Timothy Bradley gives thoughts on Cold War, Richard Schaefer leaving Golden Boy

Timothy Bradley gives thoughts on Cold War, Richard Schaefer leaving Golden Boy
Mark E. Ortega
BehindTheGloves.com
June 2, 2014


When Timothy Bradley accepted his Fight of the Year Award at the BWAA Awards in Las Vegas for his March 2013 bout against Ruslan Provodnikov, he also gave a message to the assembled attendants. It is time for the Cold War to end and for the best fights available to be made.

With members from HBO, Showtime, Golden Boy Promotions, and Top Rank all under one roof for the dinner that took place a few days before Floyd Mayweather would face Marcos Maidana, it was as good a time as any for a top fighter to be vocal about boxing’s Cold War.

Monday afternoon, it was announced that Richard Schaefer has left Golden Boy, the company he was the CEO to and an integral part of the southern California company’s success in recent years. Behind The Gloves reached out to Bradley and spoke with him briefly on his thoughts about the development and whether or not he thinks it will be a building block to making fights with his promoter Top Rank in the future.

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Larry Merchant’s quick reaction to Richard Schaefer leaving Golden Boy

Larry Merchant’s quick reaction to Richard Schaefer leaving Golden Boy
Mark E. Ortega
BehindTheGloves.com
June 2, 2014


Moments after the news broke that Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer would be leaving the company, I spoke with Hall of Fame boxing analyst Larry Merchant briefly about his thoughts on the development and what impact it will have on the sport moving forward. Here are Larry’s thoughts:

“Schaefer did a good job in helping to build Golden Boy virtually from scratch into one of the two major promotion companies,” Merchant said in a phone interview.

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Juan Carlos Martinez spoils Alejandro Perez’s plans in UniMas main event

Juan Carlos Martinez spoils Alejandro Perez’s plans in UniMas main event
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
March 30, 2013

LAS VEGAS — With a shot at top-10 featherweight contender Nicholas Walters looming on May 31, Alejandro Perez just had to fight a safe gameplan and stay out of harm's way in his main event Saturday night against Juan Carlos Martinez at Texas Station Hotel & Casino. Martinez, a compet journeyman used to taking fights on short notice, had other plans as he shocked Perez by winning a 10-round split decision over Perez.

Despite his bad looking record, Martinez (20-14-1, 7 KOs) came to fight, forcing Perez (19-4-1, 13 KOs) to brawl in an entertaining scrap that probably had his team uneasy with every exchange. Martinez came in off training with renowned trainer Joel Diaz while helping Timothy Bradley prepare for Manny Pacquiao. You don't get sparring much better than that.

"When you're used to fighting on a few weeks notice and you get a full training camp, it makes a world of difference," Joel Diaz told RingTV.com after the win.

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Bits & Pieces: Alejandro Perez stays busy, Chris Arreola trains in San Diego

Bits & Pieces: Alejandro Perez stays busy, Chris Arreola trains in San Diego
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
March 25, 2014

Featherweight veteran Alejandro Perez has earned his spot the hard way.

Lightly regarded through the early stages of his career, it wasn’t until the Salinas, Calif. native endured a few defeats before he began to find himself as a fighter.

A mesmerizing one-round knockout of former touted prospect Antonio Escalante in March of 2011 had him hopeful momentum was swinging his way. Instead, it forced a label of being a dangerous, high-risk, low-reward type fighter. That led to only getting offers to fight at 130 pounds despite Perez being at his best at 126 pounds.

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Miguel Cotto-Sergio Martinez, it’s about respect

Miguel Cotto-Sergio Martinez, it’s about respect
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
March 13, 2014

LOS ANGELES – Both Sergio Martinez and Miguel Cotto seemed ready to the press tour behind them and begin training at Wednesday’s final press conference to promote their June 7 middleweight championship.

The theme of the bout, which takes place at Madison Square Garden and will be televised by HBO pay-per-view, appears to be about respect.

Martinez feels disrespected that he’s being billed second and had to make a number of concessions at the negotiation table when he’s the middleweight champion (the lineal champ recognized by THE RING magazine, not just a beltholder). Cotto feels as though he earned that position at the table having taken his lumps as the B-side to both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

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Brazilian star Esquiva Falcao makes his pro debut tonight

Brazilian star Esquiva Falcao makes his pro debut tonight
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
February 15, 2014


Prior to the 2012 Olympics in London, only one Brazilian fighter had earned a medal – Servilio de Oliveira, who earned bronze in the 1968 Mexico City Games.

In 2012, not only was this feat surpassed with the South American country earning both a silver and bronze, but it was achieved by two brothers, Esquiva and Yamaguchi Falcao.

Tonight, the silver-medal winning Esquiva Falcao makes his professional debut in a six-round bout on a small club show in Hawaiian Gardens, Calif. The card will be televised by UniMas in the United States. More importantly, the bout will be televised on Brazilian network SporTV as part of a lucrative television deal that was struck when Falcao signed a deal with Top Rank at the end of 2013.

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Vacaville's Fiel looking to turn heads Saturday

Vacaville's Fiel looking to turn heads Saturday
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
February 14, 2014


Due to the downswing that professional boxing in the northern California region has experienced in the past few years, Vacaville junior lightweight Adam Fiel has waited patiently since making his professional debut last July in Roseville.

Fiel (1-0, 1 knockout) scored a first round knockout that night and will finally step into the ring again tomorrow night as he faces Oxnard, Calif.’s Luis Pelayo, who is making professional debut in their four round bout.

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Ten Best Things in Boxing in 2013

Ten Best Things in Boxing in 2013
Mark E. Ortega
January 3, 2013

 At the end of last year, I pessimistically counted down the list of ten of the worst things that happened in boxing during the calendar year. Here I take a more positive look at the sport and examine things that really worked out greatly for the sweet science.

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.

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 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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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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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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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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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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