By James Blears

WBC Interim Flyweight Champion Jorge “Travieso” Arce is fighting Rosendo “El Bufalo” Alvarez on the same card as Floyd and Zab, and what a humdinger it’s going to be.

The bad feeling between Jorge and Rosendo boiled up and burst out in Cancun at the end of January, after Jorge had overwhelmed Rosendo’s countryman Adonis Rivas in a six torrid rounds rematch. A triumphant Jorge, who was sporting an extraordinary hairdo for a fighter, had shed almost as many  dreadlocked beads, as he had unloaded punches and drops sweat. Cut, but unabashed, he simply couldn’t resist going up afterwards, and taunting Rosendo who was in Adonis’ corner. Cue a corrective slap dished out from a mighty annoyed Bufalo.

Once the dust and beads had settled Rosendo delivered his own verbal digs. He suggested that nowadays Jorge charges like a bull at a gate and has come to believe that boxing is the essence of pure aggression. So when they meet, he Rosendo will be more than happy to put Jorge on the horns of a dilemma, painfully teaching him that boxing is also strategy, stamina, intelligence and brains as well as brawn.

Rosendo went even further, by saying that Jorge is not a patch on Ricardo “El Finito” Lopez. He should know because he fought the great one twice in 1998, painting on only blemish on Ricardo’s record with a draw, after knocking him down in the second- the only time Ricardo ever encountered the canvass. The bout ended in a draw after three head clashes and seven incredible rounds.

An outrageously overweight Rosendo lost the re- match, and has only lost once more in his career through a disqualification. Jorge’s lost three times, but long ago.

Rosendo says that one of the principal differences between Ricardo and Jorge, is that the former was a thinker and stylist, picking and crafting his punches, whereas the latter just heaves and swings them in without so much as a second thought.

The very fact that Rosendo fought Ricardo, and is still around, is also a significant factor.
Jorge showed the two times world champion scant respect saying he’s an old man who’s going age considerably more during their fight. And he will definitely not finish the course. Rosendo is 35 years old, while Jorge in spite of a decade long career, is still only 26. Rosendo’s first pro fight was way back yonder in 1992.

If Jorge steams in like he’s done in recent fights, he’ll play right into Rosendo’s hands. Jorge’s devil may care approach has seen him cut, and quite badly, in several of his last fights. Unlike Rivas, Rosendo can really bang, so defense and boxing are important.

Rosendo’s out of ring partying antics and his age are not in his favor. But he’s trained super hard for this one.

Jorge is itching to take Rosendo’s scalp and the fame with it, for defeating the only man to put a small but significant question mark on Ricardo’s wondrous record.

The advice is to get there early- long before the Floyd and Zab bout, because this once could even eclipse it.