By Luis Sandoval

It was a rough year stretch for Alfredo “Perro” Angulo as not only did he suffer a loss to James Kirkland at the end of 2011, he also spent the majority of 2012 detained in an immigration detention center awaiting his visa issues to clear in order to be able to fight in the United States again.

The dark days are now behind Angulo as he prepares for his third fight since being released against the tough Erislandy Lara on June 8th at the Home Depot Center. This fight is not only the toughest test of his last three outings but also one of the toughest challenges of his career.

Some feel Angulo looked slow and had a tough time with his last opponent Jorge Silva and wonder how Angulo will fare in this fight against a top junior middleweight. Angulo assures he’s ready and this will be a perfect opportunity to show everyone he is still one of the best in the 154 pound division.

“I’m very happy to be returning especially here in Los Angeles. I think it’s going to be an excellent fight between Erislandy Lara and myself because of our styles. Lara has to demonstrate that he’s part of the best and he has to demonstrate that [by] fighting. It’s [also] a very important fight to demonstrate that I am still in the elite of boxing at 154 pounds. It’s for the fans and the people to find out that the Perro that had left has returned” Angulo would tell BoxingScene.

Stakes are high for both fighters as a win here would put them in a great position to land a fight against one of the champions and big names in the junior middleweight division. While it’s a great matchup, some wonder if stylistically this fight isn’t the best for Angulo who’s come forward style may play into Lara’s counter punching ways.

Another angle to consider is this will be only the second southpaw Angulo has faced in recent memory with the only other being Kirkland. Some fighters tend to have trouble with the southpaw look but Angulo says it makes no difference to him and it won’t be a factor.

“Sincerely I don’t have any difficulties with southpaws or orthodox. For me it’s all the same as they have two hands and one head so there’s no difference. We are going to try to give a very good fight and most importantly is for the fans to be entertained like I have them accustomed to” said a smiling Angulo.

This will be Angulo’s third bout with trainer Virgil Hunter as both men hope to have their pairing continue to produce success. Angulo is already training in both Oxnard and Los Angeles and will finish camp up north where Hunter resides.

You can follow Luis Sandoval on Twitter @Truewest007. You can also tune in to BoxingScene Radio, Boxingscene’s official audio show every Tuesday from 6-8PM PST with hosts Ernest Gabion, Luis Sandoval, and Ryan Burton.