Junior Welterweight

At 40 years old, "Dinamita" Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7-1, 40 KO) believes he still has what it takes to compete at a world-class level. On Saturday, May 17, "Mile High" Mike Alvarado (34-2, 23 KO) will make him prove it.

The two men will face off at The Forum in Inglewood, California for the right to face Manny Pacquiao, and a shot at the WBO welterweight title.

You might be thinking: "oh no, not another Pacquiao-Marquez scrap." Some might be thinking: "oh yes, another Pacquiao-Marquez scrap." Either way, if Marquez can beat Alvarado, it looks like that's what the boxing community is going to get.

Alvarado will definitely have something to say about it. And he has his own motivations to come up big.

Alvarado has a chance to position himself for a huge payday against Pacquiao. It would be a shot at knocking two living legends in a row.

Here's how you can watch the action:

When: Saturday, May 17 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: The Forum in Inglewood, California

TV: HBO

Live Stream: Livesport.TV (Region Restrictions)

The Book on Marquez

After scoring one of the biggest KO wins in the sport over the last 15 years over Pacquiao in 2012, Marquez was out-boxed by Timothy Bradley in Oct. 2013.

With Dinamita, it's pretty simple. If you stand and trade with him, you're putting yourself in danger. He's one of the best counterpunchers in the sport's history. He possesses a granite chin, an iron will and a high-level in-ring I.Q. 

After having fought and won so many big fights in his career, what keeps Marquez coming back—besides the money?

Per Sean Crose of Boxing Insider, Marquez wants to make history. Marquez said: "we all want the fifth title."

The "we" he speaks of is great Mexican fighters. The fifth title is a reference to individual championships in separate weight classes.

In the great tradition of Mexican fighters, not one has ever won titles in five different weight classes. If Marquez can obtain a title at 140 pounds, he will have accomplished that feat.

Beating Alvarado would put him on the doorstep. Perhaps a fight with WBO champ—and former Pacquiao sparring partner—Ruslan Provodnikov would be in order.

However, there is that deal to face you know who for a fifth time.

All of that will be sorted out if the Marquez wins, but that's far from a foregone conclusion.

The Book on Alvarado

Alvarado's big win over Brandon Rios in a rematch of their epic first meeting did a lot for his popularity. He briefly held the interim WBO light welterweight title, but he was thrashed by Provodnikov in Oct. 2013.

If Alvarado wants to be considered one of the premier fighters at 140 pounds, and not just a tough guy grouped in the same category as Rios, he needs to beat Marquez.

To a degree, Alvarado made his name with a brawling style.  But he knows that's not the formula for success against Dinamita.

Alvarado told Lem Satterfield of The Ring Magazine:

I can't be giving in when he's going to war and wanting to trade punches. I can't be giving in to that. I have to fight my fight and at my pace and my style of fighting. I just have to fight the way that I know how to fight and to make the right adjustments.

Game plans are great, but if it went by the wayside, it wouldn't be the first time. Marquez has a way of drawing fighters into his style. That's especially the case if there isn't a major speed advantage.

If that happens, can Alvarado still gut out a win against a future Hall of Famer?

Predictions

I caught up with Matthew Podgorski of the Pod Index to discuss Marquez and Alvarado's fight statistics over their last five fights.

The Pod Index tracks fighter statistics, tendencies and judges' data.

According to Podgorski:

Alvarado has just a slight edge in work-rate (53-51). While Marquez has a slight edge in power punches landed (56-54). However, in terms of winning rounds, when strength of opposition is considered, Marquez wins 60 percent of the rounds he's fought, while Alvarado wins just 33 percent of rounds on the judges’ cards. 

This is significant—if you think the fight will go the distance—which I happen to believe it will. 

Marquez is a big-time puncher, but Alvarado has an excellent chin. Provodnikov did stop him, but it was more from an accumulation of hard, punishing shots and pressure.

Marquez doesn't exactly fight that way.

Alvarado won't have to look for him, but Dinamita doesn't stalk the way Provodnikov does. The question in this fight is: Will Alvarado be quick enough to stick and move, and pick his times to exchange?

I say no.

Fighters with a surplus of quickness, like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Bradley were able to do this because their speed advantage over Dinamita was significant.

I don't see Alvarado enjoying that same edge. He's going to get pulled into a firefight, and when that happens, he won't be able to outslug Marquez.

It probably won't end in a KO or TKO, but Marquez will win a fairly clear unanimous decision based on more clean, accurate punching.

Follow me. I'm addicted to the sweet science.

@BMaziqueFPBR

Manny Pacquiao scored a convincing win by unanimous decision over Timothy Bradley on Saturday at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Arena, avenging his controversial 2012 loss to the formerly undefeated American.

Many people felt that Pac-Man had won the first bout, but two of the three judges disagreed and gave the win (and the title) to Bradley, setting up one of the most highly anticipated rematches in recent boxing history.

With the series now officially tied, it's only natural that some people would love to see a third fight between the two—one that would ultimately decide the victor between these two titans. Count The Desert Sun's Larry Bohannan amongst this group:

But the world doesn't need a third fight, and neither does Pacquiao.

Sure, you could argue that Pac-Man would have loved to secure a knockout, but a unanimous win in which Bradley got severely out-punched, per CompuBox, is more than decisive enough:

As Lennox Lewis reminded us all, the majority of boxing fans and pundits still believe Pacquiao won both fights, and "Desert Storm" simply doesn't measure up to the future Hall of Famer:

Bradley lost badly on Saturday. Apart from a solid display of quickness in the first round and a few good shots with the right hook in the fourth, the defending champion spent much of his night throwing wild counterpunches and backing up into the ropes.

His footwork deteriorated midway through the fight as he couldn't keep up with the pace that was set by the 35-year-old, and save for a few wild punches, he hardly landed any power shots. He did very little to convince me he's deserving of a third fight, but that's not even the biggest reason Pacquiao should say no to such an offer.

As mentioned before, Pacquiao is 35 years old. Despite his age, the Filipino showed remarkably quick hands on Saturday, and while he didn't land as many power shots as we've seen him connect with in the past, the impact of his shots to the body was obvious.

He is still a fantastic boxer, but at his age, he only has a certain amount of fights left. As shared by Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, the first one of those fights is already nearly set:

Perhaps this will come across as disrespectful just one day after such a dominant win, but at some point, Pac-Man's skills will start declining. It may have already started, but with Father Time looking over his shoulder, the road beyond Pacquiao's peak is one that will grow steeper with every passing day.

By the time he'd actually come around to fighting Bradley again, there's a good chance the fans would be seeing a fighter who is well beyond his prime. Imagine an aged Pacquiao giving Bradley a third shot and losing to the American. Fans would remember the controversy surrounding his first loss and the dominant fashion in which he avenged himself.

The history books, on the other hand, would remember Bradley winning two fights to one.

And what about the Floyd Mayweather superfight? I don't think it will ever happen, but as long as there's a chance, it is one we'd all want to see while the two pound-for-pound greats are still relatively close to their prime.

I don't want to see Pac-Man waste a single round on a fighter he's really already beaten twice—not when that round could go to someone who is more worthy of being in the ring with Pacquiao while he's still fighting with the same hand speed that made him so legendary in the first place.

As shared by ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, even Bradley realised how badly he lost on Saturday:

Bradley showed me nothing that would warrant consideration for a rematch, and judging by his post-fight comments, even he realised that.

We've had the blessing of watching Pacquiao fight for years now, but that is bound to come to an end one day. Let us enjoy his greatness in fights that have a little more meaning than a third tumble with Bradley, before Pac-Man finally calls it quits.

Follow @DeKleineBelg

When the final bell rang in Manny Pacquiao's long awaited revenge bout against Timothy Bradley on Saturday, it was almost as if both fighters changed places in the landscape of modern boxing.

Coming into the bout, people doubted what the 35-year-old Pacquiao still had left in the tank, while the undefeated Bradley looked more confident than ever. A unanimous decision in favour of the Pac-Man later, and the roles had been reversed.

Suddenly, Pacquiao was supposedly back to his dominant self, with fans once again starting to dream of a Floyd Mayweather superfight. And suddenly, Bradley's previously undefeated record had seemingly lost its relevance. Desert Storm was a good, not great boxer who didn't belong in the pound-for-pound conversation.

Of course, that's what happens when you're presented with a boxing clinic, courtesy of one of the greatest fighters the sport has seen in the last few decades. Bradley's footwork was well and truly gone by the sixth round, as the former champion couldn't deal with the ferocious pace of his Filipino challenger.

So where does that leave Bradley?

With all of the momentum he had built in the last two years seemingly gone and the public suddenly thinking perhaps Desert Storm wasn't as great as we all thought to begin with, Bradley needs something special fast.

He went from beating Pacquiao to being dominated by the very same fighter in a single night. With seemingly the whole world watching, Bradley will need to come up big to alter his legacy. He still has just the one loss on his resume, and a big win over a solid opponent could ensure he doesn't lose what's left of his credibility as a top fighter.

A bout with someone like Canelo Alvarez would be perfect for Bradley. Per ESPN's Dan Rafael, the Mexican youngster was a big hit carrying the pay-per-view in his last fight against Alfredo Angulo:

Many wondered if Alvarez, carrying a pay-per-view by himself for the first time and coming off a resounding defeat, would still generate enough fan interest to warrant becoming a PPV regular as he envisions. After the returns came in for the fight with Angulo (22-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, the answer is a resounding yes.

Showtime and Golden Boy Promotions announced that the pay-per-view generated "well over 350,000 buys" for Alvarez's one-sided 10th-round knockout of his Mexican countryman. The pay-per-view grossed at least $20 million.

Alvarez is popular, highly touted and very visible as an opponent. At the age of 23, he also lacks the experience to go toe-to-toe with someone like Bradley for the full 12 rounds, setting up a big comeback win for Desert Storm in a perfect way.

Beat Alvarez, and Bradley becomes the guy who just wasn't good enough to beat a Hall of Famer like Pacquiao. Don't beat anyone worthwhile or stay out of the ring for the time being, and he will remain the guy who stole a win from the Pac-Man and got embarrassed when the legend decided to set the record straight.

As for Pacquiao, things are a little less clear.

The manner in which the Pac-Man beat Bradley suggests he still has very quick hands for a 35-year-old, and he beat a younger opponent in large part because of better conditioning.

Pacquiao remained aggressive throughout the fight but displayed a sense of patience that ultimately paid off, as Bradley spent the latter rounds swinging at an opponent that wasn't taking too many chances. If anything, this cautious approach is indicative of a man understanding his age and the limitations that come with it.

But Pacquiao is still a 35-year-old public figure with a political career and a recent spell away from the sport. And while his win over Bradley showed the world he's still one of the greatest on an athletic level, no one truly knows how badly the Pac-Man still wants to be a fighter.

Two names will keep coming up over the next few weeks: Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez. The latter is nearing retirement himself and has already fought four intense battles with Pacquiao, the latest of which resulted in a devastating knockout.

All four fights were instant classics, and one last bout between the two rivals just seems inevitable. ESPN's Brian Campbell agrees there's no reason for fans not to want a fifth fight:

These two veterans have provided fans with the kind of slug fests that have become rare in the sport every time they've faced off, and one last go would make for the perfect sending off for Marquez.

But what about Pacquiao? What does the Pac-Man have left to prove, and who hasn't he fought yet?

As one of the biggest draws in the sport, promoters will always find someone for him to fight, but the question is how much longer Pacquiao will be willing to go like this. He got his revenge against Bradley. He'll most likely get a chance at avenging his knockout-loss against Marquez.

If the Mayweather superfight falls through, as seems likely, don't be surprised if the legendary Filipino decides to call it quits after a hypothetical fifth fight with Marquez. It would be the near perfect ending to an illustrious career, and it would give the Pac-Man a chance to go out on top.

Follow @DeKleineBelg

Someone's "0" has to go.

WBA junior welterweight champion Khabib Allakhverdiev (19-0, 9 KO) will defend his title against Jessie Vargas (23-0, 9 KO) on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The bout is the most hyped preliminary fight on the Timothy Bradley-Manny Pacquiao 2 card.

Though neither man is a household name, whenever two undefeated fighters clash with a world title on the line, there's at least some intrigue amongst the boxing community.

Here's how you can catch the entire card.

Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas

When: Saturday, April 12. Card begins at 9 p.m. ET

TV: HBO pay-per-view

The Book on Allakhverdiev

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6nNaXuXTeU

The 31-year-old Russian champion didn't exactly win his crown in the most impressive fashion. Allakhverdiev captured the vacant WBA title by defeating Joan Guzman in November 2012.

The ending to the fight was somewhat controversial.

Guzman injured his knee as a result of an accidental foul from Allakhverdiev, per BoxRec. Guzman couldn't continue and the fight went to the scorecards.

Allakhverdiev won a narrow decision when two of the three judges had him up 76-75 at the time of the stoppage. The other judge had the same score but in favor of Guzman.

Even Allakhverdiev's status as champion is a bit of a hot-button issue. These days, some of the major boxing organizations acknowledge more than one champion per weight class.

Though Danny Garcia's is the most-recognized WBA junior welterweight title, he is simply given the title of "super champion." Allakhverdiev is the "regular" champion.

Seriously, I wish I was making this up.

Bleacher Report boxing writer Briggs Seekins seemingly shares the same sentiments:

Khabib Allakhverdiev is the WBA 'regular' world champion at light welterweight. But this is typical buffoonery from the WBA, which already has a world champion at 140 pounds: Danny Garcia.

The WBA can call Garcia the 'super' world champion if it wants to. For all I care, it can call him the 'super-duper, most excellent' world champion. As a boxing writer, I'm still unwilling to recognize more than one of an alphabet-soup organization's world champions per division.

Allakhverdiev is obviously hoping for a more decisive and impressive victory on Saturday. He'd also like to be considered "super" at some point as opposed to just "regular."

Since defeating Guzman, Allakhverdiev has only fought once. In July 2013, he stopped Souleymane M'baye in the 11th round to retain his title. Though not known as a knockout fighter throughout his career, Allakhverdiev has stopped three of his last four opponents.

Because he is in need of an attention-grabbing performance, don't be surprised to see him push the pace to put pressure on Vargas on Saturday.

Allakhverdiev talked about being aggressive with Vargas in an interview with Boxing Scene's Ryan Burton, saying, "This should be a really good fight for the fans. I want to be aggressive and he wants to be aggressive. Nobody is running in this fight. We will both be in there fighting and the fans will get a really good fight."   

The Book on Vargas

At one point, Vargas was a member of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s camp, but he left for Bob Arum's Top Rank in 2012. Once thought to be a rising star, Vargas' career seems to have hit a point of stagnation.

A win on Saturday would be realization of his potential.

This is his first world-title fight, so he could be anxious to finally get a shot at competing for one of the sport's top prizes.

Though he began his career as a junior welterweight, Vargas' previous six fights came as a welterweight. He is returning to 140 pounds for this fight.

He told Burton he feels stronger at 140 pounds. Vargas also added, "I didn't have the knowledge on how to lose the weight properly before and now I do. I am feeling great. I am walking around in the welterweight division right now so it is going great."

Will the drop in weight lead Vargas to his first world title?

Prediction

Vargas is the quicker, longer fighter. He stands 5'10" while Allakhverdiev is 5'8". Also, Vargas has a three-inch reach advantage (71" to 68").

The great equalizer in this equation could be timing and punching power. Allakhverdiev is a skilled counterpuncher, but there's a real question as to whether he has the power to stop a fighter whose body is used to competing at 147 pounds.

Vargas is a tough young fighter, and he has waited a long time for a chance to fight for a world title. He's coming into this bout to compete and win.

Expect a tough and entertaining bout, but Vargas' physical advantages will push him to a unanimous-decision victory. 

Follow me. I'm addicted to the sweet science.

@BMaziqueFPBR

Danny Garcia is one of the smoothest operators in boxing today, and on Saturday night, he looks to take a huge step toward staking his claim as the next great Puerto Rican superstar.

With a combination of the best of both worlds—a rugged Philadelphia fighting background mixed with the competitive spirit of boxing-crazed Puerto Rico—Garcia has skyrocketed up the ranks, unifying the 140-pound division and establishing himself as one of the sport’s best young fighters.

But on Saturday night, he’ll do something he’s never done as a professional fighter.

He will defend his WBA/WBC Junior Welterweight Championships against Mauricio Herrera at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, which has hosted Puerto Rican legends Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad. He says he’s been after this opportunity for his whole career.

“It’s a very big moment for me. It’s something I always dreamed of. I worked my way here. I fought my way here, and I just can’t wait,” Garcia told Bleacher Report on Wednesday.

That big moment has been matched by the reception the junior welterweight champion has received in the land of his parent’s birth.

There was some question about how he’d be received, given he was born in the United States and not on the island, but Garcia says that Puerto Rican fans have embraced him.

“They love me. They love me. They gave me a warm welcome,” Garcia said. “Everywhere I go people are taking pictures of me. The whole island is excited. I can’t wait for Saturday night.”

The 25-year-old champion was born and raised in Philadelphia, but his father and trainer Angel Garcia—one of the more outspoken and, at times, controversial figures in boxing—is native to Naguabo, Puerto Rico.

The relationship between the two—boxer and trainer, but father and son first—is special to the champion, and he credits it with being a large part of his success.

"It’s great to me as a fighter. I’ve got somebody I can trust in my corner and that’s the most important thing. In the gym he’s serious, but he’s having fun and doesn’t make it feel like a job you don’t want to go to. He’s always motivated. He’s always having fun, and we’re always working hard. It’s a tough sport so you need to have somebody around you with good energy pushing you."

Garcia enters this fight at a rare moment in Puerto Rican boxing history. The island, which is known for its proud boxing tradition and producing dozens of great fighters, is without a single native-born world champion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKclA8nSYnk

That’s a stunning and potentially opportune fact. Puerto Rico is known for its fighters—which is especially impressive, given its small size and population when compared to other fighting hotbeds—and Garcia hopes to seize on that and proudly represent the fans.

“Puerto Rico has had a lot of great champions. This is a place where they love boxing,” he said. “I’m just happy to fight in Puerto Rico for a title, and represent Puerto Rico in this fight and forever.”

Herrera, who will attempt to unseat the champion and ruin his homecoming, isn’t as sexy a name as some of Garcia’s more recent opponents.

But he’s compiled a solid professional career—he's 20-3, with seven knockouts—and holds a decision win over the recently surging WBO junior welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov.

Still, the 33-year-old Californian will enter as a massive underdog. While that may be nothing new for him, the role of big favorite is something that Garcia—who entered as an underdog in the biggest fight of his career last September against Lucas Matthysse—finds relatively new.

That newfound status doesn’t bother him, however, and he says it won’t change his approach in the slightest.

“I always have the same mindset no matter what people think. As far as me being the underdog [against Matthysse] that’s what they thought,” Garcia said. “I always have the same mindset and that’s to win and get the job done. I’m going into this fight like I go into every other fight.”

But the stakes are certainly high in this event. Garcia is young, talented and extremely well-spoken. He has superstar potential, and it’s not an accident that he’s been repeatedly floated as a future foil for pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather.

In the past, he has been reluctant to call out anyone other than the man he’ll be facing in his next fight.

He remains that way today but maintains that he’s open to a fight with Mayweather in the future, as long as everything falls into place.

“I’m so focused on March 15 that if I say yeah I’m overlooking my opponent,” Garcia said.

“I’m always down for the big fights and the best fights in boxing. If that’s what my promoter and manager want then let's do it.”

But as Garcia—who remarked that he could “easily” go up to 147 pounds—would agree, first things first.

If he doesn’t get by Herrera, all the talk of future bouts, championships and glory will take a potentially devastating hit.

There’s always the risk of a letdown—given the perceived lack of threat coming into this bout when compared to September against Matthysse—and that’s something Garcia and his team will need to guard against.

He understands that he’ll be in there with a dangerous foe who has nothing to lose, and while many fans don’t see this fight as risky, he has a job to do.

“He’s a tough fighter. I don’t pick my opponents. My manager and promoter pick my opponents. I fight whoever they tell me to fight,” he said.

“He’s just another name in my way that I have to get out of the way.”

That last part is certainly true.

If Garcia hopes to become the next in a long string of great Puerto Rican fighters, it starts on Saturday night in Bayamon.

And a big win would go a long way.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand from a personal interview.

Danny "Swift" Garcia (27-0, 16 KO) returns to the ring to defend his WBA and WBC light welterweight championships. The pound-for-pound top-five fighter will face Mauricio "El Maestro" Herrera (20-3, 7 KO) in Puerto Rico on Saturday night.

Garcia was born and raised in Philadelphia, but he is of Puerto Rican descent. He'll almost certainly have overwhelming fan support against Herrera, who is Mexican-American. 

In Garcia's last fight, he dominated Lucas Matthysse. This was perhaps the most impressive performance of Garcia's career. He showed toughness and some power to augment his excellent boxing skills.

On the strength of that performance, Garcia is on the cusp of a few major paydays. One of which could be a meeting with pound-for-pound king Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. Money is scheduled to fight Marcos Rene Maidana in May.

If both Garcia and Mayweather are successful in their upcoming bouts, look for talk about a potential fight to heat up. DJ Enuff of Vlad TV caught up with Garcia at the champion's gym. He talked to him about his upcoming bout, Mayweather and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muGAzizTADQ

This bout is the fifth defense of Garcia's WBC title and the fourth of the WBA crown. 

Needless to say, Herrera has a huge opportunity and challenge ahead of him.

The fight is the main event of an exciting Showtime card that will also feature Daniel Ponce De Leon battling Juan Manuel Lopez. Two highly regarded American heavyweights will also do battle.

Deontay Wilder will be facing the biggest test of his career with Malik Scott. It should be a great night of fights. Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, March 15 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, Bayamon, Puerto Rico

TV: Showtime

The Book on Garcia

The qualities that make Garcia so good aren't as obvious as they are with Mayweather and other elite fighters. He isn't ultra fast, or an overly explosive puncher, but he's good enough on both fronts to be a legitimate world champion.

Swift's excellent timing, fundamentals and huge heart are his biggest advantages.

When Garcia first captured a world title against an over-the-hill Erik Morales in 2012, not many people would have suggested the 25-year-old could be an interesting opponent for Mayweather.

After knocking out Amir Khan and Morales in a rematch and outboxing Zab Judah and Matthysse, the talk is legit. As Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer says, per The Sweet Science's Michael Woods, the public is beginning to ask for the bout.

Could Garcia really give Mayweather problems? That still remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: He has to take care of Herrera in Puerto Rico before he can chase Money—literally and figuratively.

The Book on Herrera

Herrera doesn't have much power, but he's tough as nails. He has never been stopped in his career, despite taking on the likes of Cleotis Pendarvis, Ruslan Provodnikov and Mike Alvarado.

Herrera defeated Provodnikov and Pendarvis but lost a unanimous decision to Alvarado. Many may not know him, but Herrera is a solid veteran who won't just lie down for Garcia.

He's two inches taller than Garcia at 5'10" and his reach is three inches longer. Using his length and jab will be a major key for him. He's very good at keeping distance and utilizing his reach. Guys like Karim Mayfield have used their quickness to get inside Herrera's reach.

Countering the jab is a must as Herrera will use it extensively. Can El Maestro keep the champion dancing to his tune?

Prediction

Stylistically, this is an interesting fight. The factor that will decide the outcome is power. Garcia will not respect Herrera's punches. He'll be looking to counter Herrera's jab with his signature left hook. 

It's the punch that sent Khan reeling and stopped Morales in the rematch. Herrera has a good chin and nice defense, but his style suggests Garcia will have opportunities to land that punch again.

Look for the champion to land the more punishing blows despite having some difficulty with the jab early on.

Herrera will be buzzed a few times in the fight, but Garcia will maintain his titles with a unanimous-decision win.

Follow me. I'm addicted to The Sweet Science.

@BMaziqueFPBR

Saturday night's IBF light welterweight title bout between champion Lamont "Havoc" Peterson (31-2-1, 16 KO) and Dierry "Dougy Style" Jean (25-0, 17 KO) will lead to redemption, or a new level of notoriety.

In Peterson's last bout—a non-title affair—with Lucas Matthysse, he was pummeled and stopped in the third round. It was just the second loss in Peterson's career and clearly the most lopsided. He'll be looking to rebound against Jean.

Peterson will be back in a familiar venue as the fight takes place in the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. He is from the area, and the two biggest wins of his career have taken place there. 

In 2011, Peterson won the IBF and WBA light welterweight titles in a controversial split decision over Amir Khan. He was subsequently stripped of the WBA title but allowed to keep the IBF crown after testing positive for a banned substance.

After missing all of 2012, he returned to the ring and the D.C. area with an eighth-round TKO win over Kendall Holt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-CW6x4IoZs

The challenger hails from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, by way of Haiti. He earned the right to challenge Peterson with a spectacular fourth-round stoppage of Cleotis Pendarvis in May 2013. He's looking to remain undefeated and grab the IBF crown in the process.

On the undercard, Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (22-0, 11 KO) of Houston will fight Gabriel “King” Rosado (21-7, 13 KO). It should be an entertaining night of fights in the nation's capital.

Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Jan. 25

Where: DC Armory in Washington, D.C.

TV: Showtime

The Book on Peterson

Adversity is nothing new to Peterson. He endured a rough upbringing that saw him and his brother homeless for a time. He lost his first shot at a world title in 2009 when he was thoroughly outboxed by then-WBO champion Timothy Bradley.

After defeating Khan, he was stripped of the titles in the whole banned-substance fiasco. Now he must try to come back from a sound beating at the hands of Matthysse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49oXh89ZsQ0

Per the Showtime press release, Peterson describes his status heading into the fight with Jean.

I feel great. I feel like I had a good training camp and I am just ready to go Saturday night.
This weather is typical winter. Sometimes it's going to snow. Sometimes it's going to be cold, but we get through it. We show up still so I don't expect it to affect the crowd or take anything away from the fight.

His weather references are in acknowledgement of the snow storm on the East Coast, but it also sounds like a narrative for his personal hardships.

After a vicious KO loss, you always wonder if a fighter will be the same. From the looks of the image above, there is no doubt Peterson is in marvelous physical shape. Where he is mentally won't be known for sure until he hits the ring on Saturday night.

The Book on Jean

Suddenly, Canada has become a hotbed for fighters. Light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson, contenders Jean Pascal, Lucian Bute and now Jean have all adopted Canada as their second homes. Each of them has made a name for himself.

Jean is the latest to get an opportunity at a world title. The challenger will have a small contingent with him from Canada, but he made it clear during the Showtime press event that this is a business trip. Jean said:

We have over 100 people that have bought ringside tickets. We have made sure that all arrangements have been made for everyone.

We are doing everything the way we should be as if we are home. We are not here as tourists. We are here to get the job done, to take that belt and go back home with it.

Jean has not only never lost a fight, but he's also never been significantly pushed. Even his wins that have come by decision have been by wide margins of victory. Havoc represents the stiffest competition he will have faced in his career.

Bleacher Report's Briggs Seekins discusses potentially unexposed holes in Jean's game:

If defense has appeared a secondary concern for him, it still hasn't caused him any significant trouble. 

If he has been lazy with his jab or tends to lunge while trying to connect with his right hand, it hasn't cost him. If he's gone flat on his back foot with too much weight on it, he's had no problem getting away with it. 

Can Jean continue to cover his bases and pull the upset?

Prediction

Peterson is a battler, but he doesn't possess big power. When he wins, he either outworks opponents or wears them down with relentless pursuit and in-fighting.

Fighters who don't know how to keep Peterson off their chest or don't have the power to sting him have issues. The question in this fight is whether Jean can do either.

Yes, he can.

With all due respect to Peterson's chin, he was knocked out by Matthysse and even dropped by Bradley—who is not known for his power. Jean has real power in his right hand, as evidenced by his thunderous KO of Pendarvis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj3xmb3EzOo

He also goes to the body well. He stopped Ryan Barrett with a hard body shot.

Most impressive about Jean is the way that he demonstrates the ability to fight the style that suits the competition. Against Pendarvis, he used a pawing left jab to set up the power right hands. In most of the other fights I saw, he darted in and out to use his speed advantage.

Peterson's biggest quality is his heart and determination. On Saturday, skill and athletic ability will trump those traits, and Jean will win a unanimous decision and the IBF title.

Follow me. I'm addicted to the Sweet Science.

For the first time in 13 years, the Denver area will host a world championship-level boxing event this Saturday night, when hometown kid Mike Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) defends his WBO interim junior welterweight title belt against rugged slugger Ruslan Provodnikov (22-2, 15 KOs). 

Alvarado hopes it won’t be so long before the next one.

“It’s a dream come true to be fighting at the highest level of boxing at this stage in my career,” Alvarado told Bleacher Report. “A world title fight in front of my hometown? It’s awesome. It’s priceless…I’m excited about this. It’s huge.”

While Danny Garcia is the linear champion of the division, both the alphabet belt-wearing Alvarado and his opponent are world-class fighters. Each man ranks among the top 10 of the division, according to the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

A sellout crowd is expected at the 1stBANK Center, and the bout will be broadcast live on HBO beginning at 9:45 pm ET. It will be preceded by the replay of last week's Timothy Bradley vs. Juan Manuel Marquez bout and followed by the premiere of Legendary Nights: The Tale of Gatti-Ward.

Alvarado knows exactly how big this moment is in his career.

“It’s very important. It means a lot in my career. Am I good? Or am I going to be great? Winning this fight is part of my destiny for greatness. I belong at the highest level of the sport. I’m pumped up. I’m focused. I’m ready to put on a good show in front of my hometown.”

He is the type of fighter who entertains almost every time out, sometimes to his own detriment. His aggressive style and natural instincts lend themselves to brawling.

Both fights against Brandon Rios were barnburners. In their first encounter last year, Rios overwhelmed Alvarado with sheer aggression and hard punches to the point that referee Pat Russell was forced to halt the action in Round 7.

Alvarado found out that night what some men of his ilk refuse to learn: You can’t always outslug a slugger.

In the rematch, he changed his strategy. While he brawled with Rios at times like before, he also fed the hard-charger a steady diet of jabs and lateral movement.

The result was a decision win.

“It was a huge experience for me to learn how to box different styles and not to box the same way all the time like all these other guys do, like Rios, like Provodnikov. I can adjust. I know how to box. I proved it. I said I wouldn’t get in that type of war again with Rios, and I don’t plan on getting in that type of war with Provodnikov. I’m going to pick him apart. I’m going to make it hard for him. He’s not going to know what to do with all that movement.”

Applying the more technical elements of the sweet science was a difficult lesson for him to learn. The 33-year-old likes to mix it up. It’s been hard for him to hold himself back and box more.

“It has been. It really has been. But I know that keeping myself disciplined and focused will make this fight a lot easier. I’m ready. I’m ready to prove I can do that again.”

He said he didn’t feel any added pressure having his fight against Provodnikov lead into the Legendary Nights installment featuring one of boxing’s most epic slugfests, Arturo Gatti vs. Mickey Ward.

“I know how to stay focused. I know what’s good for me and what I need to do. I don’t have to sit there and slug with him.”

Still, he couldn’t hide his admiration for the men. It almost felt like he was trying to convince himself he wouldn't brawl on fight night like Gatti and Ward.

“Those are big shoes to fill. Those are career ending-type fights right there. They killed each other. If I have the ability to move and adjust to not get into those types of brawls, then that’s what I’m going to do. That’s the plan, and I’m sticking to it. I have to. I have to.”

Alvarado said Provodnikov would try and lure him into a slugfest the way the Russian sucked Timothy Bradley into a Fight of the Year candidate in March. Bradley was dazed early in the bout and never really recovered, but he fought through the cobwebs enough to gut out the close decision win.

“He thinks because he lured Timothy Bradley into a fight like that, that he can do that to me. But what you‘ve got to understand is that Bradley fought the wrong fight. He ran in there and basically thought he could fight this dude at his own game. You don’t want to give a guy like that an extra chance by giving him the opportunity to fight his way. He hurt Bradley right off the bat, but after Bradley started moving, it was a lot easier.”

So rightfully, Alvarado plans to use movement against Provodnikov.

“I’m going to have to stay strong on my game plan, move and adjust. He’s going to be right there. He’s going to try hard to get me to exchange with him. I’m going to have to be strong mentally and fight my fight.”

Will fighting in front of his friends and family tempt him a bit? When the chips are down, will he try to create his own legendary night against Provodnikov?

“I don’t have to be lured into that kind of fight to put on a good show,” he said.

That’s probably true. But Alvarado is the kind of guy who might just do it anyway.

Kelsey McCarson is a boxing writer for Bleacher Report and TheSweetScience.com. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.