2013 Prospect of the Year: Billy Joe Saunders

2013 Prospect of the Year: Billy Joe Saunders
Mark E. Ortega
December 27, 2013

A number of young fighters saw their unbeaten records receive their first blemishes, while other young prospects established themselves as potential future stars of the sport. Last year, I anointed Javier Fortuna my Prospect of the Year based on his youth and impressive victories, as well as the fact he maintained an active schedule. Those are all important when it comes to deciding my Prospect of the Year. Here is my choice as well as a few others who were worthy of consideration.

2013 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year - Gennady Golovkin

Breakthrough Fighter of 2013: Gennady Golovkin

Mark E. Ortega
December 25, 2013

A number of fighters enjoyed years in 2013 that may later be traced back to the beginning of their legacies. Here's who I deemed the breakthrough fighters of the year.

2013 Comeback Fighter of the Year - Kiko Martinez

2013 Comeback of the Year: Kiko Martinez

Mark E. Ortega

December 23, 2013

2013 saw a number of fighters being their careers back from the brink of irrelevance, making it more difficult than in other years to determine who had the biggest comeback.

Ironically, my choice for 2013's Comeback Fighter of the Year is a man who began the year in the losing column, and by knockout no less. Where he ended the year made it an intriguing and improbable run worthy of recognition.

Ten Worst Boxing Moments of 2013

Ten Worst Boxing Moments of 2013
Mark E. Ortega
December 20, 2013

Although many consider 2013 to have been a banner year for boxing, it wasn't always smooth sailing. The sport suffered from its fair share of scandal and controversy, not to mention in a few cases just some poor judgment and bad taste. Here I count down the ten worst moments the sport dealt with in 2013.

Hanford Sentinel: Ramirez rookie of the year mention

Local glance: Ramirez rookie of the year

By Sentinel Sports Staff

December 20, 2013

My blog post where I named Avenal, Calif.'s Jose Ramirez my 2013 Rookie of the Year was oddly picked up by a nearby paper to Ramirez, the Hanford Sentinel. Pretty cool.

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2013 Rookie of the Year - Jose Ramirez

2013 Boxing Rookie of the Year - Jose Ramirez
Mark E. Ortega
December 19, 2013


I've always wondered why boxing outlets never appoint a Rookie of the Year. To determine rookie status, a fighter must have turned professional in 2013. But, like in baseball, where if you didn't reach a certain amount of plate appearances, for this award you could qualify if you fought twice or less total in years previous.

With that in mind, I thought I would designate my own Rookie of the Year for 2013, adding a couple of honorable mentions.

Ten Favorite Sets of 2013 - Part One

Ten Favorite Sets of 2013 - Part One
Mark E. Ortega
December 18, 2013

In 2013, I had the opportunity and privilege to attend over a dozen concerts, including a two-day inaugural Las Vegas music festival where I saw about two dozen acts. It's the most amount of live music I've ever experienced in one calendar year and it gave me enough of a sample size to decide what my favorites were. With that in mind, I compiled a list of my ten favorite sets of 2013, starting with a few honorable mentions that didn't quite make the cut but were still worthy to discuss. The honorable mentions is where we will begin, and in separate posts, I'll go over the top ten in the coming days.

The Head and the Heart close 2013 solidly

Head and the Heart close 2013 solidly
Mark E. Ortega
Freelance
December 11, 2013

Photo by Ethan Shvartzman. More can be found here.

Seattle folk rock band The Head and The Heart played The Wiltern for the second time in less than a week, putting together sixteen songs that were well received by a near capacity audience on Tuesday night.

Sometimes, when a band plays the same venue in a short period, you worry they're not going to bring it as much on the second night. There was no disappointment as the eclectic folk group brought their best.

Lissie kills it at the Fonda

Lissie kills it at the Fonda
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com

December 10, 2013

Last night at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, burgeoning singer/songwriter Lissie paid homage both to her hometown of Rock Island, Ill., as well as her former Beachwood Canyon stomping grounds as her and her band enthusiastically rifled through a 17-song set.

Playing tracks that are mostly off her recently released Back To Forever album, Lissie showcased her vocal ability across tracks that both rocked  and ones that broke your heart, often times simultaneously. She proved that her unique voice transcends to a live show, and in fact sounds better than it does on her studio records.

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For the full setlist, click here: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/lissie/2013/the-fonda-theatre-hollywood-ca-53c40375.html

For a video of Lissie covering Kid Cusi's "Pursuit of Happiness" from this show, click here: http://youtu.be/3Dqa9ej_t3M

Anthony Mundine outjabs Mosley but ending leaves fans unsatisfied

Anthony Mundine outjabs Mosley but ending leaves fans unsatisfied
Mark E. Ortega
Aus-boxing.com
November 27, 2013



Anthony Mundine became the first to officially stop Shane Mosley in Sydney on Wednesday, but it’s unclear whether or not the win should be credited to the Australian fighter or to Father Time after the fight came to an end after six rounds.

Mundine (45-5, 27 KOs) was no doubt in control of the bout at the time of the stoppage, due mostly to a simple jab. The best action took place in the fourth as both guys were rocked, but Mundine dominated nearly every minute of the fight simply because he could move. Mosley (47-9-1, 39 KOs) was in obvious pain almost from the outset, and at 42 years old, the first stoppage defeat of his career could, and hopefully will spell the end of an illustrious Hall of Fame career.

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Ward dominates Rodriguez in return

Ward dominates Rodriguez in return
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
November 19, 2013


ONTARIO, Calif. – Despite more than a year away from the ring, Oakland super middleweight champion Andre Ward returned to his dominant self, nearly shutting out the previously unbeaten Edwin Rodriguez over twelve lopsided rounds on Saturday night at the Citizens Business Bank Arena.

The bout was televised live by HBO and saw Ward (27-0, 14 knockouts) prove yet again why he is one of the two or three best fighters in the world.

When the first bell rang, Rodriguez (24-1, 16 KOs) charged hard at Ward in an attempt to catch him off guard. Rodriguez was aggressive throughout the contest, but Ward was always able to use that aggression against him as he landed clean counter punches on a regular basis.

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Andre Ward returns after layoff

Andre Ward returns after layoff
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
November 14, 2013


It’ll have been 14 months since Oakland’s Andre Ward (26-0, 14 knockouts) looked across the ring at an opponent looking to dethrone him from his position as the king of the super middleweight division when he meets Edwin Rodriguez (24-0, 16 KOs) on Saturday night in an HBO televised affair.

Oakland’s Ward, who also boasts being the last American boxer to win Olympic gold back in the 2004 Games, will meet a younger opponent for the first time in six years.

Rodriguez, a Dominican who hails from Worcester, Mass., is just a year younger than Ward but enters this weekend’s contest with less wear and tear than the favorite. Ward has faced the division’s top guys since first winning a 168-pound title four years ago, almost to the day. With that, Ward has accrued a number of injuries, including a recent shoulder injury that kept him sidelined all of 2013

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Cults a bit uneven at El Rey

Cults a bit uneven at El Rey
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com

November 13, 2013

Tuesday night at the sold out El Rey Theatre, burgeoning New York band Cults rifled through songs at a brisk pace in front of an enthusiastic Los Angeles crowd.

At times, vocalist Madeline Follist was difficult to make out, but the sound improved as the gig moved forward.

Coming off their critically acclaimed album Static, released just last month, Cults is midway through their tour to support it. Upon hearing them play a fourteen song set, it's clear to this writer they haven't yet been able to translate their indie pop sound from the studio to the stage. 

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Donaire returns to the ring

Donaire returns to the ring
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
November 7, 2013


San Leandro, Calif., boxer Nonito Donaire returns to the ring on Saturday in a new weight division, but will look across the ring at a familiar foe while doing so.

Donaire (31-2, 20 knockouts) is coming off an April defeat to Guillermo Rigondeaux, his first loss in almost a decade. Donaire was dealing with a slew of personal matters, including his wife Rachel being pregnant with their first child, who was born a few months ago.

Now refocused, Donaire will face Vic Darchinyan (39-5-1, 28 KOs) in a 126-pound fight that will be part of a triple header televised by HBO. These two last met in July of 2007, where the five-to-one underdog Donaire knocked out Darchinyan in the fifth round with a wicked check hook. That victory launched Donaire, who won 13 straight across four weight divisions prior to the loss to Rigondeaux.

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November East Coast Prospect of the Month: Karl Dargan

November East Coast Prospect of the Month: Karl Dargan
Mark E. Ortega
BehindTheGloves.com
November 1, 2013

Philadelphia lightweight Karl Dargan turned pro in 2007. It's safe to say after talking with him that he wished he had more than 13 professional fights over the last seven years, but the inactivity is just about the only thing that's held him back from breaking through.

East Coast based promotional company Main Events saw that Dargan was being undervalued and under appreciated and snagged him earlier this year. Dargan will fight Nov. 16 against unheralded but unbeaten Michael Brooks in a fight that will air on NBC Sports.

I saw Dargan early in his pro career as he fought in San Jose, Calif., in his third bout. Trainer Nazim Richardson was with him and spoke to me about Dargan, promising that he had the potential to be a future champ. Richardson did disclose that he is in fact related to Dargan, being his cousin.

Dargan made it clear their relationship is a close one, calling Nazim more of an uncle than a cousin when talking to Behind The Gloves on the phone while getting ready for his fight

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November West Coast Prospect of the Month: Jose Ramirez

November West Coast Prospect of the Month: Jose Ramirez
Mark E. Ortega
BehindTheGloves.com
November 1, 2013


It’s not a huge surprise that a former Olympian is able to sell out a 3,000 seat arena as the headliner of a card that will take place near his hometown.

It is surprising that the fight became a sellout three weeks before the fight is set to take place. Even more of a surprise is the fighter in question is only 6-0, Avenal, Calif.’s Jose Ramirez.

The 21-year old Ramirez will headline a Nov. 9 card at Golden Eagle Arena, located on the West Hills College campus in Lemoore, Calif. The card will be televised on UniMas’ SoloBoxeo and is being promoted by Ramirez’s handlers, Top Rank.

Ramirez has made headlines ever since turning professional last December following an appearance at the 2012 Olympic games in the lightweight division. It is evident that Top Rank CEO Bob Arum is very high on the kid. Whenever Ramirez fights on a major undercard, Ramirez always manages to have a spot on the dais at the press conference.

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Commentary: Calling Alvarado a ‘quitter’ is unfair

Commentary: Calling Alvarado a ‘quitter’ is unfair
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 21, 2013


When Tony Weeks went to the corner of Mike Alvarado at the completion of the 10th round during his WBO 140-pound title defense against Ruslan Provodnikov, the veteran referee gave Alvarado every opportunity to continue.

Alvarado's trainer Rudy Hernandez made it clear that he was intent on stopping the fight, though he gave Alvarado multiple opportunities to say he wanted to continue.

Alvarado stayed quiet. By definition, he quit.

However, for fans and critics to question Alvarado's manhood and heart afterwards is where a line should be drawn.

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Mosley-Mundine likely off

Mosley-Mundine likely off
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 21, 2013


A source close to the situation has indicated that the junior middleweight bout between Shane Mosley and Anthony Mundine, set to happen Wednesday in Australia, is likely off.

The source told RingTV.com on Monday afternoon that the promoter, in this case, Vlad Wharton, breached the contract and that Mosley would not be fighting.

The Daily Telegraph reported early Tuesday that the bout was in peril, claiming that Mosley wanted a sizable percentage of his purse to be paid up front, as there was concern the money wouldn't arrive otherwise.

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Shane Mosley Pulls Out of Mundine Fight

Shane Mosley Pulls Out of Mundine Fight
Mark E. Ortega
Aus-Boxing.com
October 21, 2013


Wednesday’s junior middleweight clad between Anthony Mundine and Shane Mosley is off after Mosley’s side demanded a sizable percentage of his guaranteed purse be paid up front.

The condition wasn’t met and Mosley flew out of Sydney airport at 11am this morning with his team.

Ticket sales hadn’t gone as well as they were expected to, with an estimated 2,000 seats or so being sold with just a few days left to go. Mosley didn’t turn up at the early press conference and has declined to speak with the media.

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Provodnikov wears down Alvarado to stoppage

Provodnikov wears down Alvarado to stoppage
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 19, 2013


BROOMFIELD, Colo. – When Mike Alvarado tasted the canvas twice in the eighth round Saturday night, a weight must have lifted from Artie Pelullo’s shoulders. Challenger Ruslan Provodnikov, whom Pelullo promotes, had opened up what was to that point a close fight on the scorecards.

Twice this year, Pelullo fighters wound up on the losing end of close decisions against fighters promoted by Top Rank. First, in March, Provodnikov lost a close decision to Timothy Bradley in a Fight of the Year candidate. Last month, Bryan Vera lost a highly disputed decision to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., in a fight that was unfair before the bell even rang.

Though all the officials for Saturday’s main event were from outside the state of Colorado, where Alvarado resides, each of the first seven rounds were extremely close and could have gone either way.

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Diaz rust-free in win over Santiago

Diaz rust-free in win over Santiago
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 19, 2013


BROOMFIELD, Colo. – Former unified lightweight champion Juan Diaz has fully shaken off the rust from a two-and-a-half year layoff that came to an end earlier this year.

In the third fight of his comeback in the co-feature to Mike Alvarado-Ruslan Provodnikov on Saturday night, Diaz met unheralded Juan Santiago (14-11-1, 8 KOs) of Del Norte, Colo., in a ten-round bout that took place at 136 pounds, just one pound north of where he achieved his greatest success, and came away with a clear unanimous-decision win.

From the opening bell, Diaz jumped on the much taller Santiago, utilizing the pressure style that made him a fan-friendly fighter during the peak of his powers.

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Diaz continues comeback on Alvarado-Provodnikov undercard

Diaz continues comeback on Alvarado-Provodnikov undercard
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 18, 2013


After a tough two-year stretch that saw him suffer losses in three out of four bouts, former unified lightweight titleholder Juan Diaz took a break from boxing in 2010 following a unanimous decision rematch loss to Juan Manuel Marquez.

A return to the ring the following year was nothing more than a false start as Diaz pulled out of a proposed ESPN2 fight, announcing his retirement from the ring instead.

Diaz, who turned 30 just a few weeks ago, fights on Saturday on the untelevised undercard of the much-anticipated junior welterweight title clash between Mike Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov. His opponent is the unheralded Juan Santiago.

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Frampton in search of bigger challenges

Frampton in search of bigger challenges
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 18, 2013


After an impressive 2012 campaign that included a sixth-round stoppage over former titleholder Steve Molitor, it appeared as though big things were right around the corner for RING #3 rated junior featherweight Carl Frampton.

Five months later, Frampton faced his stiffest test in capturing the European title from Kiko Martinez, ultimately pasting him to the canvas with a perfect right hand after a well-timed step back in the ninth round.

Yet it was Martinez who fought for a world title in August in Atlantic City, not Frampton. The tough Spaniard proceeded to break down the incumbent Jhonatan Romero on the way to a knockout win, becoming one of the sport’s unlikeliest of champions.

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Garcia clarifies Chavez Jr. arrangement

Garcia clarifies Chavez Jr. arrangement
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 17, 2013


It was just a few weeks ago that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. had every conceivable advantage against Bryan Vera in an HBO-televised bout in Carson, Calif. Chavez Jr. needed the benefit of the doubt from the three ringside judges in order to earn a unanimous decision.

That's applying the loosest form of the definition of the word “earn.” Fight score collector Bobby Hunter tallied 59 media scores after the fight and found that none of them scored the fight for Chavez Jr. Six people scored the fight a draw while 53 found it in favor of Vera.

The poor performance by Chavez Jr. came in his first fight without Freddie Roach since the loss to Sergio Martinez last September on pay-per-view. He had his famous father helping in the corner on fight night, but it was clear that was just a quick fix as they likely anticipated a less game opponent than Vera turned out to be.

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Bits & Pieces: Provodnikov likely to go without Roach

Bits & Pieces: Provodnikov likely to go without Roach
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 17, 2013


At Ruslan Provodnikov's media day at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood a few weeks ago, the esteemed trainer told RingTV.com that he'd be in the corner on fight night against Mike Alvarado. The fight takes place on Saturday night in Broomfield, Colorado, close to Alvarado's Denver home. HBO will televise.

“Manny [Pacquiao] has given me permission to go,” said Roach, referring to the fact he'd have to leave Pacquiao's camp in the Philippines in order to make it out to Denver for the fight.

“I'm going to be able to make the fight by a little bit and then I'll have to leave right away. I don't know exactly how that is going to play out yet.”

Reports since have indicated that Roach will in fact not be in the corner on fight night and that Provodnikov will instead have assistant Marvin Somodio working the corner on fight night.

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Vargas outpoints Narh, Magdaleno stops Hidalgo in three

Vargas outpoints Narh, Magdaleno stops Hidalgo in three
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 12, 2013


On the eve of tonight’s highly anticipated welterweight showdown between Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, a free show was held at the same venue that fight will take place at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Earning a stay busy victory in the night's main event was welterweight Jessie Vargas, who won a hard fought ten round unanimous decision over Ray Narh.

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Boxing weekend in Roseville

Boxing weekend in Roseville
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
October 10, 2013


With Andre Ward, Nonito Donaire, and Robert Guerrero the established names on the Northern California boxing circuit, the region is in search of new young up and coming talent to climb the ranks.

Saturday night at the Placer County Fair and Events Center in Roseville, Calif., a number of talented young fighters from the area will showcase their talents in competitively matched four and six round bouts.

Headlining the card is standout junior welterweight prospect Aaron Coley of Hayward, who meets Mike Alexander of Antioch in a six-round bout.

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Weight won’t be a problem for Provodnikov, says Roach

Weight won’t be a problem for Provodnikov, says Roach
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 8, 2013


Freddie Roach has been busy the past few weeks and he will stay busy with charges Ruslan Provonikov and Manny Pacquiao. Last Saturday, Roach helped Miguel Cotto get an easy third-round TKO of Delvin Rodriguez. Next Saturday in Denver, Provodnikov will be a slight underdog when he meets Mike Alvarado in a 140-pound bout on HBO.

Provonikov is coming off a strong challenge against Timothy Bradley in March in what is currently one of the leading Fight of the Year candidates. Many fans have circled Alvarado-Provodnikov on their calendars as being another one of the year's best action fights. RingTV.com spoke to Roach last week about Provodnikov's preparation.

After successfully campaigning at 140 pounds, Provodnikov challenged Bradley at the 147-pound welterweight limit. Coming back down in weight can be an arduous task for some, but Roach made it clear he doesn't expect too much of a problem.

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Ward-Rodriguez bout set

Ward-Rodriguez bout set
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
October 6, 2013


It will have been fourteen months when undefeated super middleweight champion and Bay Area native Andre Ward steps into the ring again, but a date and opponent have finally been set.

Ward will meet unbeaten rising contender Edwin Rodriguez at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif., as part of an HBO telecast. Ward appeared in the squared circle last September when he stopped reigning light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson in Oakland at the Oracle Arena.

Ward is returning from a right shoulder injury that he had surgery on in the early part of the year. Initially, he was slated to face former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, but multiple delays lead to the eventual cancellation of the fight and a search for a new opponent.

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Lampley discusses Chavez-Vera, bad scoring

Lampley discusses Chavez-Vera, bad scoring
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
October 1, 2013


Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. earned a highly disputable 10-round unanimous decision over Bryan Vera on Saturday in Carson, Calif. The "victory" by scores of 96-94, 97-93 and 98-92 was seen on HBO in the U.S. and followed a circus in which Chavez Jr.’s side negotiated a new weight mid-fight week after showing up heavy.

Few were as close to the action on Saturday than HBO commentator Jim Lampley, who spoke with RingTV.com briefly about the result after the fight.

“I don't like to keep a score while calling a fight,” said Lampley shortly after wrapping up the broadcast.

“I thought (unofficial HBO judge) Steve Weisfeld's score of 96-94 was entirely justifiable. A draw wouldn't have surprised me. 98-92 is way off base. It just wasn't that kind of a fight; 97-93 doesn't seem right to me either.”

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Commentary: Chavez-Vera and the question of fighter safety

Chavez-Vera and the question of fighter safety
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 27, 2013

Mark E. Ortega

Saturday night, it is still expected that a boxing match will take place between former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and current WBO #1 middleweight contender Brian Vera.

Despite their current standings as 160 pounders, the fight was due to take place at the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds after being delayed and moved from earlier contract weights in the mid-160s.

Early in fight week, it became clear that Chavez Jr. was not going to make the contracted 168 pound limit. Though a serious infraction, promoter Bob Arum made a joke of it at Wednesday's press conference, saying it would be the first time a fight's weight wasn't decided until the fighters weighed in.

The fight has since been negotiated to a new weight of 173 pounds. Neither fighter has previously fought at the weight. Vera has fought at 168 pounds in the past, most notably during season two of The Contender. Vera was stopped in two rounds by Jaidon Codrington as part of the tournament.

Though the fight has been renegotiated and Vera has no doubt been financially compensated, there's still a concern of fighter safety at hand.

"My first concern is Brian's safety," said Vera's manager Dave Watson after Wednesday's press conference.

Watson believes that Chavez's lack of professionalism is beneficial to his own fighter.

"The best position we could be in is for him to be overlooking us," said Watson. 

"Chavez is the favorite, is already talking about fighting [Andre] Ward. Brian operates better when he is the underdog and has something to prove. This is gonna be the upset of the year."

Ronnie Shields, who trains Vera, confirmed to Boxingscene's Rick Reeno yesterday that the fight was renegotiated at 173 pounds.

When Shields spoke to RingTV after Wednesday's press conference, he expressed concern about the situation.

"It changes things a lot," said Shields. "You're talking about a kid's health. It's different fighting a guy that's supposed to be 168 pounds who could end up being 200 pounds."

It has been reported that there is no maximum weight stipulation on the day of the fight for Chavez Jr. When contacted by RingTV on Thursday afternoon, Vera's promoter Artie Pellulo wouldn't confirm.

"I can't share any of those details at the present time, you'll know at the weigh-in," Pellulo told RingTV.

If there is no maximum weight stipulation, the fight becomes even more dangerous. Vera could be outweighed by close to 30 pounds on Saturday night.

This circus surrounding the weight has a few similarities to last July's bout between Adrien Broner and Vicente Escobedo. 

Broner missed the 130 pound limit at the weigh-in and was supposed to weigh no more than ten pounds above that weight the day of the fight. He missed that target as well and the fight was in peril up until a few hours prior to the fight.

Escobedo took the fight after receiving an additional $300,000, more money than Escobedo had ever previously earned. The result was a foregone conclusion, Escobedo was mauled in an early stoppage. The emotional release from Escobedo in his post-fight interview that night showed a fighter that wasn't mentally prepared for a fight that night due to all the mess that came before it.

On Thursday afternoon, RingTV caught up with Escobedo's manager Rolando Arellano to talk about that situation last July.

When asked if he would go through with the fight if he could do it all over, Arellano said, "Absolutely."

"We got him more money than he was ever paid before and we saved face politically with all of the people involved," said Arellano. 

Since the defeat to Broner, Escobedo has fought twice in 2013. Against former title challenger Edner Cherry as well as unheralded Fernando Carcamo, Escobedo was stopped.

"Chente has been on a decline ever since but I don't think it is a direct result from the Broner fight."

Though Escobedo was paid handsomely to serve as a sacrificial lamb last Saturday, how much did it potentially cost him after the fact?

Like Vera, Broner was ranked #1 in the WBO before facing Broner. Once Broner moved up, Escobedo would have been in line to fight for the vacant title. Though there was no bigger payday available than what he got against Broner, the 130 pound division was thin at the time and Escobedo could have potentially won a belt and gotten a few defenses, extending his career. Now, it looks as though that career is nearing an end.

These are the kinds of questions Vera and his team must keep in mind as he prepares to go into the ring on Saturday. Surely, the deep pockets of Chavez Jr.'s handlers have rewarded him for the physical risks he will endure.

Vera's style of fighting has him absorb his opponent's best shots as he tries to wear them down. Trainer Shields told RingTV that they've focused on his defense and head movement for this fight, but it's hard for an old dog to learn new tricks at this stage.

Vera and his team have all said this is clearly the best camp he has ever had in preparing for a fight. One can only hope that it isn't all for nothing and that we avoid seeing a sad result on Saturday.

HBO Sports boss divulges Legendary Nights details

HBO Sports boss divulges Legendary Nights details
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 27, 2013


HBO Sports president Ken Hershman confirmed some details about the upcoming Legendary Nights documentary based on the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward trilogy while in Los Angeles for the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Bryan Vera fight.

“It'll air on Oct. 19 after the fight between Mike Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov,” Hershman told RingTV.com on Friday after Chavez Jr. and Vera weighed in ahead of tomorrow's fight in Carson, Calif.

It'll be the first installment of the acclaimed series since the first set of episodes ran in 2003. Incidentally, Gatti and Ward waged 30 rounds of war against each other between 2002 and 2003 before becoming the best of friends. Now a decade removed from the fights and the last run of Legendary Nights, it could be considered perfect timing for the series' return.

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Mayfield Ready For Top Rank Debut

Mayfield Ready For Top Rank Debut
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
September 26, 2013


It’s been a long and sometimes difficult road for San Francisco junior welterweight contender Karim Mayfield on his way up.

Boxing is a sport that, for many people, plays out as a real-life version of the old board game “Chutes and Ladders.” Just when you think you’re on the verge of taking that step into the big time, something sets you back.

For Mayfield, 31, it’s never been a professional loss that’s kept him from breaking through. In eighteen contests as a paid pugilist, the Bay Area native has never lost.

Instead, Mayfield, who grew up in San Francisco’s famed Fillmore district, has been hampered by inactivity and out of the ring issues ever since turning pro in June of 2006.

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Col. Bob chasing 1,000, back in the swing of things

Col. Bob chasing 1,000, back in the swing of things
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 19, 2013


There's Pete Rose's 4,256 career hits. Cal Ripken Jr.'s "iron man" streak of 2,632 consecutive games played. Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points in a single game. All of these records are considered largely unbreakable.

But perhaps the record least likely to be broken resides in the sweet science. It doesn't have to do with the guys landing the blows, either, but the man calling them.

Colonel Bob Sheridan has called 952 world championship fights through this past Saturday’s huge pay-per-view card headlined by Floyd Mayweather Jr. against Saul Alvarez. Even in an era where world titles are handed out like call-girl flyers on the Las Vegas Strip, the likelihood of anyone approaching that number is extremely slim.

Sheridan has endured a number of ups and downs, most of them related to his health. The Colonel has bounced back nicely from his sixth heart attack and has a new lease on life after undergoing a triple bypass in mid-July. He now has his sights set on calling an unprecedented 1,000 championship fights.

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Mayweather Jr. takes young Alvarez to school

Mayweather Jr. takes young Alvarez to school
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
September 17, 2013


LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather Jr. was so dominant against Saul Alvarez on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena that he may have cost himself some money down the line.

Though the official verdict will be recorded as a majority decision, there’s no question that Mayweather (45-0, 26 knockouts) was masterful in his victory over Alvarez.

Billed as the biggest fight in a long time, Mayweather overcame the youthful Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KOs) with much ease. That has erased a possible rematch from the immediate future, leaving a gaping question as to who will step up next when Mayweather elects to return, which could come as early as next May.

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Vegas insanity: Fans flock to Mayweather-Alvarez weigh-in

Vegas insanity: Fans flock to Mayweather-Alvarez weigh-in
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 13, 2013


Saturday’s pay-per-view card headlined by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez has been generating an unbelievable buzz in Las Vegas since early in fight week. The turnout for Friday’s weigh-in is something that had to be seen to be believed.

Passionate boxing fans camped out at the entrance to the MGM Grand Garden Arena as early as midnight and the line stretched well into where the food court sits, about half a football field away.

“We haven’t been asleep for 27 hours,” said a Mayweather fan named Tiffany, who was wearing shirt emblazoned with "The One." “It’s pure adrenaline that’s keeping us awake.”

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Porter wins rematch with Diaz; Jack and Periban fight to draw

Porter wins rematch with Diaz; Jack and Periban fight to draw
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 12, 2013


LAS VEGAS – Former lightweight titleholder Julio Diaz will fight his slip into gatekeeper status kicking and screaming as evidenced by the effort he put up in losing a unanimous decision to undefeated Shawn Porter on Thursday night in a ballroom of the MGM Grand.

The 10-round fight, which was televised on Fox Sports 2, was a rematch. In December, Porter and Diaz fought to a draw that most felt was edged by the veteran fighter. Perhaps people leaned Diaz's way because they were shocked at the tremendous effort he put forth as well as taking into consideration the fact that most had written him off following a bad knockout loss to Kendall Holt the year before.

Diaz gave his career new life in the draw with Porter and subsequent close loss to Amir Khan in March. In the meantime, Porter easily decisioned unbeaten but lightly regarded Phil Lo Greco earlier in May.

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Getting ready for Mayweather & Alvarez

Getting ready for Mayweather & Alvarez
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
September 12, 2013


LAS VEGAS – If Tuesday’s grand arrivals are any indication of what’s in store later in the week, Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn’t know what he was signing up for when he agreed to face 23-year old Mexican superstar Saul Alvarez this Saturday at the MGM Grand.

Mayweather and Alvarez’s fight takes place on the weekend of Mexican Independence Day. Mayweather has a long history of fighting Mexican fighters, usually around the time of either that holiday or Cinco de Mayo.

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Jean signs co-promotional deal with Golden Boy, eyes Peterson fight

Jean signs co-promotional deal with Golden Boy, eyes Peterson fight
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 11, 2013


Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told RingTV.com on Wednesday that they've reached a deal to co-promote junior welterweight contender Dierry Jean alongside Canada-based Eye of the Tiger Promotions, Jean's current promoter.

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Bits & Pieces: Bradley's trainer weighs in on Marquez fight

Bits & Pieces: Bradley's trainer weighs in on Marquez fight
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 10, 2013


In attendance at Saturday’s card in Indio, Calif., was trainer Joel Diaz, who has a big fight coming up next month as he prepares Timothy Bradley to face Juan Manuel Marquez.

A lot of people are arguing that Bradley will have a hard time coming off the rough fight he had with Ruslan Provodnikov in March (recently voted best fight of the year so far in a RingTV poll). Diaz explained to RingTV why that fight was difficult and why it won’t affect him in October.

“One of the biggest reasons he got hurt in the last fight is that he blew up to 185 pounds due to the injuries to his feet [from the Manny Pacquiao fight last June],” said Diaz.

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De La Hoya admits himself into rehab, will miss Saturday's fight

De La Hoya admits himself into rehab, will miss Saturday's fight
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 10, 2013


Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions, has announced he will miss the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Canelo Alvarez fight Saturday in Las Vegas because he will be in rehab.

De La Hoya has had ongoing problems with substance abuse. Alvarez is his company’s star attraction.

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A mention in the New Yorker

Much to my surprise, on Sept. 9, 2013, my name got a mention in a boxing piece done by Kelefa Sanneh of The New Yorker.

If I had placed a prop bet on my name ever getting in there, it would have paid in the range of 20,000-to-one. Pretty cool.

Here's the excerpt:

Suffice it to say that, during the past few decades, boxing fans have become, like Mayweather in the ring, rather defensive. The sport they love has regularly been pronounced dead, and somehow the regularity of this pronouncement has had the effect of increasing, rather than decreasing, their sensitivity to it. Kevin Iole, who covers boxing for Yahoo! Sports, found Wilbon and Kornheiser guilty of “pure laziness.” Mark Ortega, on the Web site of The Ring, criticized their “limited knowledge” of the sport. And Dan Rafael, ESPN’s indispensible boxing reporter, took to Twitter to declare his colleagues “ignorant and/or lazy,” adding, “I declare afternoon sports talk banter dead.”

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Arreola KOs Mitchell in one

Arreola KOs Mitchell in one
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 7, 2013

All throughout the buildup to their fight, Chris Arreola disparaged Seth Mitchell as not being in his league.

Saturday night in their Showtime headlining bout in Indio, Calif., Arreola followed through on those statements, serving up his most impressive victory to date with a first-round knockout.

Arreola (35-3, 31 knockouts), of Riverside, Calif., had Mitchell badly hurt in the first 30 seconds, but the former Michigan State linebacker used his old tackling skills to stay in it as the two hit the mat. Mitchell didn't have the benefit of a timeout, though, and Arreola took advantage, scoring an official knockdown soon after.

Referee Jack Reiss took a close look at Washington, D.C.'s Mitchell (26-2-1, 19 KOs) before letting the fight continue. Arreola jumped on Mitchell and battered him with an assortment of power shots, giving Reiss no choice but to stop it.

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Commentary: Boxing is dead? Again?

Boxing is dead? Again?
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 6, 2013


Boxing fans who tuned in Thursday afternoon to ESPN’s debate show Pardon the Interruption collectively shuddered when hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon declared the sport one fight away from being dead.

It should come as no surprise, though. Whenever a big fight looms the way next Saturday’s bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez does, casual followers of the sport kick in their two cents on the state of the game.

“He’s the last headliner out there in professional boxing,” stated Wilbon about Mayweather.

“What other names do you know? You know the Klitschko name, that’s it. Who else do you know,” said Kornheiser.

“He’s the last guy out there for a sport that’s all but dead,” said Wilbon. “This is it. It’s over for boxing after this.”

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Arreola ready for do-or-die fight against Mitchell

Arreola ready for do-or-die fight against Mitchell
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 5, 2013


An intriguing heavyweight crossroads bout takes place on Saturday as former title challenger Chris Arreola meets once-beaten but less experienced standout Seth Mitchell in a Showtime-televised main event at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

For Arreola, it is the final opportunity to break through in a career that has had many squandered opportunities.

Over what will amount to a 10-year career on Sept. 5, Arreola has yet to notch a victory over a top-10 heavyweight. Despite this fact, he fought on HBO seven times after scoring a TKO against Damian Wills on the November 2006 pay-per-view undercard of Floyd Mayweather-Carlos Baldomir.

A loss for Arreola would undoubtedly cast him into the discard pile of American heavyweight hype jobs, as well as force Southern Californian to consider another line of work, in his own words.

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More humble, maybe, but still the same Mayweather

More humble, maybe, but still the same Mayweather
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 4, 2013


It’s true that ever since he served his 87-day jail sentence, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has seemed much more humble.

For his fight this past May, Mayweather was more accommodating to the media than most veterans ever recall him being. That has carried over to his fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, which takes place next Saturday.

But whatever gains have been made in humility, there are still remnants of the old Mayweather. During his media day in August, he took his time getting a haircut before jumping into the ring for his workout. On Wednesday’s conference call, he held things up for about fifteen minutes, and then dropped off the call a number of times while answering a question. He also took off a few minutes early after Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe claimed his phone had died.

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No problem with judges selected for Mayweather-Canelo

No problem with judges selected for Mayweather-Canelo
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 4, 2013


The Nevada State Athletic Commission announced the officials for next Saturday’s junior middleweight championship between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez.

The referee will be respected veteran Kenny Bayless, a selection the boxing public responded to positively.

The three judges will be Dave Moretti, CJ Ross and Craig Metcalfe. Moretti and Ross both hail from Las Vegas while Metcalfe is the neutral judge from Alberta, Canada.

When asked about the appointed officials on Wednesday’s conference call, Mayweather seemed fine with the selection.

“Kenny Bayless is a great referee who’s going to let us fight,” said Mayweather. “He’s not for the bulls__t. He treats every fighter fair.”

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Q&A: Merchant on Mayweather-Canelo, Zou Shiming

Q&A: Merchant on Mayweather-Canelo, Zou Shiming
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 3, 2013


After a quiet Labor Day weekend, RingTV.com contributor Mark E. Ortega got in touch with legendary analyst Larry Merchant on Tuesday afternoon via phone. Merchant gave his thoughts on the highly anticipated fight next Saturday between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez, along with his thoughts on Chinese amateur star-turned-pro Zou Shiming and his impact on the sport.

RingTV: Obviously, there’s a pretty big fight coming up between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez. I’m curious, if Canelo were able to pull off the victory, where would you rank that among the biggest wins in Mexican boxing history?

Larry Merchant: It would certainly be a major earthquake for many fans, and for Mexican fans it would be a huge event because prizefighting is so important to them. They, in fact, discovered and anointed Canelo to be their next superstar, so it would be a very big deal.

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Collazo re-emerges with victory over Sanchez

Collazo re-emerges with victory over Sanchez
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 2, 2013


When Luis Collazo was fighting championship fights on HBO, Alan Sanchez was barely old enough to drive a car and hadn’t fought as a professional yet.

That experience helped guide the battle-tested Collazo (34-5, 17 knockouts) to a unanimous-decision victory over the ten-year younger Sanchez (12-3-1, 6 KOs) in their ten-round main event on Fox Sports 1’s second Monday night broadcast.

The two felt each other out in the opening round, but Collazo showed his sharpness early, landing straight lefts regularly. Sanchez didn’t open up until a few rounds later, and began landing straight right hands, though Collazo would occasionally land a pretty counter.

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Sanchez gets called up to the majors

Sanchez gets called up to the majors
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
September 1, 2013


When Luis Collazo first won a world title by beating Jose Antonio Rivera by unanimous decision in 2005, Fairfield’s Alan Sanchez wasn’t even old enough to drive, being just fourteen years old.

While Collazo had fought names like Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, and Andre Berto in fights all televised by HBO by 2009, Sanchez had yet to fight a professional bout.

It’ll be Collazo who Sanchez looks across the ring at on Monday night when the two fight in the ten-round main event of Fox Sports One’s new Monday night boxing program. The show emanates from San Antonio, Tex.

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September East Coast Prospect of the Month: Glen Tapia

September East Coast Prospect of the Month: Glen Tapia
Mark E. Ortega
BehindTheGloves.com
September 1, 2013


When Glen Tapia met Abie Han in an ESPN2 Friday Night Fights co-feature, the jury was still out on whether the Top Rank handled fighter was a prospect to keep an eye on.

To that point, Tapia (19-0, 11 KOs) was largely untested as well as buried on the untelevised portion of cards. Top Rank out him against Han, another untested and unbeaten prospect, in order to figure out what they had.

After eight brutal rounds, Top Rank found out they had two gutsy young fighters with tons of heart. It was Tapia who emerged the victor after battering a bloodied Han around the ring in a fight that stole the attention from a competitive main event.

It's no coincidence that Tapia is from New Jersey and idolized the late Arturo Gatti, who was the king of Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall after building a career full of Fight of the Year winners.

"How could you not love him?" said Tapia to me the day before his war with Han.

"So much heart, so much intensity. I feel I have that same intensity and hope to prove it in the ring."

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September West Coast Prospect of the Month: Luis Arias

September West Coast Prospect of the Month: Luis Arias
Mark E. Ortega
BehindTheGloves.com
September 1, 2013

Super middleweight prospect Luis Arias has a bit more weight on his shoulders than most fighters with less than ten professional fights.

Arias is a member of Mayweather Promotions, also know as "The Money Team". He's one of the youngest members of the stable and will be the first fighter they attempt to build from professional debut to world champion.

Basically, he's their trial and error. Building a champion isn't easy. To put into perspective, it took Golden Boy Promotions nine years for Abner Mares to become their first homegrown champion.

To his credit, Arias doesn't seem bothered by the task.

"Being part of Mayweather Promotions is its own pressure," Arias told Behind The Gloves last week.

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Bits & Pieces: Ali makes GBP debut, Tomlinson moves to L.A.

Bits & Pieces: Ali makes GBP debut, Tomlinson moves to L.A.
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 30, 2013


Ali makes Golden Boy debut Sept. 30

2008 U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali held himself back early in his professional career by refusing to sign with a major promotional company, instead going on his own.

Ali finally aligned himself with Golden Boy Promotions earlier this year, and makes his debut in a headlining bout of a Fox Sports 1 card on Sept. 30. It'll be the most exposure he's received since turning pro in January of 2009. It'll be part of Golden Boy's Monday night series, Golden Boy on FOX, and will take place in Ali's hometown of Brooklyn at the Cushman & Wakefield Theater at Barclays Center.

Ali (16-0, 10 KOs) will fight the unheralded Jay Krupp (17-5, 8 KOs) in his first fight of 2013.

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Mayweather-Canelo media day notes

Mayweather-Canelo media day notes
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 29, 2013


RingTV.com contributor Mark E. Ortega attended both the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Canelo Alvarez media days this week, compiling the following notes on their anticipated mega-fight, now just two weeks away. Alvarez opened his camp in Big Bear to the media on Tuesday while Mayweather's gym in Las Vegas was open the next day. Here are some notes from those two days.

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A day at The Doghouse

A day at The Doghouse
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 28, 2013


LAS VEGAS – Two Mondays ago, I spent the afternoon at the Mayweather Boxing Club. I’ve made plenty of stops at the gym since moving here in November, but had yet to take in a Floyd Mayweather sparring session. That changed on this day, as Mayweather would go four rounds in preparation for his Sept. 14 pay-per-view fight against Saul Alvarez.

I showed up to the gym around 1:00 p.m., knowing Mayweather wouldn’t show up until around 4:00 or so. Nicknamed “The Doghouse,” the gym is usually hotter indoors than what the Las Vegas sun feels like outside, but on this day, it wasn’t as sizzling. This was perhaps due to the fact that Showtime Sports was there shooting some footage for their All Access documentary series, and in the past, they’ve made the conditions more bearable for those handling the heavy equipment.

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Mosley not sold on Mundine fight

Mosley not sold on Mundine fight
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 28, 2013


Yesterday, Saul Alvarez held his media day in Big Bear, Calif., in anticipation of his September showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. The workout took place at the home of three-division champion Sugar Shane Mosley, a former adversary to both fighters.

Prior to Alvarez's arrival, Mosley spoke to a handful of media about a number of topics, including his projected October fight against former 168-pounds beltholder Anthony Mundine, which seems to be in heavy doubt.

“I'm supposed to fight Anthony Mundine, but they're having problems sending the money to escrow, so the fight might not happen,” said Mosley.

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Bits & Pieces: Gonzalez's and Golden Boy's future plans

Bits & Pieces: Gonzalez's and Golden Boy's future plans
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 26, 2013


One of boxing's young stars was dealt his first taste of defeat on Saturday, as Abner Mares was shockingly knocked out by veteran Jhonny Gonzalez in the first round at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, Calif. The bout headlined a Showtime telecast that also featured Leo Santa Cruz add another title to his name when he beat up Victor Terrazas before stopping him in the third.

After the fight, Gonzalez and Mares appeared at the post-fight press conference and showed their class. Here are some of the details from that as well as Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer discussing a few future points for his company.

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Agbeko a free agent, eyes top junior featherweights

Agbeko a free agent, eyes top junior featherweights
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 25, 2013


Former two-time bantamweight titleholder Joseph Agbeko informed RingTV.com on Sunday that he has split from promoter Don King and is in search of a big fight in the junior featherweight division.

"Don recently granted me my release after we had a couple talks and now I'm free," Agbeko told RingTV.com on the phone.

Agbeko was previously a staple on Showtime, beginning with his dominant title claiming victory over Luis Perez in 2007. As with nearly every Don King fighter, inactivity plagued his career, but he still was able to remain a top name in the division with wins over Vic Darchinyan and Yonnhy Perez before two losses to Abner Mares.

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