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By Michael Rosenthal
Looking good.
Promoter Gary Shaw is still looking for an opponent for Alfred Angulo after Ricardo Mayorga apparently pulled out of their Feb. 14 fight in Sunrise, Fla.
Shaw said he has submitted the names of several possible opponents to HBO, which will televise the card, but each has been rejected by the network.
One of those fighters, middleweight prospect Craig McEwan, agreed to take the fight at the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds. McEwan, who is trained by Freddie Roach, is set to fight on Feb. 19 in Irvine, Calif., so he is in fighting shape.
And it would seem to be a good matchup. Angulo (14-0, 11 knockouts) and McEwan (12-0, seven KOs) both had strong amateur careers, they are at similar stages of their careers and they’ve had spirited sparring sessions.
However, obviously, McEwan doesn’t have the name recognition of Mayorga.
“Why would they turn down the fight?” Roach said when told HBO wouldn’t sign off on it. “He’s a Freddie Roach fighter, he’s undefeated. They’re [HBO] just afraid my guy is going to win. They’re behind the other guy. They have a history.”
Saul Alvarez and Kasim Ouma are among other names that came up.
Alvarez (24-0, 17 KOs) is an undefeated 18-year-old Mexican welterweight. Ouma (26-5-1, 16 KOs) is a former IBF junior middleweight titleholder but has lost three of his past four fights.
Also on the Feb. 14 card, Nate Campbell (32-5-1, 25 KOs) is scheduled to defend his lightweight titles against Ali Funeka (30-1-2, 25 KOs) and Kermit Cintron will face Sergio Martinez (44-1-1, 24 KOs).
Meanwhile, Mayorga apparently didn't pull out because he was injured or overweight. He is trying to get more money out of promoter Don King, espn.com reported.
Mayorga is still under contract and could decide to go through with the fight. However, that seems less and less likely as the fight date approaches.
A telephone call to HBO wasn’t immediately returned.
Shaw said he has submitted the names of several possible opponents to HBO, which will televise the card, but each has been rejected by the network.
One of those fighters, middleweight prospect Craig McEwan, agreed to take the fight at the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds. McEwan, who is trained by Freddie Roach, is set to fight on Feb. 19 in Irvine, Calif., so he is in fighting shape.
And it would seem to be a good matchup. Angulo (14-0, 11 knockouts) and McEwan (12-0, seven KOs) both had strong amateur careers, they are at similar stages of their careers and they’ve had spirited sparring sessions.
However, obviously, McEwan doesn’t have the name recognition of Mayorga.
“Why would they turn down the fight?” Roach said when told HBO wouldn’t sign off on it. “He’s a Freddie Roach fighter, he’s undefeated. They’re [HBO] just afraid my guy is going to win. They’re behind the other guy. They have a history.”
Saul Alvarez and Kasim Ouma are among other names that came up.
Alvarez (24-0, 17 KOs) is an undefeated 18-year-old Mexican welterweight. Ouma (26-5-1, 16 KOs) is a former IBF junior middleweight titleholder but has lost three of his past four fights.
Also on the Feb. 14 card, Nate Campbell (32-5-1, 25 KOs) is scheduled to defend his lightweight titles against Ali Funeka (30-1-2, 25 KOs) and Kermit Cintron will face Sergio Martinez (44-1-1, 24 KOs).
Meanwhile, Mayorga apparently didn't pull out because he was injured or overweight. He is trying to get more money out of promoter Don King, espn.com reported.
Mayorga is still under contract and could decide to go through with the fight. However, that seems less and less likely as the fight date approaches.
A telephone call to HBO wasn’t immediately returned.
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