Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
This Saturday May 17, 2014, Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7-1, 40 KOs) takes on rising star Mike “Mile High” Alvarado (34-2, 23 KOs) at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The bout will be televised on HBO World Championship Boxing at 10:15 pm, EST.
For Marquez and Alvarado, this is a fight for redemption.
Both men are coming off of a critical loss, which may alter their career. For Marquez, after winning a definitive fight against Manny Pacquiao which elevated him to legendary status, he took a loss against Timothy Bradley that would have some wondering if retirement is near.
For Marquez, taking a loss against Alvarado could mean hanging them up for good. Marquez has had an amazing career and certainly has nothing left to prove.
He cemented his legacy and had the story book ending to top off his career when he knocked out Pacquiao, but he still fights on.
Screenshot by Round By Round Boxing
Perhaps he still feels he has the ability and strength to continue. Or maybe the allure of being the first Mexican born fighter to win a belt in five different weight divisions also plays a factor since the winner of this bout would likely be a candidate to fight against Pacquiao for the Welterweight title later on in the year.
In any case, a win for Marquez opens up other options where a 147-pound belt could be at stake.
As for Alvarado, after avenging his first loss against Brandon Rios, he met defeat at the hands of Ruslan Provodnikov who broke him down over 10 rounds.
Alvarado is very familiar with playing the underdog throughout his career, winning in brutal wars over the likes of Bredis Prescott, Mauricio Herrera and Brandon Rios have helped him elevate to the next level.
His fan friendly style has earned him a loyal following, which is still growing.
After proving himself time after time when adversity strikes, the devastating loss versus Provodnikov set him back greatly.
But now with a shot at upsetting Marquez, he could take his career to the elite level.
Both men claim that they will come better prepared this time around. According to both camps, there have been some changes in training.
Marquez shortened his camp to avoid over training and Alvarado moved his camp to avoid distractions.
For Marquez, this is the beginning of the last run in an already amazing career. For Alvarado, it’s the start of a chance to put his footprints amongst boxing’s elite.
In just a few days, we will find which road these two warriors will take once the bell rings and the smoke settles.
