Reflections on The Long Success of Solo Boxeo

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RING ANNOUNCER LUPE CONTRERAS - 'PROUD OF SOLO BOXEO'

Ring announcer Lupe Contreras will soon be off to Denver for the final Solo Boxeo Tecate boxing broadcast on Friday night. Contreras, who lives in Houston, years ago won a fan contest to become Solo Boxeo's primary ring announcer.

"I am very proud of Solo Boxeo. It's been a launching ground for so many big names in the sport today. Cotto, Margarito, the Marquez brothers,
Pavlik, Juanma Lopez and many more," said Contreras. "It provided a platform for many fighters who would have never been exposed to the boxing public.

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"Personally, it has been a dream come true for me. It literally gave me the opportunity as a fan, to be a part of the sport. I coincidentally saw a commercial promoting the fact that Top Rank & Univision were looking for the next voice of boxing. I sent in a CD and a headshot. I was chosen along with 9 others to audition live on Univision and I eventually was picked as the winner.

"I began to work exclusively for Top Rank, but soon after other promoters began to call. Since then I've had the chance to announce on virtually every network that broadcasts boxing. My goal as a kid was to one day just see a world title fight in Vegas. I never dreamed I would be standing in the middle of the ring announcing world title bouts.

"I get a huge thrill from talking to our viewers who tell us how much the Solo Boxeo has meant to them. It was how they wrapped up a grueling work week. Our Solo Boxeo fans are construction workers, mechanics, salt of the earth types and their kind words make the thousands of miles flown worth all worth the effort. They, along with the fighters, are the engine that has powered this show for nearly a decade."

Contreras' final call for the Friday night telecast will be to introduce the main event fighters, Mike Alvarado and Miguel Angel Huerta.

PRODUCER VICTOR BAGUE: SOLO BOXEO ANNOUNCERS RICARDO CELIS, BERNARDO OSUNA - "A BIG PART OF OUR SUCCESS"

Victor Bague of Miami has been the producer of the Solo Boxeo telecasts for the entire eight-season run. He will be directing the final telecast on Friday night on a Top Rank show in Denver headlined by Mike Alvarado vs. Miguel Angel Huerta.

Here is how Victor sizes up the eight-year run of the weekly telecast:

"It is a great privilege for me to be working on Solo Boxeo. This has given me the opportunity to really learn the difficult busines that is boxing. Starting from the boxers who put their lives on the line with the desire to please the fans with action and to taste the flavor of victory.

"We want to thank great boxers who stepped into the ring and fought with credibility and prestige. Boxers like Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Kelly Pavlik, Fernando Vargas, Juan Manuel Marquez, Rafael Marquez, Jesus Chavez, etc and former World Champions like Jorge “Maromero” Paez and Yory Boy Campas.

"The blessing to work with professional announcers like Ricardo Celis and Bernardo Osuna. They are awesome and are big part of our success because they have taken boxing broadcasting to another level. They can be serious when needed and be more informal and entertain we when we need that.

"Ricardo and Bernardo prepare like no others with all the details on the boxers bios and info. I want to thank all the boxers. I want to thank all the people who also did color commentary for us when one of our regular talent could not be there. Former world champions Wilfredo Vazquez, Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez, Jorge “Maromero” Paez, Ahmed Santos and Jose Luis Castillo who did color commentary when his brother fought in a World Title Eliminators in Chicago when Ricardo Celis did not make it because of a snowstorm.

"To all thanks, particuarly to all of our technical crews who were a part of long hours to put together these shows. But a special thanks to all Solo Boxeo fans who week by week sat down to watch and always expected the best from us. Thanks for such great loyalty to Solo Boxeo.

"It is not easy to be on the road every week with less hours of sleep and travel but everytime to return safe to home with always in mind to do better the following week.

"Also I want to mention 2 who are not with us and were part of our staff -- director Jorge Ortega and Sound Mixer Engineer Devin Foutz….Thanks to have the opportunity to bring the Power of Solo Boxeo to their homes…

Comments

Famoso_MatadorTue Dec 23, 2008, 4:57 AM UTC

Can Solo Boxeo be pick up by other Spanish channel? I only mentioned Arum cuz read in another boxing site that his somewhat connected to it. I don't know. The other two big spanish tv stations i can think of are Galavision and Univision, and Univision owns Galavision. Galavision already shows some boxing, the production is terrible and the fighters are somewhat known , most of the fights take place in Florida. Who knows, without Solo Boxeo around, maybe Galavision will pick up the slack.

loui_ludwigTue Dec 23, 2008, 4:38 AM UTC

LMFAO!!!! I don't agree with the comments made. The production of the events was worst than ESPN but the commentators and the fights made the program very enjoyable. I like the commentators, you could tell those guys were fans of the sport. They weren't biased and made smart comments and even made me laugh on more than one occasion. Can Solo Boxeo be pick up by other Spanish channel? I only mentioned Arum cuz read in another boxing site that his somewhat connected to it.

loui_ludwigTue Dec 23, 2008, 4:36 AM UTC

............................................ please like i said before, watch boxing not just pacquiao fights u fuking dumbshit Hey you biased worthless piece of ****, watch boxing too, not just Margarito or Marquez. You post like you watch other fighters who are not Mexicans. Ukininam mo. Pac giving you nightmares again.

Famoso_MatadorTue Dec 23, 2008, 4:30 AM UTC

............................................ please like i said before, watch boxing not just pacquiao fights u fuking dumbshit LMFAO!!!! I don't agree with the comments made. The production of the events was worst than ESPN but the commentators and the fights made the program very enjoyable. I like the commentators, you could tell those guys were fans of the sport. They weren't biased and made smart comments and even made me laugh on more than one occasion.

loui_ludwigTue Dec 23, 2008, 4:14 AM UTC

Solo Boxeo is run by Bob Arum right? Can another Spanish network pick it up?

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