By Jake Donovan

It’s been a miserable 12 months for Alfredo Angulo, to say the least.

Monday will mark one year to the day of his sixth-round knockout loss to James Kirkland. Angulo had the Texan down and nearly out in the opening round, but was instead floored himself and eventually stopped in a sensational war.

The crushing defeat was Angulo’s last fight to date, though hardly the worst part of the past 12 months of his life. This year began with the Mexican slugger being held in El Centro Detention Center due to overstaying his U.S. Visa. The process was believed to be a simple one, but it would be another seven months before Angulo would finally see daylight.

“I went through a very difficult time,” Angulo reveals. “I’ve proven that I’m ready for anything.”

Angulo (20-2, 17KO) was sprung in August, at which point his handlers began making plans for his ring return. That day comes November 10, when he faces Raul Casarez (19-2, 9KO) in the Showtime-televised opener live from the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

The show’s headliner pits Abner Mares and Anselmo Moreno in a super bantamweight title fight. Also on the televised portion is Luis Santa Cruz in a bantamweight title defense against Victor Saleta.

The past few months have been spent with newly hired trainer Virgil Hunter, who has become the cornerman of choice as of late. Angulo’s reintroduction to the ring was a complete makeover, understandable considering what he’d been through for more than half of 2012.

“The reality is that they didn’t let me train in there. Simple things… they didn’t let me have tennis shoes for two months,” Angulo recalls. “The only thing I did to stay physically fit was play handball, for two hours a day.”

All told, it was a 12-month period to forget. Angulo is ready to do just that, now that his house is fully in order.

“I’m here legally,” Angulo states. “The process is behind me. All I have to do is think about the future and move forward.”

Winning his first fight in well over a year will make for a great first step towards reaching that goal.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com. Follow Jake on Twitter: @JakeNDaBox

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