By Jake Donovan

Last weekend marked the 2013 season premiere of Boxeo Telemundo, which has dramatically changed its format this year. Airing live from Palm Bay, Florida, the edition marked the first time in year that the series began the year in the United States.

With that comes Telemundo’s first broadcast of 2013 to take place in Mexico, with Friday March 1 serving as the first of two consecutive weekends in which the series travels south of the border.

Friday night’s card features a scheduled 12-round flyweight bout between Omar Soto and Ulises Lara, which headlines live from Foro Polanco in Mexico City, Mexico.

“We’re very busy the next few weeks, which is great for our company,” said Tuto Zabala, Jr. of All-Star Boxing, the primary promoter for the Boxeo Telemundo series.

Soto (23-9-2, 15KO) – a series regular – has led an up and down career. His shortcomings include two failed alphabet title bids and a knockout loss to Roman Gonzalez in an Oct. 2011 bout in which he showed up overweight, making the bout a non-title affair.

However, the 33-year old enters this weekend coming off of an upset 12-round points win over Glenn Donaire. The strong showing last September was his best effort since shocking previously unbeaten Cesar Seda back in 2009.

The series returns to Mexico next weekend, as Johnny Garcia takes on Oscar Ibarra in a scheduled 12-round super flyweight bout, live from Plaza Condesa in Mexico City.

One week later, Telemundo’s camera crew heads back to Kissimmee, Florida. Orlando Cruz headlines against Alain Martinez in a regional featherweight title fight. The bout takes place at the Kissimmee Civic Center on March 15, moved up one week from its original March 22 date, thus marking four consecutive Fridays of boxing on Telemundo.

Jake Donovan is the Boxingscene.com Managing Editor, Records Keeper for Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox