Worth the risk: Mike Alvarado is just one of many boxers neglecting their skills to entertain

By Peter Wells (twitter- @boxingsaddler):



Alvarado (Right) is consoled by his conqueror Provodnikov

Mike Alvarado isn't as slick as Floyd Mayweather and doesn't have the boxing abilities of Guillermo Rigondeaux or Andre Ward but to suggest he is nothing more than a brawler would be an unfair and incorrect comment. Alvarado can box and he can box well. Brandon Rios was punished in their rematch earlier this year and for periods when his tank of energy was high, Alvarado frustrated Ruslan Provodnikov with his stick and move approach.

Alvarado though is a warrior and when the going gets tough he likes to ensure it gets tougher. He remained disciplined for much of the rematch with Rios but in their first encounter he stood toe-to-toe, providing fight fans with a fight of the year, much like he did on Saturday night vs Provodnikov.

The Denver born fighter is not alone, in fact there are a whole host of boxers that neglect their skills or attributes in order to provide entertainment for the fans. Sometimes it pays off but a lot of the time it doesn't. Here are a few key examples:

Andre Berto. Welterweight 28-3(22)

Prior to meeting Victor Ortiz, Berto was on the rise, his incredibly large build and boxing ability gave boxing fans the sense that the American could well be a future star. But following points victories over Steve Forbes, Luis Collazo and Juan Urango, although he was still highly rated his viewer figures were beginning to drop. He went on to score two stoppage victories in succession before he was pitted against a fighter hoping to rebuild his reputation.

That fighter Ortiz dragged Berto into a war, or some might say that Berto dragged himself into a war. The fighters shared four knockdowns between them - two each - in a 12 round brawl in which Ortiz rightly came out victorious. A memorable fight indeed but Berto's unbeaten record was gone and vulnerabilities had arisen.


Berto after his war with Robert Guerrero

Following a 5th round victory over IBF champion Jan Zaveck, Berto was yet again involved in a thriller. This time Robert Guerrero capitalised on Berto's lack of movement, dropping the Floridian twice in the opening two stanza's. Berto suffered two terribly swollen eyes but did put forth punishment of his own only to come out with the second loss of his career.

This was followed by a first stoppage defeat in the 12th round against exciting and resilient but fairly one-dimensional Jesus Soto Karass. The fight was tied up going into the final round but Berto who fought almost the whole contest with a damaged right shoulder was sent to the canvas and stopped ending a dramatic night. Yet again he showed tremendous heart that has earned him more plaudits, but these wars are not going Berto's way and his career at the top seems to be slowly slipping away.

Tyson Fury. Heavyweight 21-0(15)

Many will question the selection of Fury, as not everyone believes the outspoken Heavyweight has the skills to take him to the top. But I include Fury for a slightly different reason. Tyson has the obvious dimensions to outbox his opponents, using his size and reach to dominate, but Fury doesn't favour being involved in drab affairs. Full of pride Fury likes to get his hands dirty and this has resulted in many scary moments for the Englishman.

Neglecting his reach and looking for the finishing blows have led to the 6' 9" Fury hitting the canvas against two smaller fighters not known for being big punchers. Neven Pajkic floored Fury in the 2nd round of their encounter before the man mountain continued to fight fire with fire, stopping the Bosnian in the 3rd. From 17 wins Pajkic has only won 5 times inside the distance. The other man to floor Fury was Steve Cunningham who had Fury down and in serious trouble from an overhand right. Fury again came through in a war he could quite easily have avoided. Cunningham wasn't recognised as a puncher at Cruiserweight let alone at Heavyweight.

Going into his February contest with David Haye, Fury would be more than wise to stick to his boxing, but the question is will entertaining the audience take precedence in that contest as well?


There have been many other examples of fighters neglecting their talents, Yuriokis Gamboa has hit the canvas several times while looking for the knockout. The Cuban has yet to pay the ultimate price but he would be wise to occasionally take a more cautious approach like fellow Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux, especially now he's moving up the divisions.

Timothy Bradley was guilty of pleasing the fans and neglecting his immense boxing abilities when he took on Ruslan Provodnikov. Bradley suffered from concussion in the 2nd round but survived to rightly win a close decision. His most recent win over Juan Manuel Marquez shows he has learnt his lesson.

Abner Mares suffered dramatically when he traded with known puncher Johnny Gonzalez. The favourite was dropped twice and stopped in the opening round. Mares has always had a crowd pleasing style, but neglecting his advantages over the veteran fighter cost him his unbeaten record.

Liverpudlian Heavyweight David Price has also paid a heavy price for neglecting his attributes. Unlike rival Tyson Fury he hasn't come out quite so lucky, losing twice inside the distance to the smaller but craftier Tony Thompson.

So the fighters must ask themselves before they enter the ring, what is more important, running the risk of defeat but earning the plaudits at the end of it or sticking to the plan increasing the chances of victory while bearing the disapproval of the casual fan that show little respect for the artistry of boxing.

Winning or entertaining what really is the aim of the game?