Mike Alvarado will look to get back on track when he faces Juan Manuel Marquez in a 12-round showdown on May 17 at the historic Forum in Inglewood, California.
Alvarado, who is coming off a devastating loss to Ruslan Provodnikov in his previous fight, knows that facing a boxing legend like Marquez could work wonders for his career, and he vowed not to let the opportunity go to waste.
In an interview with BoxingScene, Alvarado admitted that he was surprised when Top Rank called him and gauge his interest in facing Marquez.
The 33-year-old Colorado native did not think twice, and accepted the fight, saying that he felt excited about the possibility of retiring Marquez.
"When Top Rank called and offered a fight with Marquez I started jumping around," Alvarado admitted. "I was so excited because I have the opportunity to get into the ring and retire a Mexican legend."
Alvarado knows that defeating Marquez will be easier said than done despite the fact that the Mexican boxing icon is already in the twilight of his boxing career, but he vowed to be at his best on fight night, saying that he will utilize his power to his advantage.
Alvarado admitted that he was caught off guard during the Provodnikov fight as he was forced to retire before the 11th round of their showdown started, but he promised not to commit the same mistake again.
"I made a mistake of looking past Ruslan Provodnikov," Alvarado said. "He jumped on me and got me in a bad situation. He had such an awkward style. The difference against Marquez will be my power. I am going to train super hard for my biggest fight."
A win against the 40-year-old Mexican boxing icon would give Alvarado a shot at the WBO welterweight title, which will be on the line in the upcoming rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley on April 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"I know how important this fight is," Alvarado said. "What a fight with such a reward - to fight the winner of Pacquiao vs Bradley. This is an incredible opportunity. I will be fully prepared to fight Marquez on May 17."
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