Denver boxer Mike Alvarado will return to the ring April 14 in a spotlighted fight against California’s Mauricio Herrera, part of a much-anticipated card on HBO.
Alvarado (32-0, 23 knockouts) is coming off the most entertaining victory of his career. He fought through severe cuts and a bloody face to
Alvarado’s April 14 bout will leave him five months between fights, a longer layoff than he’s used to after boxing five times in 12 months last year.
“When you reach the level that Mike is at, you’re not going to see him fight every two months on lower cards on cable TV. He’s fighting at a higher level now,” said Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank promotions.
Alvarado, who ranks among the world’s top 10 junior welterweights, will be in the co-feature bout before Brandon Rios takes on Yuriorkis Gamboa for the WBA world lightweight championship. The fights will be at the 6,000-seat Mandalay Bay arena in Las Vegas.
“This is what we all anticipated for Mike, especially coming off that thrilling victory,” Moretti said. “It’s a showcase bout on HBO. It’s a big deal for Mike.”
Matchmakers at Top Rank considered several opponents for Alvarado, including Herrera, Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia, Ray Serrano of Philadelphia and Mexico’s Javier Castro.
Herrera (18-1, seven knockouts) is coming off a 10-round majority decision victory over Mike Dallas Jr. last summer. Herrera beat Provodnikov on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” on Jan. 7, 2011.
