Denver’s Mike Alvarado, fighting in his hometown for the first time in more than four years, knocked out Mexican veteran Manuel Garnica in the fourth round of a junior welterweight bout Friday at the National Western Complex.
Alvarado and Garnica traded blows through three rounds, but the Denver fighter opened up in the fourth. With less than 2:30 left in the round, his left hook sent Garnica to the ground. Garnica got up unsteady and wobbling and the fight was stopped.
Alvarado (23-0, 16 KOs) continued on an upward streak in his division. In the past year, Alvarado has knocked out former world championship contender Michael Clark in the first round, Michel Rosales in the seventh round and earned a 10-round decision over Jesus Rodriguez.
His fourth-round knockout of Garnica (24-10, 12 KOs) was Alvarado’s second in a row. He also stopped former lightweight champion Cesar Bazan in the fourth round in July.
In going 5-0 over the past 12 months, Alvarado has defeated opponents with a combined record of 140-26-1.
In the co-main event, Denver junior lightweight Manny Perez (12-4-1, 2 KOs) went the distance against undefeated Brandon Rios (18-0-1, 11 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., and the fight was called a draw.
Judge Ed Kugler had the fight in Perez’s favor 96-94. Judges Steve Waldman and Jeanne McEvoy called it even at 95-95.
