An Embarrassing Show

I’m annoyed.

Brandon Rios was as good as Mike Alvarado was, well, crappy in Broomfield, Colorado on Saturday night.

I make no apology for the less ugly C-word because it was a disgusting showing from Alvarado which ended after three rounds of action which resembled the kind of beating you’d give a man after catching him in bed with your other half.

While Rios was the Duracell bunny, Alvarado’s batteries were in a junk drawer, rubbed and shoved in with the faint hope there was life in the old dog yet.

Prior to the opening bell, this concluding match of a trilogy which will not go down in history as one of the best, had a flickering flame, a fading threat that it might give us the kind of action the first (Rios TKO7 Oct 13, 2012) and fight two (Alvarado UD 12 Mar 30, 2013) offered. It did not, I say with a heavy sigh. It just did not.

After their second battle, Rios went on to get outclassed by Manny Pacquiao despite the big playground talk from his team beforehand, and then subsequently won an affair against Diego Chaves that I try not to think or write about too much. Meanwhile, Alvarado went on to be outgunned by Ruslan Provodnikov, and outmatched against Juan Manuel Marquez. Those two bouts plus three fights with Rios will age anyone and make a 34-year-old look a 44-year-old, as it has done, sadly, with Alvarado.

He said after last night’s embarrassing show that he will carry on. Stick a fork in him, please. Would you eat an Alvarado steak after last night?

Let’s not forget that during his preparation for the rubber match he was collared by the police for an outstanding felony warrant and illegal possession of a handgun. Mugshots never do anyone any favours, but after seeing Mike’s I wasn’t exactly thinking of putting the house on him. He’s due to appear in court next month, according to The Denver Post, and who knows if he’ll do a stint behind bars. He’s been there before, as the media like to report, ie. ‘Alvarado is no stranger to legal problems.’ Rios ain’t no angel himself.

The good, the bad, the ugly and the wacky characters of boxing come at us every year. One month into 2015 and Jermain Taylor and Mike Alvarado are a concoction of all four and we worry where their lives will take them. Taylor’s mental fragilities and erratic episodes are becoming too regular and he may need an intervention, for his own sake and for others. Alvarado probably won’t quit, and will be used as a name to beef up a prospect’s record – a sad state of affairs. And there I will put a pin in my emotions of frustration and annoyance.

I did, however, decide to take a look through Twitter using the #riosalvarado hashtag to see what other fight fans thought after last night’s action.

@MarioRod767: “I think I miss one hell of a fight last night.” No Mario, no. Who told you that? Name and shame them.

@_ChristianDale_ : “Rematch! We deserve a better Alvarado!” So you want a fourth fight? Are you mental? We did deserve a better Alvarado, but we’re never going to see it again.

@thebuilt79: “#disappointing” If boxing fans were Alvarado’s parents they would’ve said, ‘Mike, we’re not angry, we’re just disappointed.’

A lot of social media are saying Rios was back. The man shouted so after the fight to those that would listen. Perspective, people. Perspective.              — Shaun Brown