Mike Alvarado wants to retire Juan Manuel Marquez on May 17th

By Jeff Sorby - 03/26/2014 - Comments

Former WBO light welterweight champion Mike Alvarado (34-2, 23 KO’s) wants to not only beat 40-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7-1, 40 KO’s) in their fight on May 17th, but also send Marquez into retirement. For Alvarado, it’s about redeeming himself from his recent 10th round stoppage loss at the hands of Ruslan Provodnikov and also doing it in a fashion where he sends Marquez into a permanent retirement. I guess it’s one of those two for the price of one deals.

“Redeeming myself and retiring the legend is even better,” Alvarado said to Radio Raheem. “I’m destined to be great. I’m good but I’m not better than good.”

The Alvarado-Marquez fight will take place at the Forum in Inglewood, California. The winner will get a shot against the winner of the April 12th fight between Manny Pacquiao and WBO welterweight champion. It’s one of those situations where all the fighters are promoted by the same promotional company, Top Rank, so the Alvarado-Marquez winner will get a shot at the winner of that fight.

As for why Alvarado wants to send Marquez into retirement instead of just beating him, it could be that it would validate his career if he knows he sent Marquez into retirement. I guess it’s something that would make Alvarado feel like he’s a really good fighter or something instead of it giving him the feeling that he beat and older and smaller fighter. Marquez started his career at featherweight, but he started moving up in weight while following Manny Pacquiao from weight class to weight class.

Alvarado was pretty well beaten in his last fight against Provodnikov. Alvarado tried to use movement to box his way to a decision like he’d done against Brandon Rios last year, but he ran out of gas and was halted. Alvarado looked like someone who was weight drained from making the 140lb limit. He probably should have moved up in weight to welterweight over a year ago instead of staying at the fight.

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Marquez lost his last fight to Bradley last October in losing a 12 round split decision. Marquez wants another shot at trying to win the WBO welterweight title. He’d like to face Bradley again if possible, but he’ll settle for a fifth fight against Pacquiao if he’s the one that emerges with the WBO title next month.

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