By Jake Donovan
It’s never too late to go home.
The rabid reception Mike Alvarado received in fighting in Colorado for the first time in four years was all of the proof you needed of that to be true.
The undefeated junior welterweight made the night well worth the wait, easily dispatching the usually serviceable Manuel Garnica inside of four rounds at the National Western Complex Arena in Denver, Colorado.
Alvarado began in his usual fashion, boxing patiently behind a tight guard, allowing Garnica to expend energy while awaiting the right moment to attack. The game plan was rushed along a bit when an accidental clash of heads forced Garnica to seek brief medical attention just two minutes into the round.
Both fighters picked up the pace from that point, Alvarado more purposeful with his punches, while Garnica opted for a “throw it all against the wall” strategy.
The course of the bout began to take shape in the second. Alvarado was far more purposeful in his attack, putting a little more behind his jab, and following up with heavy right hands. Garnica tried to reciprocate, but left himself wide open for counter right hands and left hooks in the process.
Fighting at close quarters didn’t work out too well in the prior round for Garnica, who attempted to create distance between the two at the start of the third. It didn’t take long for Alvarado to close the gap, though a warning for a low blow momentarily slowed his attack.
A hookercut late in the round drew a reaction from his hometown crowd, as did his surge toward rounds end as Garnica was left on the defensive. The effects were shown in the fourth, which began with Garnica on his bicycle, and perhaps for good reason.
A chopping right hand drove the Mexican journeyman into a corner. A follow up left hook caused him to cling on in efforts to clear his head. What he really needed the most was the one thing not afforded to fighters during the course of a bout – a time-out.
Sensing the end was near, Alvarado ramped up the attack. An uppercut initiated the rally, and ignited the hometown crowd. Under siege, Garnica eventually wilted. A left hook, right hand combination sent him to the canvas for the bout’s lone knockdown.
It was clear at that moment that Garnica was done, spitting out his mouthpiece the moment he hit the deck. Referee Curtis Thrasher recognized as such, calling for an end to the bout without issuing a count.
The official time was 2:17 of round four.
It’s the third straight knockout win for Alvarado, who improves to 23-0 (16KO) overall. He remains a knockout every time out in his home state, scoring his fourth stoppage in as many Colorado-based fights since turning pro in February 2004.
It was decided by his handlers that 2008 would be a breakthrough year for the Rocky Mountain boxer-puncher. Alvarado’s campaign during this election year might not have quite reached that level, but he remains consistent in his progress. The win was his fourth of ’08, three of which have come inside the distance, posting the exact same numbers one year prior.
Having all but run through the fringe level at 140, the next logical step would be for Alvarado to advance to legitimate top 10 competition; a career progression that should coincide with his first fight in 2009.
Heading in the opposite direction, Garnica falls to 24-10 (12KO) in defeat. He is 3-6 since returning to the ring in 2005 following a five-year layoff.
A major upset nearly occurred in the co-feature, as hard-hitting undefeated lightweight prospect Brandon Rios was surprisingly held to a draw in a spirited battle against hometown trialhorse Manuel Perez.
The entire 10-round bout was fought at a phone booth’s distance, which would normally work in Rios’ favor. Only there was no quit in Perez, who gave as well as he took all night, on several occasions getting the better of the exchanges.
The even verdict seemed to be the fairest call, though a case could be made for Rios deserving to suffer the first loss of his career. Such logic was reflected on the scorecards; Perez won 96-94 on one card, but was overruled by the other two judges who scored it 95-95.
Rios’ record moves to 18-0-1 (12KO) though the Oxnard native remains stuck in the mud in terms of development. Once a highly touted prospect, Rios has yet to show he’s anywhere near ready to move on from the novice level.
Perez is now 12-4-1 (2KO), having went 1-1-1 in his 2008 campaign.
The show aired live on Telefutura and was presented by Top Rank, Inc.
Jake Donovan is a voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Comments/questions can be submitted to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.