Marquez and Alvarado looking to earn Pacquiao fight on Saturday

Marquez and Alvarado looking to earn Pacquiao fight on Saturday

Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
May 15, 2014


Saturday night, boxing returns to The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., as future first ballot Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez squares off with Mike Alvarado in a welterweight bout that could very well determine the next opponent to Manny Pacquiao later this year.

Marquez got his start in the States at the old Forum, racking up victories as an obscure but talented technically sound Mexican fighter. It wasn’t until his controversial draw with Pacquiao a decade ago that Marquez began earning the respect of casual observers.

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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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Fonfara meets Campillo at the light heavyweight crossroads

Fonfara meets Campillo at the light heavyweight crossroads
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 15, 2013


Andrzej Fonfara first arrived in the United States as a lanky 6-foot-2 welterweight. Over the past seven years, Fonfara has grown into his body and is currently climbing the ranks of the light heavyweight division.

On Friday night, Fonfara fights in his adopted hometown of Chicago against former titleholder Gabriel Campillo in what will be the Polish-born fighter’s toughest test to date. The bout headlines one of ESPN2’s final Friday Night Fights of the season.

The fight is the definition of a crossroads bout. Two fights ago, Campillo was brutally knocked out by Sergey Kovalev, who will challenge for his first title on Saturday against Nathan Cleverly.

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Javier Fortuna Aces Cristobal Cruz Test

Javier Fortuna Aces Cristobal Cruz Test
Mark E. Ortega
Queensberry-Rules.com
July 6, 2012


In an intriguing doubleheader on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights from Las Vegas, we learned a couple of new things about a few young fighters that share the oversight of Sampson Lewkowicz, who manages both A-side fighters in each bout and is largely responsible for their rise.

In the main event, 22-year-old Javier Fortuna of the Dominican Republic gave himself a nine-day early birthday present, starching well-traveled Tijuana-based journeyman Cristobal Cruz inside of two rounds in their scheduled 10-round clash.

Fortuna (20-0, 15 KOs) bothered Cruz with his power early, dropping him with some wide-swining stuff inside of Cruz's slower unorthodox punches early in the round. Cruz used all the veteran tricks he could in order to remain on his feet, pulling Fortuna to the canvas a number of times and falling to the ground at least once on his own.

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[Mike] Dallas Does Soboba

[Mike] Dallas Does Soboba
Mark E. Ortega
Queensberry-Rules.com
June 23, 2012


SAN JACINTO, Calif. -- Friday night at the Soboba Casino, junior welterweight contender Mike Dallas, Jr. of Bakersfield, Calif. took another step up the rankings as he vanquished Javier Castro of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico in the 6th round in perhaps his most impressive performance to date.

Dallas (19-2-1, 8 KOs) edged the opening round of the ESPN2-televised main event as he landed his jab consistently, though Castro got in some solid shots of his own. Castro (27-5, 22 KOs) suffered a cut near his right eye, but things would even out in the round 3 when Dallas' right eye was cut as well. Both cuts were the result of accidental clashes of heads.

The difference in handspeed was eye-opening, as Dallas was able to get in with his punches before Castro had a chance to respond. Castro did his best work when he had Dallas trapped on the ropes, which didn't occur often enough to sway the opinion of the judges prior to the stoppage.

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Diaz-Holt: A potential crossroads classic?

Diaz-Holt: A potential crossroads classic?

Mark E. Ortega

Leave-it-in-the-ring.com

May 12, 2011

If you looked up the definition of “crossroads fight” in a boxing dictionary, you'd probably find a fight poster of this week's ESPN Friday Night Fights headliner from the Chumash Casino & Resort in Santa Ynez, California, a ten round junior welterweight clash between former world titleholders Kendall Holt and Julio Diaz.

Both fighters showcased have been to the mountaintop more than once and are looking to reclaim the shine that was once theirs. Not only that, they attempt to do it in the weight class where some of the biggest dollars are they to be made. One that features Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Juan Manuel Marquez [potentially], Manny Pacquiao [catchweightedly], Erik Morales, Marcos Maidana, Timothy Bradley, and Devon Alexander as well as a slew of other credentialed contenders just a step below.