The Inaugural Brawl: Marquez vs. Alvarado at the Forum!

Boxing is back at the Forum (3900 West Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, Calif. 90305) and the historic inaugural brawl will feature four-division world champion and Méxican icon JUAN MANUEL “Dinamita” MARQUEZ battling former junior welterweight world champion and the pride of Colorado “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO.

Marquez (55-7-1, 40 KOs), of México City, a longtime Forum stalwart who never lost a fight at the legendary boxing venue, and Alvarado (34-2, 23 KOs), of Denver, CO., will collide in a 12-round World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title elimination bout on Saturday, May 17. The Márquez-Alvarado welterweight rumble will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT. The winner will challenge the victor of the upcoming WBO welterweight championship rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, Jr. Marquez and Alvarado boast a combined record of 89-9-1 (63 KOs) — a winning percentage of 90% and a victory by knockout ratio of 71%.

Promoted by Top Rank® in association with Zanfer Promotions, Marquez Boxing and Tecate, tickets to Marquez vs. Alvarado will go on sale Tuesday, April 1 at 3:00 p.m. ET / Noon PT. Priced at $400, $250, $150, $75 and $35, tickets can be purchased at the Forum box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (800-745-3000), and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.fabulousforum.com. And to celebrate boxing’s return to the Forum, any $150 or $75 ticket, purchased at the box office or via Ticketmaster on April 1, between Noon and 4:00 p.m. PT, will include a complimentary companion ticket to the inaugural brawl. Limit six (6) tickets per order.

“The opportunity to go back and fight at the Forum where I developed as a professional fighter was too great to pass up,” said Marquez. “I expect a tough fight against Mike Alvarado and one that the fans will truly enjoy.”

“I am so excited. We have been training already for four weeks. Marquez has always been on our radar and he is the one I always wanted to fight,” said Alvarado. “This fight is my redemption to all of my fans. I know how important this fight is. 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.”

“Marquez vs. Alvarado should be a battle from bell to bell. Both really need this fight and that will make for an exciting encounter,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

“On May 17, World Championship Boxing delivers a must-see, high-stakes, all-action event,” said Peter Nelson, director of programming, HBO Sports. “In a welterweight showdown between two of boxing’s great warriors, Juan Manuel Marquez and Mike Alvarado will rekindle a Forum tradition: fights between men who defy physics, weighing so little while having hearts so big. It will be a familiar atmosphere for Marquez as he’ll return home, both to the Forum for the first time in 15 years and live on HBO for the first time in four. On May 17, we’ll see if Alvarado can upend Marquez’s homecoming to make it his own house-warming. Don’t miss it.”

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