“Any explanation of Marquez’ continued success must include his inexhaustible surliness. This internal fire manifests itself in the way Marquez disdainfully treats his opponents, how bitterly he takes defeats, and, perhaps by way of extension, in his hulking muscles and acne. Suspicions abound about Marquez, suspicions heightened by his involvement with slimy Angel Heredia, but the mastery Marquez displays is without question the product of talent honed through decades of work. Whatever role shady sports science may play for Marquez, his craft is wrought from a commitment that is rare among younger fighters, who see in every hardship the need to change something. Remember: this is a man who once drank his own urine believing it replenished nutrients—if that does not speak of commitment, nothing does.”

Read An Inexhaustible Surliness: Juan Manuel Marquez W12 Mike Alvarado on The Cruelest Sport.

“If there is a desperate fighter here, it is Alvarado, who has shown a disturbing familiarity with self-destruction both in and out of the ring. Real desperation in boxing is never given forums like Face/Off, it never headlines in its hometown; in boxing, real desperation is most often passed over in silence. Still, there is a desperate air about Alvarado, 34-2 (23), who always seems one false move from the front page of the Denver Post.”

Read “Trouble Men: Juan Manuel Marquez-Mike Alvarado Preview” on The Cruelest Sport.