 and at the Pepsi Center box office.

“I really appreciate Bob Arum, HBO and my team at Zapari Boxing for giving me this opportunity. I have been waiting so long for this caliber of fight,” said Ramirez. “Vlasov is the biggest test of my career. A victory over him will validate me as a worthy challenger for a world title. I promise to give the fans a very exciting fight on January 24.”
“I box to live and I live to box,” said Vlasov, from his Russia-based training camp. “I want this victory very badly. This is my time and I am ready to prove it.”

Ramirez (30-0, 24 KOs), of Mazatlan, Mexico, is world-rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the WBO, and No. 3 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF). A sensational young contender, Ramirez, 23, won all four of his 2014 bouts by knockout. In his last outing, on November 15, he scored an eighth-round TKO victory over four-time world title challenger Fulgencio Zuniga. The other three 2014 victories included Junior Talipeau (TKO 1) on July 19, two-time world title challenger Giovanni Lorenzo (TKO 5) on April 11 and Don Mouton (TKO 1) on February 1. Ramirez’s vanquished opponents had a combined record of 92-24-3 — a winning percentage of 77% — when he fought them.

Vlasov (30-1, 15 KOs), from Samara, Russia, enters this fight riding a four-year, 11-bout winning streak, with three of his last four victories coming by way of knockout. A consensus Top-10 world-rated contender (No. 6 IBF / No. 9 WBO / No. 10 WBC), Vlasov, 28, is nearing prime as his recent fights have shown. In his last fight, on July 26, he knocked out former world title challenger Ruben Acosta in the eighth round to capture the vacant WBC Baltic light heavyweight title. Highlight victories include a third-round TKO of 2000 Dominican Republic Olympian Jerson Ravelo, a sixth-round TKO of Artem Redko, a third-round TKO of Roman Shkarupa to capture the vacant WBC Baltic super middleweight title and a 10-round unanimous decision over Geard Ajetovic.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #AlvaradoRios to join the conversation on Twitter.

Former world champion Mike Alvarado was arrested on a gun charge stemming from an old warrent but his January 24 fight with Brandon Rios will go on without a hitch according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We are aware of everything that went on that we can be aware of and we were told that Mike hasn’t missed any training and plans to be at the gym for his regular training as usual,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN.com on Monday, after learning of Alvarado’s arrest. “We don’t condone what happened in any way and we respect the authorities. That said, we don’t anticipate a problem with the show and it is still scheduled to go ahead on Jan. 24. After that, Mike will have to deal with the legal issues.

“[This kind of publicity] doesn’t help the event. This isn’t the kind of publicity we want, but I don’t think it will affect Mike’s performance.”

Dec. 19, 2014 – HBO Boxing presents “Road to Alvarado-Rios 3,” a compelling special spotlighting the upcoming final chapter of a trilogy that appears primed to go into the history books as one of the most heated rivalries of the current era. Welterweights Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios, widely known for their unrelenting desire to fight until the final bell, are set to kick off an all-new boxing season when their highly anticipated slugfest takes place Saturday, Jan. 24 at the 1ST BANK CENTER in Broomfield, CO and televised live on HBO BOXING AFTER DARK. ®

The “Road to Alvarado-Rios 3” special will premiere Saturday, January 10 at Midnight ET/PT on HBO. It will preview the fast-approaching contest between these two ring warriors who are meeting for the third time in the past four years. Their two earlier showdowns (2012 & 2013) were memorable, ‘Fight of the Year” candidates that had fight fans on the edge of their seats.

The 15-minute special will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

Other HBO playdates: January 14 (3:15 p.m.), 16 (9:45 p.m.), 18 (1:15 p.m., 3:35 a.m.), 20 (9:45 a.m., 11:00 p.m.), 23 (6:00 p.m., 1:30 a.m.) and 24 (11:45 a.m.).

HBO2 playdates: January 11 (11:15 a.m.), 12 (3:45 p.m., 12:20 a.m.), 17 (7:45 p.m.) 21 (4:30 p.m., 2:50 a.m.) and 22 (10:05 a.m., 10:30 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

LONDON (Dec 19) – BoxNation will end 2014 with a bang this Friday night with knockout artist Adonis Stevenson’s battle with Dmitry Sukhotsky, before ushering in a blitzing start to the New Year.

‘The Channel of Champions’ is set to pick up where they left off with some mammoth fights in 2015 starting with the heavyweight world title fight between brash-talking American Deontay Wilder and WBC champion Bermane Stiverne on January 17th.

The charismatic Wilder is renowned for his hard-hitting power after dispatching of all 32 of his opponents and could potentially set up a blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury in the future, who is also back in action on February 28th.

Manchester’s Fury has forced himself into a mandatory position to face Wladimir Klitschko for his WBO belt after his commanding victory over Dereck Chisora in his last outing.

February’s clash with a top 15 ranked contender will provide an appetizer before the heavyweight hitman tests himself against the world’s number one in Klitschko.

Also appearing on that card at London’s O2 Arena will be Chris Eubank Jr who will be looking to bounce back after his thrilling fight with middleweight star Billy Joe Saunders.

BoxNation will also screen what is set to be one of the greatest trilogies of the modern era when Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios step into the ring once again following their previous duels.

The welterweight aces will step into the ring at the 1stBank Center in Colorado on January 24th as they look to conclude their feud once-and-for-all, with both men sharing a win apiece.

However, before BoxNation wraps up for Christmas the world’s leading boxing channel will show WBC light-heavyweight world champion Stevenson’s clash with tough Russian Sukhotsky.

A fight with another Russian though has been mooted with WBA, WBO and IBF champion Sergey Kovalev someone on Stevenson’s radar.

“The fight that is huge is Kovalev and me because the world needs this fight. They don’t just want to watch that in Quebec City they want to watch that all over the world,” said Stevenson.

“The world isn’t interested in seeing me with Lucian Bute or Jean Pascal – the world needs Adonis and Kovalev.”

The 37-year-old, who has knocked out 20 of his 25 opponents, has hit back at critics who have said he is afraid of the ruthless Kovalev.

“They don’t know nothing about boxing. I can say I want to fight or Kovalev can say he wants to fight but we have to deal with the TV networks, the managers, the promoters – that’s the problem. I know my manager Al Haymon is working on that but all these guys have to come together to fix that and make the fight happen,” said Stevenson.

The Haitian-born pugilist has to first get past his impending challenger first, someone he insists he is not overlooking.

“This was probably the best training camp that I’ve had. We’re ready for this fight. We’re not underestimating him. I know he’s coming to fight and I will be ready.

“I know he’s a tough contender. And I know he’s training very hard for this fight. He’s going to try to surprise me, but I’m very prepared because I know the contender is always going to try to take your belt,” said Stevenson.

“I’m going to win by knockout. Emmanuel (Steward) always told me that knockouts sell, so I’m going to win by knockout. It’s going to be a short night,” he said.

Watch Stevenson vs Sukhotsky live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) this Friday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.
Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

LONDON (Dec 12) – Irish world-title hopeful Andy Lee is open to setting up a blockbuster battle with rising British middleweight star Billy Joe Saunders should he prevail this weekend.

The 30-year-old southpaw takes on Matt Korobov for the vacant WBO belt at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, live and exclusive on BoxNation, and is aware that if he wins he must fight undefeated Saunders – who won the WBO eliminator contest against Chris Eubank Jr last month – next up.

“Yeah, that’s a fight I would like,” said Lee. “That fight has been ordered by the WBO for the winner of this, but it’s not a reality until I win the fight on Saturday – but once I win the fight if it’s Billy Joe, it’s Billy Joe. It doesn’t matter.”

Saunders looked impressive in his recent win over Chris Eubank Jr, overcoming the exciting ace when he scored a split points victory to continue his march towards a world title shot.

That performance impressed Lee, who dreams of facing-off with the 25-year-old Saunders in front of his adoring Irish fans.

“That’s my dream, to win a world title and then defend it in Ireland, in Limerick or Dublin, Dublin would be more likely. That’s one of my ambitions, to become champion and defend it in Ireland,” said Lee.

“Experience was key [in the Saunders-Eubank Jr fight]. Billy Joe knew what to do, he’d been there before and he kind of shut him down for the first six rounds.

“Then it was always going to be uphill for Eubank. To give away the first six rounds was almost suicide really,” he said.

Before he can look too far ahead Lee has the impending task of beating the undefeated and decorated amateur Korobov.In his previous world title bid at light-middleweight he came up short as he was stopped in the seventh round against the bigger Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Now though, the pupil of the late Emmanuel Steward has linked up with trainer Adam Booth and believes that this time around his hunt to become a world champion will end successfully.

“Adam Booth had always been a trainer who’d stood out for me so I got a meeting organised. He’s turned me into a far more 3D fighter whereas previously I would only box long. Adam has also helped change me physically; transformed me into a better conditioned and more athletic fighter,” said Lee.

“But going through such an experience builds strength of character and makes you a better man in the long term. Matt Korobov is far more of a technical fighter than Chavez. I’m anticipating a boxing match, as opposed to a slug out.

“Obviously he achieved great things in the amateur game but he’s never been anywhere near this level during his six years as a pro. He’s not fought opposition anywhere close to the standard that I’ve been facing and beating. I intend to expose that on Saturday night,” he said.

The headline attraction on the big BoxNation bill on Saturday night will be Tim Bradley against Argentine Diego Chaves.

Welterweight star Bradley is looking to bounce back following his first loss but will have his work cut out against the hard-hitting Chaves who is also aiming to gain some momentum following his disqualification to Brandon Rios.

Plus further good news for BoxNation subscribers comes with the news that the channel is set air the epic trilogy between Rios and Mike Alvarado on January 24th.

The clash is one of this era’s most intense and exciting boxing rivalries and their previous two scraps have been among the most thrilling in recent times.

“This is going to be like our wars in fight number one and fight number two. We are two warriors. We will go into the middle of the ring and mix it up. For me, all of this is for one thing – redemption,” said Alvarado.

“If Alvarado wants to go the centre of the ring and trade, he will feel my power right away,” responded Rios. “A few of my big punches and he will change his game plan. That’s when I hunt him down, win the fight.”

Watch Korobov v Lee and Bradley v Chaves live on BoxNation this Saturday night.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) for only £12 a month (plus registration fee) please visit www.boxnation.com.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

DENVER (December 12, 2014) — Nothing says “Seasons Beatings” like tickets to see former world champions and co-stars of one this era’s most intense and exciting boxing rivalries — Denver’s “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO vs. BRANDON “Bam Bam” RIOS of Oxnard, Calif. — duke it out in the final chapter of their epic trilogy.

Boasting a combined record of 66-5-1 (45 KOs) — a winning percentage of 92% and a victory by knockout ratio of 68% — each warrior owns a victory in the series — both of which were candidates for Fight of the Year in 2012 and 2013. Alvarado-Rios 3 is scheduled for 12 rounds with the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) International welterweight championship on the line. It will take place Saturday, January 24, at the 1STBANK Center, located in the Denver suburb of Broomfield, CO. The fight will be televised live on HBO, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The last boxing event hosted by 1STBANK Center was sold out in advance — the October 19, 2013 WBO junior welterweight world championship between Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, tickets to the Alvarado-Rios welterweight championship event will go on sale just in time for the holiday gift giving season — Today! December 12, at 10:00 a.m. MT. Priced at $250, $200, $125, $65 and $40, tickets will be available at www.AltitudeTickets.com or by phone at 866-461-6556. Tickets may also be purchased at the Pepsi Center box office, beginning on Saturday, December 13.

“This is going to be like our wars in fight no. 1 and fight no. 2. We are two warriors. We will go into the middle of the ring and mix it up. For me, all of this is for one thing — redemption,” said Alvarado.

“If Alvarado wants to go the center of the ring and trade, he will feel my power right away,” responded Rios. “A few of my big punches and he will change his game plan. That’s when I hunt him down, win the fight.”

“This is a rematch made in heaven,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “Their first two fights were barn burners and arguably Fights of the Year. Alvarado and Rios know what is at stake. Fans can expect to see a finale that will rival, if not surpass, the legendary Morales-Barrera and Pacquiao-Marquez wars.”

“In 2015, we begin with a trilogy’s conclusion. In the course of two years and 3,003 punches exchanged between them, Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios traded triumphs,” said Peter Nelson, vice president, programming, HBO Sports. “Now, in their third fight, both seek to author their saga’s definitive chapter. Styles make fighters, but fights themselves are made from heart, and fans recognize that these men have two of the biggest hearts in boxing. On January 24, Alvarado-Rios 3 promises to be a must-see event.”

Alvarado (34-3, 23 KOs) of Denver, had won 10 of his last 14 bouts by stoppage en route to his rematch victory over Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios, on March 30, 2013, which not only avenged Alvarado’s loss to Rios in 2012’s Fight of the Year, but also made Alvarado a world champion. Alvarado had lost to Rios on October 13, 2012, via a seventh-round technical knockout in one of the most action-packed fights of the millennium. Going into round seven, two of the three judges’ scorecards had it 57-57. In the sequel, which was as action-packed as the first fight, Alvarado made subtle adjustments to eke out a narrow but unanimous decision and win the WBO junior welterweight world title. Notable Alvarado knockout victims have included Breidis Prescott, Ray Narh, Emmanuel Clottey and Cesar Bazan. In 2012 Alvarado fought in two Fights of the Year-nominated fights. On April 14, 2012, Alvarado went toe-to-toe for 10 brutal and exciting rounds winning a unanimous decision over Mauricio Herrera (18-1, 7 KOs). Herrera entered that fight world-rated No. 7 and riding a two-year, five-bout winning streak, highlighted by victories over future world champion Ruslan Provodnikov (17-0) and Mike Dallas, Jr. (17-1-1). That was followed by his first fight with Rios in October. Alvarado’s world title reign ended in his first defense, on October 19, 2013, where he suffered a12th-round TKO to Provodnikov in front of a sold-out crowd at the 1STBANK Center in his Denver homecoming. Rios returns to the ring after losing a unanimous decision, in his most recent fight, to Mexican icon and four-division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez last May 17.

Rios (32-2-1, 22 KOs), the former WBA lightweight champion, from Oxnard, Calif., is on the hunt for his second world title in as many weight divisions. Thirteen of his last 17 victories have come by way of knockout. One of boxing’s most exciting fighters, Rios is known for his all-action fan-friendly fighting style. His trainer, former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion and 2012 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia, calls it a “throwback” style with a warrior’s mentality that screams excitement. Highlight knockout victories on Rios’ resume include Miguel Acosta, Anthony Peterson, Urbano Antillon, John Murray and Mike Alvarado. Alvarado, the natural 140-pounder, entered that fight as the undefeated WBO No. 1 junior welterweight contender. Many consider it 2012’s Fight of the Year. In their exciting rematch, which took place on March 30, 2013, Rios lost a close decision for the vacant WBO interim junior welterweight title. It was considered a finalist for the 2013 Fight of the Year award. After losing a unanimous decision to Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao, on November 24, 2013, which headlined a pay-per-view event that emanated from Macau, China, Rios returned to the winner’s circle in his last fight, on August 2, winning a gritty, foul-filled battle against former interim world welterweight champion Diego Chaves, via a ninth-round disqualification..

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #AlvaradoRios to join the conversation on Twitter.

DENVER (December 9, 2014) — Former world champions and co-stars of one this era’s most intense and exciting boxing rivalries — Denver’s “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO and BRANDON “Bam Bam” RIOS of Oxnard, Calif. — announced the final chapter of their epic trilogy at a Denver press conference today. Boasting a combined record of 66-5-1 (45 KOs) — a winning percentage of 92% and a victory by knockout ratio of 68% — each warrior owns a victory in the series — both of which were candidates for Fight of the Year in 2012 and 2013. Alvarado-Rios 3 is scheduled for 12 rounds with the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) International welterweight championship on the line. It will take place Saturday, January 24, at the 1STBANK Center, located in the Denver suburb of Broomfield, CO. The fight will be televised live on HBO, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. The last boxing event hosted by 1STBANK Center was sold out in advance — the October 19, 2013 WBO junior welterweight world championship between Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, tickets to the Alvarado-Rios welterweight championship event will go on sale just in time for the holiday gift giving season — This Friday! December 12, at 10:00 a.m. MT. Priced at $250, $200, $125, $65 and $40, tickets will be available at www.AltitudeTickets.com or by phone at 866-461-6556. Tickets may also be purchased at the Pepsi Center box office, beginning on Saturday, December 13.

“This is going to be like our wars in fight no. 1 and fight no. 2. We are two warriors. We will go into the middle of the ring and mix it up. For me, all of this is for one thing — redemption,” said Alvarado.

“If Alvarado wants to go the center of the ring and trade, he will feel my power right away,” responded Rios. “A few of my big punches and he will change his game plan. That’s when I hunt him down, win the fight.”

“This is a rematch made in heaven,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “Their first two fights were barn burners and arguably Fights of the Year. Alvarado and Rios know what is at stake. Fans can expect to see a finale that will rival, if not surpass, the legendary Morales-Barrera and Pacquiao-Marquez wars.”

“In 2015, we begin with a trilogy’s conclusion. In the course of two years and 3,003 punches exchanged between them, Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios traded triumphs,” said Peter Nelson, vice president, programming, HBO Sports. “Now, in their third fight, both seek to author their saga’s definitive chapter. Styles make fighters, but fights themselves are made from heart, and fans recognize that these men have two of the biggest hearts in boxing. On January 24, Alvarado-Rios 3 promises to be a must-see event.”

Alvarado (34-3, 23 KOs) of Denver, had won 10 of his last 14 bouts by stoppage en route to his rematch victory over Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios, on March 30, 2013, which not only avenged Alvarado’s loss to Rios in 2012’s Fight of the Year, but also made Alvarado a world champion. Alvarado had lost to Rios on October 13, 2012, via a seventh-round technical knockout in one of the most action-packed fights of the millennium. Going into round seven, two of the three judges’ scorecards had it 57-57. In the sequel, which was as action-packed as the first fight, Alvarado made subtle adjustments to eke out a narrow but unanimous decision and win the WBO junior welterweight world title. Notable Alvarado knockout victims have included Breidis Prescott, Ray Narh, Emmanuel Clottey and Cesar Bazan. In 2012 Alvarado fought in two Fights of the Year-nominated fights. On April 14, 2012, Alvarado went toe-to-toe for 10 brutal and exciting rounds winning a unanimous decision over Mauricio Herrera (18-1, 7 KOs). Herrera entered that fight world-rated No. 7 and riding a two-year, five-bout winning streak, highlighted by victories over future world champion Ruslan Provodnikov (17-0) and Mike Dallas, Jr. (17-1-1). That was followed by his first fight with Rios in October. Alvarado’s world title reign ended in his first defense, on October 19, 2013, where he suffered a12th-round TKO to Provodnikov in front of a sold-out crowd at the 1STBANK Center in his Denver homecoming. Rios returns to the ring after losing a unanimous decision, in his most recent fight, to Mexican icon and four-division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez last May 17.

Rios (32-2-1, 22 KOs), the former WBA lightweight champion, from Oxnard, Calif., is on the hunt for his second world title in as many weight divisions. Thirteen of his last 17 victories have come by way of knockout. One of boxing’s most exciting fighters, Rios is known for his all-action fan-friendly fighting style. His trainer, former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion and 2012 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia, calls it a “throwback” style with a warrior’s mentality that screams excitement. Highlight knockout victories on Rios’ resume include Miguel Acosta, Anthony Peterson, Urbano Antillon, John Murray and Mike Alvarado. Alvarado, the natural 140-pounder, entered that fight as the undefeated WBO No. 1 junior welterweight contender. Many consider it 2012’s Fight of the Year. In their exciting rematch, which took place on March 30, 2013, Rios lost a close decision for the vacant WBO interim junior welterweight title. It was considered a finalist for the 2013 Fight of the Year award. After losing a unanimous decision to Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao, on November 24, 2013, which headlined a pay-per-view event that emanated from Macau, China, Rios returned to the winner’s circle in his last fight, on August 2, winning a gritty, foul-filled battle against former interim world welterweight champion Diego Chaves, via a ninth-round disqualification.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #AlvaradoRios to join the conversation on Twitter.

By Bart Barry–

Saturday at the newly reopened Forum in Inglewood, Calif., Mexican “Dinamita” Juan Manuel Marquez and Colorado’s “Mile High” Mike Alvarado engaged in a fight entertaining as any that ends with one guy besting the other by wide, unanimous scores, the way Marquez bested Alvarado. It was an engrossing if ultimately inconsequential tilt that approached today’s premium-cable-prizefight definition of transcendent: The favorite was knocked-down, and genuinely tested, if only for a round or two.

These days, even the threat of such belligerent happenings usually lands a fight on pay-per-view, and an annual calendar of five or six pay-per-view events says all that needs saying about how often competitive, elite-level fights even get threatened.

If you do not love to watch Juan Manual Marquez fight, you do not love boxing. You may have favorites whom you prefer to watch, but if boxing is what you derive your joy from, if boxing is the entity that takes your life into the present tense, that cleansing place, you love watching Marquez in a prizefight. If ethnic considerations or rivalries or the like preclude you from being enchanted by the spectacle of Marquez plying his craft, it evinces no fault of character – boxing just isn’t what you love.

Every punch with Marquez is a personal event, a thing in which he personally invests, whether landing or being landed upon. He is predatory in a way few other men are predatory; he is predatory even by a standard set by those who make their livings hurting other men in sport’s most intimate way. He is a meanspirited perfectionist, a man, one gathers, who has acquaintances more than friends and loves what few others he loves in the perfunctory way Mexican culture demands he love them. In his treatment of opponents, he has an offensive brilliance exceeded only by Mayweather’s defensive mastery, among contemporaries, and in the public personality that boxing has given him, he is Bernard Hopkins sans charisma and verbosity.

He is not surly, quite, but that is a calculation; his surliness and trainer Nacho Beristain’s tutorial surliness once landed them in Tenggarong, Kutai Kartanegara, Indonesia, eight years ago, across from Chris John, for a purse that wouldn’t cover Floyd Mayweather’s weekend earbuds budget. Marquez is now something of a Spanish-television personality, and while he cannot help but be honest when treating matters of his own fights, he otherwise does a passable impersonation of every other ESPN flummery boiler, never anticipating an upcoming fight’s inevitable dullness.

Mike Alvarado understood the stakes Saturday: If he got stretched, he was off premium cable for life; if he could stay conscious for all 36 minutes, regardless of the assault visited upon him by a master pugilist, he had a decent shot of economic realities prompting his promoter to propose him for a last profitable purpling on HBO. But Alvarado did not catch Marquez repeatedly with a jab merely because Marquez, three months from his 41st birthday, has reflexes eroded slowly by time and combat but also because Alvarado is an excellent athlete who’s never had trouble jabbing an opponent effectively.

If Alvarado’s ability to touch Marquez with nearly every jab the Coloradoan tossed Dinamita’s way was not surprising as Marcos Maidana’s recent outjabbing of Floyd Mayweather, it was nevertheless at least as surprising as a training camp strategy that treated Alvarado’s jabbing and Alvarado’s winging right crosses but evidently not Alvarado’s ever mixing those traditionally harmonious elements together. Being generous, one might assume Alvarado’s corner knew their guy would get countered savagely by Marquez if Alvarado threw more than one punch at a time, but irony happened to dictate thusly: Alvarado’s best moments were in the frantic exchanges – as they ever compose Pacquiao’s best moments with Marquez – when Marquez’s pathological need to land an exchange’s final punch left him open in a way no lead punch of any kind from any one ever would find him.

Alvarado dropped Marquez in round 9 and buckled him a few minutes later with counterpunches. Their other, earlier exchanges, though, were a bit more telling: For once, Marquez voluntarily disengaged from sustained volleys, pivoting away and ducking Alvarado’s right hands, in a way he’d not done even against the much larger Mayweather in 2009 or the much faster Pacquiao in 2004, 2008, 2011 or 2012 (or the end of 2014).

No one in boxing, perhaps no other athlete in any sport, discovers better the fissures in another man’s façade than Marquez, or calibrates the circumstances most likely to convert them to suppurating crevices. Whatever permanent damage Ruslan Provodnikov visited on Alvarado’s spirit and brain in October, this remains true: But for the instant at the end of round 8, after Alvarado pulled himself back through the ropes and onto the canvas, rose uncertainly and trudged resignedly forward, an instant that followed a gorgeous right cross from Marquez, an instant that – were it merely 14 instants larger – would have seen Alvarado’s consciousness snatched from him by prizefighting’s greatest closer, Marquez saw a resilience in Alvarado he did not expect to see, a resilience that surely left Marquez’s fists painfully tender on Sunday morning. That the man who, with a single punch, temporarily suspended Pacquiao between the living and the dead could strike Alvarado crisply and precisely and sustainedly for 12 rounds, while leaving him fit to continue in a way he was not against Provodnikov, surely was not lost on promoter Top Rank’s matchmakers.

Provodnikov will see a five-division-catchweight match with Guillermo Rigondeaux before he’ll ever be allowed near Pacquiao.

Which is fine, frankly, because the makeable match that is most desirable today is a fifth Marquez-Pacquiao fight, one that will see the men’s diminished reflexes and enhanced familiarity – and all the contempt that engenders – provide a violent and vengeful spectacle that ends with one of them unconscious, and the other vindicated evermore.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Follow all the action as Juan Manuel Marquez and Mike Alvarado square in a Welterweight elimination bout from The Forum in Inglewood, California. The action begins at 10:15 ET / 7:15 PT with a Jr. Welterweight bout between Viktor Postial and Selcuk Aydin.

12 ROUNDS–WELTERWEIGHT–JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ (55-7-1, 40 KO’S) VS MIKE ALVARADO (34-2, 23 KO’S)

Round 1 Good right and left hook from Marquez…Right from Alvarado..right...10-10

Round 2 Alvarado lands a jab…2 rights from Marquez..good left to the body..Alvarado lands a body shot..left hook…20-19 Marquez

Round 3 Counter right from Marquez…good left hook from Alvarado…Body shot from Marquez..Hard right and 3 more..Alvarado gets in 2 lefts..30-28 Marquez Headbutt causes cut on Alvarado

Round 4 Alvarado lands a left to the body..Hard right from Marquez..solid left hook..Good right to the body..4 punch combination..combinations…40-37 Marquez

Round 5 Hard body shots from Marquez..body shot..Combination..Alvarado lands a right..50-46 Marquez

Round 6 Hard right from Marquez..Hard right..Marquez landing hard combinations..60-55 Marquez

Round 7 Hard upperut that sets up a combination from Marquez..70-64 Marquez

Round 8 Good right from Marquez..Hard counter right…HUGE COUNTER RIGHT AND DOWN GOES ALVARDO..80-72 Marquez

Round 9 RIGHT AND DOWN GOES MARQUEZ…Tremendous back and forth..Big right from Marquez..88-82 Marquez

Round 10 Hard right from Alvarado..left and right from Marquez…Alvarado cut from lefy eye…98-91 Marquez

Round 11 Left hook from Alvarado…uppercut..Left uppercut from Marquez..Right..right staggers Marquez..Marquez glove almost hits the canvas..107-101 Marquez

Round 12 Combination from Marquez…117-110 Marquez

117-109, 117-109, 119-108 JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ

12 Rounds–Jr. Welterweights–Viktor Postal (25-0, 10 KO’s) vs Selcuk Aydin (26-2, 19 KO’s)

Round 1 Postol landing jabs and left to the body..Hard left from Aydin wobbles Postol…10-9 Aydin

Round 2 Left hook from Aydin…left hpok..20-18 Aydin

Round 3 Uppercut from Postol..Hook from Aydin..Body shots from Postol..29-28 Aydin

Round 4 Good right from Aydin..39-37 Aydin

Round 5 Good left uppercut from Postol…uppercut…left hook to the body and another…48-47 Postol

Round 6 Combinations from Postol…57-57

Round 7 Postol landing combinations..67-66 Postol

Round 8 11 punches from Postol..good left hook by Aydin..2 hard lefts…body shot...77-75 Postol

Round 9 Postol lands a good right to olbody..87-84 Postol

Round 10 Aydin lands a right..left hook..Postol lands a right..left from Aydin..96-94 Postol

Round 11 Postol lands a 2 punch combination..Aydin docked a point for hitting behind the head..BIG UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES AYDIN AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

Juan Manuel Marquez scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Mike Alvarado in a Welterweight bout at the Forum in Inglewood, California.

Marquez took control early by landing hard and quick combinations as Alvarado came in without throwing many punches. Marquez racked up rounds with the same formula and began to chop up the face of Alvarado. When Alvarado did throw it was one at a time and was quite disappointing as he did not use his size advantage in close.

In round eight, Marquez planted Alvarado on the canvas from a hard right hand. Alvarado’s one glimmer of hope came in the next round when he connected on a right hand that rocked Marquez back and stumbling to the point where both of his gloves touched the canvas for a knockdown. The two stood toe to toe for much of the 9th which thrilled the large crowd on hand for the return of boxing to the Forum.

That was the high point of the fight as Marquez composed himself to continue to box masterfully by mixing up leads, counter and body shots and cutting up both eyes of Alvarado.

Marquez, 141 3/4 lbs of Mexico City won by scores of 117-109 twice and 119-108 and adds to his Hall of Fame mark of 56-7-1. Alvarado, 143 1/4 lbs of Thornton, CO is now 34-3.

Viktor Postol scored an 11th round stoppage over Selcuk Aydin in a scheduled 12-round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Postol continued to pepper Aydin with quick combinations in between left hook attempts by Aydin. AYdin did get through on occasion. Aydin started to take over the fight in the middle rounds as he started to batter Aydin. Aydin was docked a point in the 11th round for hitting behind the head. That would not matter as just seconds later, Postol landed a thunderous uppercut that sent Aydin to the canvas. Aydin;s head bounced off the floor at the fight was stopped at 2:53 of round 11.

Postol, 139 3/4 lbs of Hollywood, CA is now 26-0 with 11 knockouts. Aydin, 139 1/4 lbs is 26-3.

Former world title challenger Diego Magdaleno scored a 8-round unanimous decision over Oscar Bravo in a Lightweight bout.

Magdaleno scored a knockdown in round four from a body shot.

Scores were 80-71 twice and 79-72 for Magdaleno, 132 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas and is now 26-1. Bravo, 136 1/2 is 26-4.

Oscar Valdez scored a stoppage after the 7th round over Noel Echevarria in a scheduled 8-round Super Featherweight bout.

Valdez, 129 1/2 lbs is now 11-0 with 11 knockouts. Echevarria, 130 lbs is 11-3.

Zachary Wohlman scored a four round unanimous decision over Eddie Cordova in a Welterweight bouts.

Scores were 40-36 and 39-37 twice for Wohlman, 143 1/2 lbs and is now 8-1-1. Cordova, 143 3/4 lbs is 4-8-1.

Brad Solomon remained undefeated with 8-round unanimous decision over Armen Ovespyan in a Welterweight bout.

Scores were 79-73 twice and 78-74 for Solomon, 149 1/4 lbs and is 22-0. Ovespyan, 146 3/4 lbs id 14-4.

Raul Hirales scored a 3rd round stoppage over Ernest Guerrero in round three of their scheduled 8-round Featherweight bout.

Hirales sent Guerrero down in round one from a right hand. Hirales then landed a big uppercut in round three and Guerrero could not beat at 2:31 of round three.

Hirales, 124 1/2 lbs of Mexico is now 22-2-1 with 11 knockouts. Guerrero, 121 1/4 lbs of Mexico is now 17-11.

Gabino Saenz scored a 3rd round knockout over Felix Perez in a scheduled six round Featherweight bout.

Saenz dropped Perez with a left and referee Jack Reiss counted 10 at 1:29 of round three.

Saenz, 127 3/4 lbs of Indio, CA is now 12-0-2 with 9 knockouts. Perez, 127 lbs is 8-6.

Pedro Duran scored a 1st round stoppage over Dominica Coca in a scheduled 4-round Super Featherweight bout.

Duran landed a perfect left hook to the body that sent Coca down for referee Thomas Taylor’s 10 count at 1:09 of round one.

Durna, 129 3/4 lbs of Paramount, CA is now 6-0 with 4 knockouts. Coca, 130 lbs of Downey, CA is now 8-8.

Edwin Solis spoiled the pro debut of Yuri Trogiyanov in the 6th and final scheduled round of their Featherweight bout.

Solis kept constant pressure and bloodied the nose of Trogiyanov over the 1st five round. Solid jumped on Trogiyano and landed a barrage of punches that forced referee Jerry Cantu to stop the fight at 1:07 of round six.

Solis, 126 lbs of Pomona. CA is now 6-2-3 with 4 knockouts. Trogiyanov, 125 1/2 lbs of Hollywood, CA was making his pro debut.

Cameron Kreal scored an upset victory by scoring a 4-round split decision over Manuel Lopez in a Welterweight bout.

One judge had the fight even at 38-38 while two scores read 39-37 for Kreal.

Kreal, 141 1/2 lbs is 5-5-2. Lopez, 141 1/4 lbs is now 5-1.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

LONDON (May 16) – Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez has promised to make his clash with Mike Alvarado a war.

The pair do battle at The Forum in Inglewood, California, this Saturday night, live and exclusive on BoxNation, with the victor set to face-off against pound-for-pound ace Manny Pacquiao for his WBO welterweight belt.

Both men are aware of the significance of this fight as they look to bounce back in style following respective defeats in their last bouts, with Marquez vowing to make the fight one that will have fans on the edge of their seats.

“This fight is important for the two fighters because Mike Alvarado lost his last fight and I lost my last fight and he wants to win and I want to win and this is a great fight for the two of us,” said Marquez.

“I feel excited to fight again in this historic building. I see a lot of old faces. A lot of people know I don’t talk outside the ring; I do my job in the ring. For this fight I have three points in my mind. One, Mike Alvarado is a strong fighter, he’s a great fighter and I have a tough fight.

“Secondly, I prepared myself very hard for this fight because this fight will be a war. Finally, the people will see a great, great fight because Mike Alvarado wants to win the fight; I want to win the fight. This fight will be a war!,” said Marquez.

Denver’s Alvarado was in equally buoyant mood, as he looks to cement his place back at the top of the sport having given boxing enthusiasts some thrilling nights in his recent clashes with the relentless Brandon Rios.

The 33-year-old’s bid for a world title was halted by Ruslan Provodnikov last October when the pair clashed for the WBO light-welterweight title in Alvarado’s hometown, a loss he insists has only made him stronger.

“I took a couple months to put that fight behind me,” said Alvarado. “Knowing that it was in my hometown, in front of all my people and my family, it was tougher mentally but physically I am fine – I got past it. I just focused on my health and I was good. Then I began to focus on which was going to be next.

“This fight [against Marquez] is very important for both of us and a win here will lead to bigger fights. There is a lot involved in this fight, both mentally and for our careers. I am focusing on getting this win,” he said.

“It makes me train that much more, to know that I am in the category with the best in the world and I am happy for this opportunity that I am blessed with. I take it day-by-day and train as hard as I can. I am happy about it and I am excited and I can’t wait for the show to start this weekend,” said Alvarado.

Marquez hit the scales at 141.6lbs at the weigh-in, with Alvarado coming in just above at 143.2lbs.

Marquez vs. Alvarado is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

INGLEWOOD, CALIF (May 16, 2014) — Today’s Official Weigh-In for boxing’s triumphant return to the “Fabulous” Forum will be OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. The inaugural brawl, which takes place on Saturday, May 17, will feature four-division world champion and Méxican icon JUAN MANUEL “Dinamita” MÁRQUEZ (55-7-1, 40 KOs), of México City, and former world junior welterweight champion “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO (34-2, 23 KOs), of Denver, Colo., squaring off in a World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title elimination bout with the winner emerging as the mandatory challenger to WBO welterweight champion and Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao.

FREE PARKING in the Manchester Lot, North West side will be available for fans at Noon. Doors will open at 2:00 p.m. with the fighters stepping on the scale, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Fans will be directed up Ramp No. 4 for access into the North Entrance. (Media parking will be in the North East side of the Manchester Lot. Media should check in at the Floor Seat entrance.

The weigh-in will be streamed live via www.toprank.tv, beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT

Márquez vs. Alvarado takes place Tomorrow! Saturday, May 17, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will open with the Viktor Postol vs. Selcuk Aydin World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight title elimination bout. Postol (25-0, 10 KOs), of Brovarsky, Ukraine, and Aydin (26-2, 19 KOs), of Trabzon, Turkey, are world-rated No. 1 and No. 2 by the WBC, respectively,

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Márquez Boxing, PS4 and Tecate, remaining tickets to Márquez vs. Alvarado, priced at $400, $250, $150, $75 and $35, can be purchased at the Forum box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (800-745-3000), and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.fabulousforum.com

Doors open on Fight Day at 3:00 p.m. PT with the first bout on the mega undercard beginning at 3:15 p.m. PT.

Road To Márquez/Alvarado HBO Replay Schedule (All times are ET/PT):
May 16 (9:00 a.m. & 3:45 p.m.) and 17 (8:15 a.m.).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the hashtag #MarquezAlvarado to join the conversation on Twitter.

For more information on the Forum visit www.fabulousforum.com.

Two of boxing’s top warriors make their 2014 debuts when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ VS. MIKE ALVARADO AND VIKTOR POSTOL VS. SELCUK AYDIN is seen SATURDAY, MAY 17 at 10:15 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from The Forum in Inglewood, Cal., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: May 18 (9:00 a.m.) and 20 (1:00 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 18 (3:30 p.m.) and 19 (11:00 p.m.)
After a nearly two-decade absence, HBO cameras return to The Forum – the site of the first “HBO Boxing After Dark®” telecast in 1996 – when Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7-1, 40 KOs) of Mexico City and Mike Alvarado (34-2, 23 KOs) of Denver clash in a 12-round welterweight world title eliminator.
A devastating right hand in the sixth round of his Dec. 2012 bout against Manny Pacquiao made Marquez the year’s unanimous knockout king. That heralded victory earned him a shot at Timothy Bradley Jr. and the welterweight title, but he subsequently lost to Bradley in 12 rounds by split decision. Now Marquez, 40, returns to The Forum, where he first showed promise as one of the sport’s future superstars, with a chance to build upon his already extraordinary hall of fame-worthy legacy.
Alvarado, 33, was responsible for some of the most captivating moments of the 2013 boxing season. Last October, he lost his 140-pound belt when he submitted to the referee’s stoppage against Ruslan Provodnikov. As he moves up in weight to test his abilities in the welterweight division, the veteran’s passion is the key to replicating the form that inspired “fight of the year” performances against Brandon Rios in 2012 and in their 2013 rematch.
Opening the night of action from Southern California, undefeated Viktor Postol (25-0, 10 KOs) of Kiev, Ukraine, takes on Turkey’s Selcuk Aydin (26-2, 19 KOs) in a junior welterweight tilt scheduled for 12 rounds. Postol, 30, made his American debut in December 2012 when he earned a first-round knockout against Henry Aurad in Inglewood, California, and since then has won four consecutive fights to emerge as a top contender in the 140-pound division. Aydin, also 30, is no stranger to the big stage, as his three convincing wins in 2013 has propelled him back into junior welterweight title contention. The stakes are high as the winner of this fight will be poised to challenge for the 140-pound title.
An all-new and compelling edition of “Face Off With Max Kellerman: Cotto/Martinez” debuts immediately following the boxing action (12:30-12:45 a.m. ET/PT). The special sets the stage for the blockbuster June 7th HBO Pay-Per-View® encounter between Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martinez at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden.,
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.
® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

LONDON (May 14) – Boxing star Mike Alvarado has vowed to bounce back in style by retiring Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez.

The pair meet this Saturday night, live and exclusive on BoxNation, with Denver’s Alvarado looking to impress following his punishing ten-round stoppage to WBO light-welterweight world champion Ruslan Provodnikov in his previous outing.

The brutal defeat last October came following an impressive string of wins for the exciting Alvarado who had battled his way past a host of top names including Brandon Rios, Mauricio Herrera and Breidis Prescott.

Now, however, the 33-year-old is out to end the glittering career of four-division world champion Marquez as he aims to get back to winning ways.

“Retiring a legend is going to be huge,” said Alvarado. “I respect Marquez and his great career but now is my time. This is one of those opportunities that you cannot miss and I will give everything in the ring to get the win. It’ll be a great fight and I have to fight without any mistakes to beat Marquez.

“This is a huge step in my life to redeem myself and I know that this is only going to make me a better person, a better fighter and a better man in my life. I respect Marquez fully, he’s a legend in this game, he’s already made his mark. This is the perfect opportunity for me to redeem myself and even retire as a legend,” he said.

Alvarado believes he has grown and matured since the Provodnikov bout, with the pressure of a high-profile comeback against Marquez something he will thrive on.

“When Top Rank called and offered a fight with Marquez I started jumping around – I was so excited because I have the opportunity to get into the ring and retire a Mexican legend.

“I’m great under pressure and I’m going to fight like the ‘Old Mike’ and use my power and my will to beat Marquez. I made a mistake of looking past Ruslan Provodnikov. He jumped on me and got me in a bad situation. He had such an awkward style,” said Alvarado.

“The difference against Marquez will be my power. I am going to train super hard for my biggest fight. I am very excited,” he said.

Pound-for-pound ace Manny Pacquiao impressed in his victory against Tim Bradley last month, with Alvarado aware a win over Marquez will set up some even bigger showdowns in the near future.

“I am anxious to fight the winner of Pacquiao and Bradley. This fight against Marquez is my redemption to all of my fans. I know how important this fight is. What a fight with such a reward – to fight the winner of Pacquiao vs. Bradley. This is an incredible opportunity but I am fully prepared for Marquez first and foremost,” said Alvarado.

The 40-year-old Marquez has seen it all during his star-studded career, having shared the ring with boxing’s best Floyd Mayweather, plus an enthralling four bouts with Pacquiao.

Fighting at The Forum in Inglewood, California, where Marquez established his career, the renowned Mexican counter-puncher is sure that fireworks will be produced when the two all-action fighters go head-to-head this Saturday.

“Alvarado is a very strong fighter who always gets in the ring in great condition and never gives you a break in the ring,” said Marquez. “I need to prepare very well, Alvarado is a great challenge. I am very happy to fight in the place where I started my career.

“Alvarado likes to fight and I like to fight, and the people want to see a great fight and this will be great fight. I like these kinds of challenges. Alvarado is a tremendous fighter but I’ve trained very hard for this fight and feel like I’m just 23 years old, like when I started my career at The Forum,” he said.

Marquez vs. Alvarado is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Sunday at 2am. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in theUK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

We are just a few days away from boxing’s return to the “Fabulous” Forum. The Inaugural Brawl will be headlined by an exciting fight between two top contenders – Four division world champion and Méxican icon Juan Manuel Márquez, who is undefeated in this storied building, and former junior welterweight champion Mike Alvarado. The winner will be declared mandatory challenger to WBO Welterweight Champion Manny Pacquiao, who recently regained the belt with his rematch victory over Timothy Bradley.

BOB ARUM: Well, all of you who are participating in this conference call know the obvious, this is one hell of a fight. Juan Manuel Márquez, future boxing hall-of-fame entrant faces off against the Denver Mile High man Mike Alvarado. The card is fabulous from top to bottom, with fighters from all over the world. Turkish fighters, Russian fighters, and African-American fighters, Méxican, Méxican-Americans – everybody is going to be represented on this card. And it’s so wonderful, for me personally, to have Top Rank open up one of the landmarks — the “Fabulous” Forum. Today we will hear from Juan Manuel Márquez and Mike Alvarado.

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: Yes, I plan to fight a great fight with Mike Alvarado, who is a strong fighter and a good fighter and I am very prepared for this fight.

You fought many fights at the Forum, the last being 1999. How do you feel about going back?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: Right now I feel very happy because I get to fight in a great place. It is a beautiful, historical place.

Is there a fight you remember more than the others?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: Yes, I remember when I fought with Cedric Mingo [1997]; when I fought with the Puerto Rican guy and the Panamanian guy. I remember all of my fights at the Forum.

Was there one bigger than all the others?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: All of the fights were most important to me. The fights that were in my past were the most important to me right now.

“Nacho” Berestáin, what memories do you have at the Forum?

NACHO BERESTÁIN: I do remember some of the early fights and I remember Julian Wheeler [1995], which was a very difficult fight – there was a lot of movement from him and a tough fight to win. And also Catalino Becerra [1997], because he was left-handed and I remember going face-to-face with him and step-by-step.

Both you and Alvarado are coming off losses – how important is it to get a win in this fight?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: Yes, this fight is important for the two fighters because Mike Alvarado lost his last fight and I lost my last fight and he wants to win and I want to win and this fight is a great fight for the two fighters.

What do you think it is going to take to win this fight?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: Mike Alvarado is a strong fighter. He is a great fighter. He wants to win and I want to win so that will make it a great fight. The people want to see these kinds of fights. He likes to fight and I like to fight so that’s what makes a great fight.

Alvarado took a lot of punishment on the Provodnikov fight. Do you think that will affect him?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: Provodnikov is a great fighter. Everyone knows Prodnikov, he pushes forward the whole fight and is a strong fighter. I saw the fight and it was a tough fight for Mike Alvarado because he is such a strong fighter.

Do you expect Alvarado to box or come to you and fight?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: Mike Alvarado uses a technique when he fights. Right now I think in so many rounds and get by so many of his punches that he will change his technique but I trained for the best Alvarado in the ring. I need to use all of my experience in the ring. This fight will be a war because Alvarado likes to fight. I like to fight and he likes to fight and the fans win because they like to see these kinds of fights.

Is it hard not to look past Alvarado and look to Manny Pacquiao?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: It is not too difficult for me because I do not look past Mike Alvarado. I concentrate only on this fight. Maybe in the future I think about that fight but right now the most important fight of my career is against Alvarado because he is a strong fighter and a tough fighter. Right now all I am thinking is Alvarado.

What did you think about the Pacquiao-Bradley fight?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: I saw the best Manny Pacquiao. He wants to beat everybody. I saw the best Pacquiao. Everyone knows that Manny Pacquiao is a great fighter and he is a world champion. Right now Pacquiao is back.

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: Right now Pacquiao is using his feet very well. He moves in the ring. I saw the best Manny Pacquiao because he landed a lot of punches and was moving on his feet. I liked the way Manny Pacquiao fought very much.

If you win the fight, you are the mandatory for Pacquiao. Is that what you really want to do?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: My thinking is first-things-first. My thoughts right now are on Mike Alvarado. If I win the fight then I will think about Manny Pacquiao. I will fight the fight on Saturday then go from there.

Is the goal a world title?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: That’s what I want to do. I want to make history by winning another world title. [No Méxican fighter has won world titles in five different weight divisions] It’s something that’s never been done. That is what I am looking forward to towards the end of my career, to win that next world title.

There has been a lot of talk about the fact that your career should be over by now and you have done all you need to do.

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: I think even Nacho will tell you that we all want to win the fifth world title. Five world titles in five weight divisions. That’s what makes us keep going.

There is talk about the fact you took this fight over Alvarado because it is an easier fight than Provodnikov…

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: The most important thing for me right now is that Mike Alvarado is a great fighter. Provodnikov fights at 140 pounds and Mike Alvarado is a welterweight fight. Provodnikov is a great fighter but I want the champion. If I fight with Provodnikov I would not get the mandatory to fight the welterweight champion.

When you fought Barrera and Morales way back, did you ever think you’d be the last man standing of your era’s great trio of Méxican fighters at age 40?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: Never would I think that in this moment. Every fight I think about that in the ring. I like to keep training all the time. Maybe this is a secret, because I like to train all the time. I don’t like parties. I have some friends, special friends, but maybe this is a secret.

After the Bradley fight, how much of a rest did you take?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: I rested for one month then I went back to the gym to train for this fight. For this fight I have trained for three months and now I am ready for a fight.

Do you think you are setting an example on how to fight into your forties?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: Maybe in the future there will be other fighters, because I may be an example for another fighter. Maybe they could fight until they were forty-five years old, or maybe forty-three. Maybe in the future.

Does a loss on Saturday mean retirement?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: You can’t tell. You go in the ring. You do the best you can – you win or you lose. Whatever happens on Saturday, you go back, take a look and analyze everything. But in my mind all I think about is winning and continuing my career.

I understand the training for this fight has been a little different?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: For this fight I haven’t done too many different things. I have done the typical things that a boxer does to prepare for a fight. My body has responded to everything very well. Everything has been good and my body is well. That is good for me. As long as I feel well in training I will feel good in the fight.

What do you think of Óscar Valdez who is also on the card?

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: I think he is a good fighter and uses a lot of technique and he is in a learning process right now as a professional and he is progressing very well. We will see as he goes up against better competition and that will happen with time. I know he is very educated and he trains very hard. I know if he continues with that drive to become champion he will become a champion.

In Closing…

JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ: I want to invite all of the people to come because they will see a great fight. Mike Alvarado is a great fighter. He wants to win and I want to win and it will be a great fight.

BOB ARUM: I have promoted a number of fights at the Forum. During the John Jackson era and it was a great place to put on an event. I really missed it when they closed the Forum as an entertainment and sports venue, they used it as a church for awhile, and nothing pleases me more that it is back as a sports venue and hosting a boxing event. They did a great job – Jim Dolan and Irving Azoff, did – in refurbishing. They put about $35M in doing it. Its really great and the thing I love about it is that every seat is a great seat. It has no balconies or unobstructed views. There are no suites in the middle that would put the cheaper seats far away. There is just one bowl and that type of format is the same as it always was under the old Forum, but now very spruced up and I can’t wait for the event on Saturday night.

BOB ARUM: Dr. Jerry Buss was a great fight fan and he would come to fights in Las Vegas and he instituted a great boxing program at the Forum and even before him, Jack Kent Cooke was a big fight fan. I did the second Ali-Norton fight at the Forum with Jack and that was a great experience. It’s sort of funny, I see that a lot of the fighters are staying at the Marriott at the airport and when we did the Ali-Norton II fight that was the fight headquarters as well. Ali and myself and Marty Spade stayed at that hotel as well. That was what, 41 years ago, oh my, I was a thin, young handsome guy. Now I’m an old fat guy. It was a great night, a good fight – Norton gave Ali trouble. The fight at the Forum was very close and Ali pulled it out. And the third Ali-Norton fight at Yankee Stadium, which I also did, was very close and Ali won by a whisker. Norton could really give Ali trouble. Norton couldn’t face a guy like Joe Frazier who just bombed him out but against Ali he always gave him trouble.

Like Marquez against Pacquiao?

BOB ARUM: Styles make fights as they say. Frazier couldn’t stay in there against George Foreman – he got bombed out twice, but Frazier against Ali was always close and a tremendous fight and Ali beat George in the one fight that they had.

MIKE ALVARADO: I am doing good. Ready to get in there and put on a good performance for the people and put on a good show.

How long does it take to get over a loss, your last against Provodnikov, where you endured a little more punishment than normal?

MIKE ALVARADO: I took a couple months to put that fight behind me. Knowing that it was in my hometown, in front of all my people and my family. It was tougher mentally but physically I am fine – I got past it. I just focused on my health and I was good. Then I began to focus on which was going to be next.

I could see your parents on TV and they looked upset. What did they have to say after the fight?

MIKE ALVARADO: They just wanted to make sure that I was fine and that I was safe and that my physical condition was OK. They are my number one supporters. As long as they know I am OK they are there for me. They have my back.

Both you and Márquez are coming off losses. That makes this fight much more significant as well as the winner being in line to fight Pacquiao. Can you talk about that?

MIKE ALVARADO: Yes, this fight is very important for both of us and a win here will lead to bigger fights. There is a lot involved in this fight, both mentally and for our careers. I am focusing on getting this win. It makes me train that much more, to know that I am in the category with the best in the world and I am happy for this opportunity that I am blessed with. I take it day-by-day and train as hard as I can. I am happy about it and I am excited and I can’t wait for the show to start this weekend.

Most guys coming off a loss don’t get to fight a guy of this caliber…

MIKE ALVARADO: I was surprised a little bit but I know that I deserve it. Top Rank has had my back the whole time and my will is that much stronger, more so than I showed that night against Provodnikov. They blessed me with another opportunity and I am going to step up to the plate to put on a better show and back it up once again. I am here to put on a better show and perform at a higher level. This is where I belong and I am going to show that this weekend.

You come forward and Márquez is the consummate counter-puncher of his era, those two styles should make for a really exciting fight. Is that the way you see it?

MIKE ALVARADO: They do. He fights a lot as well as counter-punching. He doesn’t move a lot and I move a lot. We are going to come together and it is going to be a great fight and great for boxing. I can’t wait and I am excited about it.

Bob, this fight is for the WBO mandatory and you promote all three. How interested are you in making the fight with the winner against Manny?

BOB ARUM: Well, I am not the one fighting. The first thing I did was talk to Manny and he is up to fight the winner. I haven’t, and there is nothing contractual with the two fighters that are fighting Saturday, but they know I will offer the winner a fight with Manny and it’s up to the winner to accept or reject it. So that’s where we stand and if I hear that the winner will be interested in fighting Manny in the fall, and Manny has agreed to fight the winner, so I would say that once we got the terms straightened out it would be a done deal.

Would you say your best ‘boxing’ was against Rios in the second fight, and do you think that’s what you have to do against Márquez?

MIKE ALVARADO: It just goes the way of my career and how my fights went. I lost to Rios the first time and had to be myself the second time in the redemption fight. So I feel that’s how my career has gone. But style-wise he is going to be tailor-made as well. I have been watching a lot of films and everyone knows, they have been watching Márquez for a long time – he is a legend in the sport and has made his mark but he’s not a hard man to figure out. Coming off a loss for him it is going to be very interesting to see how much Márquez has left in his career, so I am going to exploit every weakness he has to see how much he has left in him.

Most have had trouble with Márquez. What do you think the key is to beating him?

MIKE ALVARADO: Fight the way I know how to fight and make the right adjustments. Fight smart and be stronger, quicker and bigger and fight my game plan. Focus on not giving in and letting my pride get the best of me. Don’t let him get the best of me. I need to stay focused in the ring and dominate this fight.

What do you mean by not letting your pride get the best of you?

MIKE ALVARADO: Not giving in when he is going to war and wanting to trade punches – not giving in to that. I need to fight my fight – my pace and my style of fighting.

What do you think of Márquez’ endorsement of Manny Pacquiao – that it was the best Manny in his last fight?

BOB ARUM: It was the best Manny Pacquiao. People look at the Cotto and Hatton fights and see Manny as this devastating knockout puncher, which he never was. Look at the fight against De La Hoya, where he threw punches, in and out and more punches – that was the Manny Pacquiao that fought Bradleyin their rematch – the Pacquiao that fought De La Hoya – that’s Manny’s big style. He punches hard, he moves and he is very hard to hit when he wants to be hard to hit. That was a magnificent performance by Manny Pacquiao.

How much of the Provodnikov fight did you watch and what have you learned from it?

MIKE ALVARADO: I watched it a lot and I learned from myself how I transitioned from punching and punching and getting more into boxing. Switching my game plan up from the different styles to make the fight go the way I want it to go. That’s what I need to focus on. It was definitely a good learning experience.

On the wall in your gym you have a big poster of you and Provodnikov. Does that give you inspiration?

MIKE ALVARADO: It reminds me of what I wasn’t doing right and helps me focus and reminds me of what I need to do to make me a better boxer and helps my preparation in my future fights. It is just a reminder to let me know what I need to do in my next fights.

How do you feel about being the underdog in this fight, while both of you are coming off losses?

MIKE ALVARADO: It is very motivating. It helps me in my training and gives me more focus in training knowing that a win here will only lead to bigger opportunities. It helps me train harder and helps me push through what I need to push through to be ready for the fight.

You watched Márquez as a youngster. How do you feel fighting against a legend?

MIKE ALVARADO: It’s a great feeling and I am inspired by this opportunity to be in there with a legend and to retire a legend. Knowing that gives me more motivation to dig deeper and you’ll see it in the fight. I will be that much more focused to win the fight.

MIKE ALVARADO: He’s had a long career and it’s coming to a point in his career where he starts second-guessing whether he still wants to do this. He’s made a mark in boxing and we’ll see what happens on Saturday night. That’s on me to exploit it out of him. I want to win this fight and I still have a long career ahead of me. We’ll see how bad Márquez wants to stay in this game.

What are the chances that Top Rank fighters will meet Golden Boy fighters in the future?

BOB ARUM: As I have said to everyone that will listen, I have absolutely no problems whatsoever dealing with Oscar De La Hoya. I was his promoter for many, many years and we have renewed our friendship and we hope to work every closely with him in the future.

Another fight at the “Fabulous” Forum, do you think it will live up to the great fights of the past held there?

BOB ARUM: It is wonderful and when I realize that the first fight I did at the Forum was forty-one years ago promoting the great Muhammad Ali against Ken Norton – forty-one years, no matter how old you are, is a lot of years ago. I subsequently had Rafael Ruelas fight in the Forum and Michael Carbajal and indeed when I wasn’t promoting fights in the Forum, when John Jackson was promoting fights I attended fights in the Forum. It was a great place to watch a boxing match.

How do you see the boxing future in Southern California?

BOB ARUM: We always have done fights there. We have had them at Staples Center, StubHub in Carson and now we are doing one at the “Fabulous” Forum. If you are a promoter you know that the interest in boxing in Southern California is huge so you want to do many fights in that area because the interest is so high.

Many have asked regarding what happened in the ring and your trainer was disappointed as well. What conversations have taken place between you and he since then?

HENRY DELGADO (manager): The whole thing, including the preparation for the fight was not where it needed to be. That’s what they were talking about. Shann [Vilhauer] said ‘see what happens when you don’t take things as seriously as you should.’ That was the consensus and we are not making any excuses but that wasn’t the Mike Alvarado that everyone came to see fight. This time it is completely different. We said this is how you got there and you are letting it go. You’ve got to do what got you there and now you know how to stay there when you get there, by doing all the things that got you there. Now he realizes that. It was kind of embarrassing because of the opportunity Top Rank gave us and he didn’t take advantage of it.

Is that why training camp is in California for this fight?

HENRY DELGADO: Right, but it was last time also, then Mike moved it back. But this time I put my foot down. There are too many distractions in Denver and Denver is a hotbed of sports with the Broncos and they treat him like a God and they were pulling him in too many different places. In Los Angles he is just another guy and we are getting our training done and taking care of business.

BOB ARUM: That’s something that the press should pickup on. What Henry is saying, and it’s absolutely right, that the Mike Alvarado you will see on Saturday is the best trained Mike Alvarado that you will have seen in years. He has dedicated himself to training for this fight without some of the nonsense that took place in the past with some of his training.

HENRY DELGADO: Exactly and our whole camp apologizes for the performance he put on in Denver and we are going to redeem it this time around.

In closing…

BOB ARUM: This is going to be a great night and a fight that is really important for boxing. Coming back to a venue that helped make boxing as popular as it is today, in Southern California at the “Fabulous Forum” and so we are thrilled to bring such a great fight to the “Fabulous” Forum, opening it up once again to the sport of boxing.

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Márquez (55-7-1, 40 KOs), of México City, México, and Alvarado (34-2, 23 KOs), of Denver, CO., will collide at the Forum in a World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title elimination bout. The winner will become the mandatory challenger to WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. Márquez vs. Alvarado takes place on Saturday, May 17, and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will open with the 12-round Viktor Postol vs. Selcuk Aydin World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight title elimination bout. Postol (25-0, 19 KOs), of Brovarsky, Ukraine and Aydin (26-2, 19 KOs), of Trabzon, Turkey, are world-rated No. 1 and No. 2 by the WBC, respectively.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Márquez Boxing, PS4 and Tecate, remaining tickets to Márquez vs. Alvarado, priced at $400, $250, $150, $75 and $35, can be purchased at the Forum box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (800-745-3000), and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.fabulousforum.com

Doors on Fight Day open at 3:00 p.m. PT with the first bout on the mega undercard beginning at 3:15 p.m. PT.

Road To Márquez/Alvarado HBO Replay Schedule (All times are ET/PT):
May 14 (6:00 p.m. & 5:40 a.m.), 16 (9:00 a.m. & 3:45 p.m.)
and 17 (8:15 a.m.).

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FRIDAY’S OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN AT THE FORUM WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

FREE PARKING in the Manchester Lot, North West side will be available for fans at Noon. Doors will open at 2:00 p.m. with the fighters stepping on the scale, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Fans will be directed up Ramp No. 4 for access into the North Entrance. (Media parking will be in the North East side of the Manchester Lot. Media should check in at the Floor Seat entrance).

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For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the hashtag #MarquezAlvarado to join the conversation on Twitter.

For more information on the Forum visit www.fabulousforum.com.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA (May 2, 2014) – Boxing’s return to the Forum (3900 West Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, Calif. 90305) will start a little sooner than originally announced. The historic inaugural brawl on Saturday May 17, featuring four-division world champion and Méxican icon JUAN MANUEL “Dinamita” MÁRQUEZ battling former junior welterweight world champion and the pride of Colorado “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO in the main event, will now start at a new earlier time — 3:15 p.m. PT, with doors opening at 3:00 p.m. PT.

“We wanted to make boxing’s return to the Forum something special for the fans and the best way to do that was to add more bouts to the undercard. We expect more than 10 bouts on this show,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “However, since Márquez-Alvarado will be televised live on HBO®, we needed to push the start time of the undercard up to 3:15 p.m. to accommodate all the fights.”

Márquez (55-7-1, 40 KOs), of México City, a longtime Forum stalwart who never lost a fight at the legendary boxing venue, and Alvarado (34-2, 23 KOs), of Denver, CO., will collide in a 12-round World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title elimination bout. The Márquez-Alvarado welterweight rumble will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. The winner will be declared the mandatory challenger to WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. Márquez and Alvarado boast a combined record of 89-9-1 (63 KOs) — a winning percentage of 90% and a victory by knockout ratio of 71%.

The undercard will be announced shortly.

Promoted by Top Rank® in association with Zanfer Promotions, Márquez Boxing PS4 and Tecate, remaining tickets to Márquez vs. Alvarado are priced at $400, $250, $150, $100, $75 and $35. Tickets can be purchased at the Forum box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (800-745-3000), and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.fabulousforum.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the hashtag #MarquezAlvarado to join the conversation on Twitter.

For more information on the Forum visit www.fabulousforum.com.

April 7, 2014 – HBO Boxing presents “Road to Marquez/Alvarado,” a compelling special examining the upcoming welterweight encounter between legendary champ Juan Manuel Marquez and all-action former junior welterweight title-holder Mike Alvarado. The two are set to meet in one of the year’s most anticipated showdowns Saturday, May 17 at The Forum in Inglewood, CA, televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing ®.

The “Road to Marquez/Alvarado” special will premiere Saturday, April 19 at 12:45 a.m. ET/PT on HBO. It will preview the fast-approaching contest between these two ring warriors who are meeting for the first time ever in this high stakes battle.

The 15-minute special will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

Other HBO playdates: April 19 (12:45 a.m.), 20 (10:45 a.m.), 24 (8:15 a.m. & 2:45 p.m.), 28 (4:45 p.m.), 30 (10:15 a.m.) and May 9 (1:00 p.m.), 12 (8:15 p.m. & 2:50 a.m.), 14 (6:00 p.m. & 5:40 a.m.), 16 (9:00 a.m. & 3:45 p.m.) and 17 (8:15 a.m.).

HBO2 playdates: April 21 (11:30 a.m. & 12:15 a.m.), 27 (9:15 a.m.) and May 10 (1:00 p.m.) 13 (3:15 p.m. & 9:15 p.m.), 15 (7:45 p.m.) and 16 (1:15 a.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

INGLEWOOD, CALIF. (April 1, 2014) – Boxing is back at the Forum (3900 West Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, Calif. 90305) and the historic inaugural brawl will feature four-division world champion and Méxican icon JUAN MANUEL “Dinamita” MÁRQUEZ battling former junior welterweight world champion and the pride of Colorado “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO.

Márquez (55-7-1, 40 KOs), of México City, a longtime Forum stalwart who never lost a fight at the legendary boxing venue, and Alvarado (34-2, 23 KOs), of Denver, CO., will collide in a 12-round World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title elimination bout on Saturday, May 17. The Márquez-Alvarado welterweight rumble will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. The winner will challenge the victor of the upcoming WBO welterweight championship rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, Jr. Márquez and Alvarado boast a combined record of 89-9-1 (63 KOs) — a winning percentage of 90% and a victory by knockout ratio of 71%.

Promoted by Top Rank® in association with Zanfer Promotions, Márquez Boxing and Tecate, tickets to Márquez vs. Alvarado will go on sale Today! Tuesday, April 1 at 3:00 p.m. ET / Noon PT. Priced at $400, $250, $150, $75 and $35, tickets can be purchased at the Forum box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (800-745-3000), and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.fabulousforum.com. And to celebrate boxing’s return to the Forum, any $150 or $75 ticket, purchased at the box office or via Ticketmaster Today Tuesday, April 1, between Noon and 4:00 p.m. PT, will include a complimentary companion ticket to the inaugural brawl. Limit six (6) purchased tickets per order.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the hashtag #MarquezAlvarado to join the conversation on Twitter.

For more information on the Forum visit www.fabulousforum.com.

INGLEWOOD, CALIF. (March 26, 2014) – Boxing is back at the Forum (3900 West Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, Calif. 90305) and the historic inaugural brawl will feature four-division world champion and Méxican icon JUAN MANUEL “Dinamita” MÁRQUEZ battling former junior welterweight world champion and the pride of Colorado “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO.

Márquez (55-7-1, 40 KOs), of México City, a longtime Forum stalwart who never lost a fight at the legendary boxing venue, and Alvarado (34-2, 23 KOs), of Denver, CO., will collide in a 12-round World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title elimination bout on Saturday, May 17. The Márquez-Alvarado welterweight rumble will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. The winner will challenge the victor of the upcoming WBO welterweight championship rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, Jr. Márquez and Alvarado boast a combined record of 89-9-1 (63 KOs) — a winning percentage of 90% and a victory by knockout ratio of 71%.

Promoted by Top Rank® in association with Zanfer Promotions, Márquez Boxing and Tecate, tickets to Márquez vs. Alvarado will go on sale Tuesday, April 1 at 3:00 p.m. ET / Noon PT. Priced at $400, $250, $150, $75 and $35, tickets can be purchased at the Forum box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (800-745-3000), and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.fabulousforum.com. And to celebrate boxing’s return to the Forum, any $150 or $75 ticket, purchased at the box office or via Ticketmaster on April 1, between Noon and 4:00 p.m. PT, will include a complimentary companion ticket to the inaugural brawl. Limit six (6) tickets per order.

“The opportunity to go back and fight at the Forum where I developed as a professional fighter was too great to pass up,” said Márquez. “I expect a tough fight against Mike Alvarado and one that the fans will truly enjoy.”

“I am so excited. We have been training already for four weeks. Márquez has always been on our radar and he is the one I always wanted to fight,” said Alvarado. “This fight is my redemption to all of my fans. I know how important this fight is. What a fight with such a reward – to fight the winner of Pacquiao vs Bradley. This is an incredible opportunity. I will be fully prepared to fight Márquez on May 17.”

“Márquez vs. Alvarado should be a battle from bell to bell. Both really need this fight and that will make for an exciting encounter,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

“On May 17, World Championship Boxing delivers a must-see, high-stakes, all-action event,” said Peter Nelson, director of programming, HBO Sports. “In a welterweight showdown between two of boxing’s great warriors, Juan Manuel Márquez and Mike Alvarado will rekindle a Forum tradition: fights between men who defy physics, weighing so little while having hearts so big. It will be a familiar atmosphere for Márquez as he’ll return home, both to the Forum for the first time in 15 years and live on HBO for the first time in four. On May 17, we’ll see if Alvarado can upend Márquez’s homecoming to make it his own house-warming. Don’t miss it.”

Márquez, who is trained by Hall of Famer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristáin, is undefeated at the Forum, winning all 12 bouts he fought there, from 1995 through 1999, with nine of those victories coming by way of knockout. Márquez is one of only a rare few fighters from México to have won world titles in four different weight divisions. He captured his first world title — the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight championship — with a seventh-round stoppage of three-time featherweight champion Manuel Medina in 2003. He unified that title that same year with a decisive victory over World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight titlist Derrick Gainer. Márquez successfully defended the titles three times during his three-year reign, which included unanimous decision victories over Victor Polo and Orlando Salido and a Draw with Manny Pacquiao. After losing the crown to Chris John, and winning the interim featherweight crown, both in 2006, Márquez moved up in weight to dethrone the legendary Marco Antonio Barrera and claim his World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight championship belt in 2007. After successfully defending the title, by a unanimous decision over Ricky Juarez, he lost the title in his 2008 rematch with Pacquiao by the slimmest of margins — a one point split decision. Since that fight, Márquez has won seven of his last ten fights, including knockout victories of Joel Casamayor, Juan Diaz, and Michael Katsidis — the latter two in WBA/WBO lightweight championship fights. In 2012, he won his fourth world title in as many divisions, capturing the WBO interim junior welterweight title with a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over Sergey Fedchenko. He ended that year with his most satisfying victory, a sixth-round knockout of professional nemesis Pacquiao, which was voted the 2012 Fight of the Year and the 2012 Knockout of the Year. Last October 12, in his first attempt at winning a record fifth world title in as many weight divisions, Márquez came up short, losing a split decision to defending WBO welterweight champion Bradley.

Alvarado (34-2, 23 KOs) of Denver, had won 10 of his last 14 bouts by stoppage en route to his rematch victory over Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios, on March 30, 2013, which not only avenged Alvarado’s loss to Rios in 2012’s Fight of the Year, but also made Alvarado a world champion. Alvarado had lost to Rios on October 13, 2012, via a seventh-round technical knockout in one of the most action-packed fights of the millennium. Going into round seven, two of the three judges’ scorecards had it 57-57. In the sequel, which was as action-packed as the first fight, Alvarado made subtle adjustments to eke out a narrow but unanimous decision and the WBO junior welterweight world title. Notable Alvarado knockout victims have included Breidis Prescott, Ray Narh, Emmanuel Clottey and Cesar Bazan. In 2012 Alvarado fought in two Fights of the Year-nominated fights. On April 14, 2012, Alvarado went toe-to-toe for 10 brutal and exciting rounds winning a unanimous decision over Mauricio Herrera (18-1, 7 KOs). Herrera entered that fight world-rated No. 7 and riding a two-year, five-bout winning streak, highlighted by victories over future world champion Ruslan Provodnikov (17-0) and Mike Dallas, Jr. (17-1-1). That was followed by his first fight with Rios in October. Alvarado’s world title reign ended in his first defense, last October 19, where he suffered a12th-round TKO to Provodnikov in front of a sold-out crowd in his Denver homecoming. .

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the hashtag #MarquezAlvarado to join the conversation on Twitter.

For more information on the Forum visit www.fabulousforum.com.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former world champions Juan Manuel Marquez and Mike Alvarado will christen to return of boxing to the Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, California on May 17th.

like most about it is the historical significance,” said Top Rank’s Bob Arum. “They spent a lot of money refurbishing the Forum and it brings back memories of all the great fights that took place there, like when Muhammad Ali fought Ken Norton there [in their 1973 rematch, which Arum promoted]. Marquez is a guy who earned his bones there. The Forum is where he established himself and this is going to be a great homecoming for him.

“I’ve been in this business for so long and, to me, the history is important. I’m really thrilled for my company to be re-opening the new Forum for boxing.”

“I think this fight has a lot of story lines,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti said. “It’s at the Forum and it will be raucous, and we know Marquez’s history there. And, obviously, when the bell rings it’ll be a hellacious fight where neither guy will back up.”

“Mike is so excited. We have been training already for three weeks. Marquez has always been on our radar and he is the one we always wanted to fight,” said Henry Delgado, Alvarado’s manager. “This fight is our redemption to all of our fans. Mike knows how important this fight is. We plan to relocate our training to Los Angeles this weekend. What a fight with such a reward — to fight the winner of Pacquiao versus Bradley.

“This is really an incredible opportunity. We will be fully prepared to fight Marquez on May 17.”

Said Moretti, “I think you’ll see a more motivated and focused Mike Alvarado. He knows he has to perform well in this fight after the loss at home and it’s also a very dangerous fight for Marquez.”

“Marquez wants to win that title and that’s an incentive for taking this fight with Alvarado, because he knows he will get that opportunity if he wins,” Arum said. “So if it’s Pacquiao, he said he would fight him again, and if Bradley wins, well he wants that fight too. And if Mike wins, he certainly will be a good opponent to fight Bradley or Pacquiao, whoever wins.”

The seven-day stretch in mid October that began the Saturday Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley decisioned Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez in Thomas & Mack Center ended with a more brutal stoppage victory over “Mile High” Mike Alvarado at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo., a GPS-defying suburb of Denver, than even sadists anticipated, and transformed Ruslan “Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov into prizefighting’s looniest bogeyman, the sound of whose punches still carry for those at ringside that night an especially unforgettable brand of acoustic menace.

The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art in Las Vegas featured a display of American pop-star Andy Warhol’s finest Western-themed works, including a pair of Dolly Parton portraits excellent as they are obscure, and Denver Art Museum proved itself an architectural marvel more even than anticipated.

Desert Storm, Dinamita, Siberian Rocky, Mile High, BGFA and DAM – they made Oct. 12-Oct. 19 my favorite week of 2013.

Fightweek has changed for boxing writers, changed dramatically and with dramatic rapidity, from the celebratory sort of thing that began on Monday afternoons and included free room and board at the host casino, to a pay-it-yourself model. It is but one more unpleasant turn for a profession whose best days will not return, though with one ancillary benefit: When a writer is compensated only for what words he produces within an arena, his time is his own when he is without the arena.

Saturday in Las Vegas began with a long-awaited lunch at Wynn’s Botero – a restaurant named after Colombia’s foremost living artist – continued to Bellagio’s Warhol display, crescendoed with three judges’ deciding for Timothy Bradley and concluded with another wonderful postfight meal among mentors and friends.

Friday in Denver began among the confounding angles of Polish architect Daniel Libeskind’s masterwork, DAM’s Frederic C. Hamilton Building, and continued to an overcrowded downtown weighin, where Mike Alvarado’s scale struggles afforded an hour with boxing’s best matchmaker, Bruce Trampler, and matchmaking’s greatest character, Jim Smith, anticipating fantastically a Saturday morning drive westward and Provodnikov’s Saturday night triumph.

*

The seven-day stretch in mid October that began the Saturday Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley decisioned Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez provided a resilient sort of joy, a kind Bradley might appreciate, joy by way of resilience, followed by the shocking clarity of Colorado light, pristinely dry for being ever cold, and an overwhelming form of violence no prizefighter recognizes as his own till he becomes its prey.

Before Juan Manuel Marquez stormed to his dressing room yet again while boxing’s malcontent knowers filled online forums with certainty, there came an unusual occurrence to ringside in Las Vegas: Silence among writers between the closing bell and reading of scorecards. Some had opinions of who’d won the 12-round contest, but none had anything like television’s certainty.

As Saturday became Sunday, I sat in Zoozacrackers, Wynn’s deli, across from Thomas Hauser and beside Norm Frauenheim, and I gratefully marveled, as I try often to do, at what an unpredictable but absurdly wonderful – and absurd and wonderful – thing is life.

Promoter Bob Arum, too, was surprised by the way Nevada’s judges found for Bradley in a fight that saw more ineffective aggressiveness and inactivity than expected, but like many others he had a job to do between the overstuffed walls of Diego’s Mexican Food & Cantina the following Friday, promoting alongside Banner Promotions’ Art Pelullo at a weighin the fire marshal closed a half hour before Alvarado missed weight by a pound and Provodnikov struck his signature bellowing-most-muscular pose, and Arum’s job hardly comprised an expression of grief for the surly Mexican who flattened Top Rank’s 2013 revenue projections with a single right hand in Las Vegas 11 months before.

Saturday’s main event began with a look of acute squeamishness and pain, an actual wince, from Mike Alvarado, an aptly tatted and troubled representative of Denver’s rugged and weird interior, and ended with Alvarado, many times more intelligent and athletically gifted than his detractors or rap sheet know, broken on his stool and making an unexpected and prudent decision not to defend his 140-pound title from Provodnikov in their match’s championship rounds.

*

The seven-day stretch in mid October that began the Saturday Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley decisioned Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez marked a vindication for both Bradley and Provodnikov, the Russian who lost a fight-of-the-year decision to Bradley in March while likely reducing Bradley’s future lucidity and life expectancy and proving the Californian as spirited and well-conditioned an athlete as this era will know. Bradley, a man unfairly and ceaselessly maligned for collecting a decision win over Manny Pacquiao 16 months before, received the benefit of most every doubt against Marquez, immobilized by what upper-body musculature absurdly topped Marquez’s 144 1/2-pound physique, surprising Marquez with elusiveness and a counter left hook in their final 15 seconds of belligerence, once that sent Marquez stumbling backwards and Bradley’s gloves prematurely and unadvisedly high in the air.

Enamored as he was of a stalactite-like shape for his titanium-plated edifice at DAM, Daniel Libeskind, one fears, followed contemporary architecture’s tendency to see contemporary art as clutter, detritus detracting from what answers architecture provides light’s riddle – composed of particles or waves? – and made an exhibition hall too exhibitionist to exhibit anything but its own enchantingly crinkled cants.

One needn’t travel 50 miles west of Denver to see vistas unique in all the world, and these vistas begin with Idaho Springs, Colo., a spot placed first on a list of recommended Centennial State destinations by the matchmaker placed first on lists compiled by his peers, and so I went to behold the Rockies and their majestic clarity.

I had watched Mike Alvarado for 7 1/2 years by the time he got brutalized by Ruslan Provodnikov, first covering Alvarado’s own brutalization of Maximo Cuevas in the light of a searing Tucson sun as it set over the empty parking lot of Club Envy in 2006, but not until I saw Alvarado reduced to a frightened target did I realize how much affection I’d developed for him.

And how much I fear news will come of his tragic end before this decade is out.

***

Editor’s note: Part 2 will be posted next Monday.

***

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

LAS VEGAS, NEV (November 18, 2013) — Boxing’s royalty will be in Las Vegas this week talking about the historic 12-round welterweight showdown between Fighter of the Decade MANNY PACQUIAO and former world champion BRANDON RIOS. Broadcasting throughout the day Live from the Palazzo Waterfall Atrium inside The Palazzo Las Vegas — sister property of the The Venetian Macao, the resort site hosting Pacquiao vs. Rios — Thursday, November 21 and Friday, November 22, 13 national and regional radio shows will be interviewing a boxing’s Who’s Who — in-person, including Hall of Famers George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Pacquiao rivals Marco Antonio Barrera and Timothy Bradley, Rios’ professional nemesis Mike Alvarado, and former world champion Ray Mancini.

The appearance schedule is as follows:

Thursday, November 21
· Timothy Bradley, undefeated two-division world champion who dethroned Pacquiao last year to claim his WBO welterweight title. Claimed his first world title in England, dethroning WBC super lightweight champion and hometown favorite Junior Witter.
· Marco Antonio Barrera, former three-division world champion who fought the majority of his fights outside his native Mexico, including two fights with Pacquiao.
· Mike Alvarado, the former WBO jr. lightweight champion who is 1-1 against Rios.

Friday, November 22
· George Foreman, former two-time heavyweight champion. Fought all his world title fights outside the U.S. during his first title reign.
· Sugar Ray Leonard, former five-division world champion who had one fight outside the U.S. — against Roberto Duran in Montreal — where he lost a unanimous decision — and his welterweight title to Duran.
· Roberto Duran, former four-division world champion who fought the majority of his major fights outside his native Panama.
· Ray Mancini, former lightweight champion who fought outside the U.S. once, in Italy, winning a narrow decision to retain his title.

“While the fight takes place in China, we want U.S. fight fans to be treated to the same real time experience they enjoy for all pay-per-view mega-fights,” said Mark Taffet of HBO Pay-Per-View. “With the star-studded group of fighters, the breadth of the radio stations broadcasting live, and the television and print interviews which emanate from Las Vegas, we will be able to provide a constant flow of news, information and entertainment which U.S. boxing fans can engage on their time. Additionally, the press conference and weigh-in from Macau will take place live at times which are convenient for the U.S. audience; and of course the live fight telecast on Saturday night November 23rd will take place at the usual time of 9 pm ET/6 pm PT.”

The seven boxing superstars will be discussing their experiences — the victories and the losses — when they fought on foreign soil as well as their analysis of the upcoming Pacquiao-Rios battle. Both Barrera and Bradley have first-hand knowledge of what Rios should expect from Pacquiao and what Rios will need to do to have his hand raised in victory in just five days. The same is true for Alvarado, who has tangled with Rios in two Fights of the Year. .

Promoted by Top Rank® and Sands China Ltd., in association with MP Promotions, Tecate, Warner Bros. Pictures “Grudge Match,” and Eva Airlines, Pacquiao vs. Rios will take place Saturday, November 23, at The Venetian® Macao’s CotaiArena™. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

For Pacquiao, this marks the pound-for-pound box office monarch’s first fight outside the U.S. since his 12-round super featherweight unanimous decision victory over former world champion Oscar Larios in 2006, which took place in the Philippines. Rios, one of boxing’s most exciting fighters, has only fought outside the U.S. twice, in México, winning a 10-round split decision over Ricardo Dominguez and knocking out Daniel Valenzuela in the second round in 2008 and 2009, respectively. .

HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise, which has captured 17 Sports Emmy® Awards, is providing an all-access pass to Pacquiao vs. Rios. The final episode of “24/7: Pacquiao/Rios” debuts Thursday, Nov. 21 (10:00 p.m.), just two days before the welterweight showdown.

The Venetian and The Palazzo will be the only resorts in Las Vegas to offer the live closed-circuit broadcast of Pacquiao vs. Rios. The bout will be available for viewing inside The Venetian Ballroom and at Lagasse’s Stadium. Doors open at 5 p.m., undercard fights begin at 6 p.m. Tickets for The Venetian Ballroom are $50. Food and beverage minimums apply for Lagasse’s Stadium. Tickets: 702-414-9000.

Las Vegas residents will still be able to order the live HBO Pay-per-View telecast in their homes.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, and twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacRios to join the conversation on Twitter.

Nov. 8, 2013 – Leading up to the highly anticipated welterweight showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios — set for Saturday, November 23 and presented live by HBO Pay-Per-View® — HBO Sports will present the exclusive replay of two action-packed fights that underscore the intensity and skill of the two competitors.

On Friday, November 15 at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT) and Saturday, November 16 at 11:45 a.m. (ET/PT), Pacquiao vs. Marquez III & Rios vs. Alvarado I will replay back-to-back on HBO2. On November 12, 2011 in an all-action bout, Manny Pacquiao defeated Juan Manuel Marquez, scoring a 12-round majority decision in Las Vegas. Then in October 2012 in Carson, CA, Brandon Rios stopped Mike Alvarado in the 7th round of a heart-pumping slugfest that was one of the year’s top brawls.

Both fights will be available 24 hours-a-day to HBO On Demand® subscribers from Monday, November 11 through Sunday, December 8, as well as on HBO GO®.

Pacquiao vs. Rios takes place Saturday, November 23 and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

DENVER – Afterwards, when “Mile High” Mike Alvarado, still adorned in throwback-Broncos orange and blue, an egg-shaped contusion over his right eye, claimed he considered his own health before round 11, before somehow indicating to referee Tony Weeks he could not continue, from his stool, he was being honest but not telling the truth about how his match with Russian challenger Ruslan Provodnikov ended in KO-10. What Alvarado hoped to do with such a claim, instead, was regain a dash of control from a moment of combat that snatched it from him verily and placed his vanquisher, an amiable, off-kilter Siberian, near the very top of boxing’s tacitly kept Most Feared list.

At the conclusion of round 10, after a closing 10 seconds in which every punch Provodnikov struck him with, wherever he struck him, visibly pained Alvarado, making him wretched and fragile, Alvarado stumbled to the nearest corner, the wrong one, draped himself over the turnbuckle and began a search for handlers. Shann Vilhauer, Alvarado’s chief second and a man who used the moments after his charge was stopped either to fire a parting shot in claiming Alvarado devised a strategy for himself Vilhauer did not approve, or try to keep himself in the inevitable makeover-training sweepstakes – “back to basics!”, “remind Mike how he got here!” – had to throw a net of words and arms over Alvarado to haul him across the ring to where a man of any lucidity whatever should have gone unassisted.

Vilhauer was trapped in a moment, a combination of thinking his man was unstoppable by others (Brandon Rios, remember, never felled Alvarado) and worrying his future income stream would be stopped by stopping a match that stopped needing to continue at least 70 seconds before, and so he went about his between-rounds chores like nothing much had happened. Tony Weeks brought adult supervision to the moment, forcing his way deeper and deeper in Alvarado’s corner, forcing Alvarado’s attention for the prizefighting equivalent of “blink once for no and twice for no.”

The end brought Provodnikov unfiltered glee and most of the other 7,000 or so folks gathered at 1stBank Center a thing that tilted reliefways in a disappointment-to-relief balance. Though 1stBank Center is not in this city proper, it is in a suburb of this rough, weird, enjoyable metropolis, a place whose young residents seem not potheads so much as shroomers, residents of a place that set for itself this goal while extending Denver Art Museum: Erect the first great building of the 21st century. And with architect Daniel Libeskind’s awkward genius, city planners’ audacity, and nearly as many obtuse angles as titanium panels, DAM met its mark with the Frederic C. Hamilton Building.

Provodnikov beat to spiritually unrecognizable this city’s native son, a Denver cowboy, a fearless hombre from the 303, tatted and rapsheeted, one who wore open, bottle-shard facial wounds while he unmanned Brandon Rios in March – the sort of person who needlessly carries within himself a very dark place and visits regularly with those who know its coordinates. Provodnikov found the dot of fragility within such a man’s soul, the camouflaged doorway that hides a cavern filled to bursting with betrayal and violation and vilest injustices, and then smashed that dot till it became a hole gaping enough to put an eight-ounce glove through.

The fight’s fortune was told in its first minute, Saturday, when Alvarado’s demeanor was far too stiff for a titlist in his 36th prizefight, and Provodnikov’s demeanor was not nearly stiff enough for a man gone to another’s hometown in pursuit of a first meaningful title. Provodnikov’s first right cross made Alvarado wince in a way that made Alvarado’s intelligent face – and it is that, however he’s learned to mask it – impart a thought like: Yup, this is going to be bad as feared. That Alvarado’s back was to his corner when that wince came is all that might explain Shann Vilhauer’s later contention Alvarado, buried in an avalanche of his own press clippings (and cheers to that quaint analogy), was wrong to devise a defensive strategy in training camp.

Alvarado knew instantly he would not be able to win any fair exchange with Provodnikov, a man whose vicious assault of Mile High Mike bore no sign of animosity whatever, a man who probably would have gone so far as to stop punching Alvarado had the champ told him he needed a few seconds pause to weigh options, a man Pacquiao-esque in his enchantment with knuckles sunken in flesh. An instant after Alvarado’s instant calculation was complete Provodnikov got word, an instant message of sorts, Alvarado was removing from consideration fully half the offensive tactics for which Provodnikov prepared, and by round 2 the Russian was marching straight at Alvarado, feet squared in the international symbol for “I’m willing to be hit!”

Alvarado, a famous athlete in these parts, tried to switch identities on the fly, becoming a southpaw, hopping forwards with lead uppercuts, belligerently dropping his left hand in homage to the righthand-feasting way that got him stopped by Brandon Rios a year ago. It confused Provodnikov, some, enough anyway to let Alvarado get a few licks in, with this caveat: Provodnikov knew if he could merely touch Alvarado 10 or so times every three minutes, he would break Alvarado before 36 of them were up.

A right cross to Alvarado’s body in round 8 pained him too deeply to smile or shrug at; had someone stopped the match at that instant, before the two knockdowns, before the six minutes of assault that succeeded them, it would have served a buffet of vicarious rage to boxing’s legion of malcontents but not altered the outcome. Alvarado was, after that punch, indulging a profoundly masochistic impulse, not fighting. Bless Tony Weeks for temporarily sparing the man from his troubled self.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

BROOMFIELD, COLORADO (OCTOBER 19, 2013)–Tonight at the 1stBank Arena, One of the most anticipated bouts of the year will take place when WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Mike Alvarado defends his title against Ruslan Provodnikov.

The fight, promoted by Top Rank and Banner Promotions will be seen live on HBO Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 pm eastern / Pacific time.

Before the cameras roll, two members of the Banner Promotions stable will be in action. Heavyweight Donovan Dennis and super featherweight Vitor Jones De Olivera will take part in six and four round fights respectively.

Heavyweight Donovan Dennis will take on Hugo Arceo of Boulder (3-0-1, 3 KO’s) Colorado.

Dennis of Davenport, Iowa has a record of 8-1, 1 No Contest with six knockouts and will be making his 6th appearance of 2013. He is coming off 2nd round stoppage over Kevin Tiller on July 27th.

At Friday’s weigh in Dennis weighed 221 pounds while Arceo checked in at 245 pounds.

De Olivera of Brasilia, Brazil will take on Martin Quesada.

De Olivera is the nephew of former four-time, two-division world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas.

De Olivera (0-0, 1 No-Contest) weighed in at 130 ¾ pounds while Quesada of Denver, Colorado checked in at 128 ½ pounds.

DENVER (October 19, 2013) — Denver’s very own homegrown world champion “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO and No. 1 contender the “Siberian Rocky” RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV of Russia — both coming off nationally-televised Fight of the Year performances — will go mano a mano in their world championship rumble tonight in front of a sold out 1STBANK Center audience.

The last tickets were sold on Friday at 9:15 p.m.

Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) will make the first defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title a “home game,” when he battles Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs), of Russia, tonight at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo. This marks the area’s first world championship fight featuring a local fighter since September 15, 2000 when former World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Stevie Johnston unsuccessfully challenged defending WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo, via majority draw, at Pepsi Center. Alvarado vs. Provodnikov will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. It will be the first time HBO has ever televised a fight live from Colorado.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. with the first bout starting at 5:30 p.m. local time.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Banner Promotions, in association with Tecate, Alvarado and Provodnikov enter this world title tilt fresh from Fight of the Year performances that took place in March, just two weeks apart from each other, and were televised on HBO. They boast a combined record of 56-3 (38 KOs) — a winning percentage of 95% and a victory by knockout ratio of 68%.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.banner-promotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/banner-promotions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/bannerboxing or twitter.com/hboboxing.

DENVER – The crowd was over capacity at the weighin, and so was light welterweight “Mile High” Mike Alvarado, the hometown favorite. A little bit of vigilance got the crowd back under capacity, and it worked for Alvarado’s weight too.

Friday at Diego’s Mexican Food & Cantina, a medium-sized eatery in the center of this city, Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) and Russian challenger Ruslan Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs) each made weight, eventually, for their Saturday title fight at 140 pounds. Provodnikov needed only one try to weigh 139.8. But Alvarado marked 141.1 on his first try, a pound over the contracted weight for their title match, left the restaurant, returned two hours later and marked 139.8.

Vulnerability is an odd thing to express in the leadup to a match considered by those who should know a certain candidate for 2013 fight of the year, one that pits Alvarado, whose match a year ago this week with Brandon Rios led 2012 fight-of-the-year polling till December, and Ruslan Provodnikov, whose March match with welterweight champion Timothy Bradley leads this year’s polling, but vulnerability is the very element both men showed in a recent episode of “Face Off with Max Kellerman” – admitting to fear and consciousness of how much their profession imperils them.

Odder still, this profession of fear, as neither man fights like he is aware there are consequences for collecting another man’s punches to the body and head. Alvarado is athletically gifted as any prizefighter, capable, that is, of employing reflex and coordination to offset other men’s offenses, serving thrice the abuse he collects, but he eschews prudence at most turns, planting instead and trading with men who haven’t another recourse. He did not do this at the beginning of his career, when he was on a short list of his promoter’s favorite prospects, but he does today because he is now 33 years-old, no longer fleet of foot as before, and watching what appear to be few grains of sand in an hourglass before his fighting- and lifestyles do him in.

Provodnikov understands the science of prizefighting, too, and understands them well enough not to employ them when to do so might surely benefit an opponent. Provodnikov figures to be the larger man in Saturday’s match, coming, as he is, down from 147 pounds to contest Alvarado’s light welterweight title.

But Alvarado struggled more mightily to make weight, needing almost exactly the allotted two hours after Friday’s official weighin to come in below 140. It is unlikely weight will affect either fighter; both men looked healthy and good from Friday’s cantina, a venue that was warm with bodies and entirely overstuffed with them as well, causing employees to begin citing fire marshals and capacity restrictions 15 minutes before the first fighters took the scale. Diego’s was long, not wide, and with barely a full door from which celebrities might escape, those unable to maneuver their ways inside had the consolation of HBO’s broadcasting crew and former champions like Juan Diaz and Acelino Freitas forced to pass within arms’ reach, availing themselves to many more photos than likely planned.

Boxing comprises many fights that should entertain but might not, last week’s match between Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez was a timely example, but Saturday’s fight is not one of those. Rather Alvarado-Provodnikov is a rarest spectacle: A fight that cannot help but be excellent before a partisan and boxing-starved crowd.

Doors open at 5:00 PM local time. 15rounds will have full ringside coverage.

It’s probably just a scheduling coincidence, but the suggestion is there Saturday night in HBO’s decision to air its beautifully-done Legendary Nights: The Tale Of Gatti-Ward after the Mike Alvarado-Ruslan Provodnikov fight in Denver.

Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward stands alone. Their three-fight rivalry is called a classic because it can’t be duplicated. But that doesn’t mean we can’t hope.

Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) is smart enough not to promise one in junior-welterweight bout he knows will be challenging enough against Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs), who is already on the ballot for a Fight of the Year contender with his dramatic loss to Timothy Bradley in March. Classics are good for history. But they aren’t easy on careers.

“When I sit here and think about it, it’s kind of scary,’’ Alvarado said when asked about the Gatti-Ward parallel during a conference call. “Those dudes about killed each other. That’s a big step. Those are some big names to categorize ourselves with. It’s an honor to be in that kind of fight. We’ll see what happens. I am ready to perform and show greatness.’’

HBO’s documentary of Gatti and Ward, also junior-welterweights, is a poignant portrayal of two fighters who will be forever tied together by the violence they shared. They were Blood Brothers in the truest sense of the term.

“We could see in front of our eyes this bond starting to form,’’ ringside analyst and philosopher Larry Merchant says during the film. “It was a bond of pain and respect, and it couldn’t be written in a script. It had to be seen live; seen happening in front of our eyes.’’

Alvarado-Provonikov is scheduled to begin at 9:45 p.m., ET/PT. The Ward-Gatti documentary will follow the bout, scheduled for 12 rounds. Other HBO dates for Ward-Gatti film are Oct. 21, Oct. 24, Oct. 26. Oct. 30 and Nov. 3.

NOTES
· One of the best lines in Ward-Gatti came from Kathy Duva, who promoted the late Gatti. “At one point, somebody said he was sort of boxing’s answer to The Grateful Dead,’’ she said. “You had this same group of people that kept coming over and over and over.’’

· Here’s a new guide for the pound-for-pound ratings: If Floyd Mayweather Jr. won’t fight them, they should be ranked. That means Manny Pacquiao stays in this corner’s top five. Also, it probably means Bradley belongs there. After his victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, Bradley said he should be No. 3. He also said he wanted Mayweather. Don’t see that happening. Bradley’s tactical mastery makes him a problematic opponent, even for Mayweather, who probably wouldn’t fight a Top Rank boxer anyway.

· Marquez trainer Nacho Beristain’s sour grapes about Bradley’s split-decision at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center were insulting and more. They didn’t ring true. When Marquez agreed to the fight, Beristain told Mexican media that he didn’t like the bout. He said Bradley had the kind of style that always gave Marquez trouble. Beristain was right. Yet, he whined anyway. Give me a break.

· During an informal session with media members before Bradley-Marquez on Oct. 14, Gennady Golovkin said he would still like to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., despite Chavez’ messy performance and inability to make the contracted weight, 168 pounds, in a controversial decision over Brian Vera. The weight question is ballooning into issue that could knock Chavez off Golovkin’s list of possibilities. Golovkin says he’ll fight anybody between junior-middleweight (154) and super-middle (168). But he doesn’t want to fight a cruiserweight (200).

· And Top Rank has scheduled onetime Phoenix prospect Jose Benavidez Jr.,17-0 as a junior-welterweight, for a comeback on Nov. 16 in Laughlin, Nev. An opponent has yet to be determined. Benavidez hasn’t fought since he was rocked in a victory by unanimous decision over Pavel Miranda a year ago in Carson, Calif. It’ll be his first fight since undergoing further surgery on a troublesome right hand.