My scars tell a story. They are a reminder of times when life tried to break me but failed. They are markings of where the structure of my character was welded.
-Maraboli
Mike Alvarado (35-4 24 KO) has come a long way in the past year and a half. When we watched “Mile High” Mike in the ring in January of 2015, he was a shell of himself losing by 3rd round stoppage, to rival an old friend Brandon Rios. As Alvarado told Standing-8 last July, “I had no business being in that ring” a refrence to his lack of dedication to the sport due to a history of addiction problems that affected his training and life.
At the time of the July interview, Alvarado had been clean for a hundred and sixty-two days and had a confident mindset, ready to start a new chapter in his life. He spoke about his marriage of six months, a renewed dedication to the sport, and the learned cruel reality that “hard work beats talent, when talent ain’t working hard”.
In his last bout on March 19, Alvarado stopped Saul Corral by KO. The former WBO World super lightweight titlist looked in better shape than he has in some time. It was evident that his dedication and focus were better than they had been in years. Understandably, his timing was off a bit and there was some ring rust, but in the end, it was Alvarado doing what he does best.
On Saturday night, Alvarado will be facing Albuquerque’s Josh Torres (15-4-2 7 KO) at The Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas.
By all acounts, the Denver native has remained on the straight and narrow and should be sharper on Saturday than he was the last time out. With an impressive win, Alvarado will most likely be lining up some lucrative opportunities in the future.
Don’t be surprised if you see Alvarado fighting for a title at some point going forward. His natural talent and renewed dedication are a formidable combination.
Boxing at times, can be a metaphor for life. Life can knock you down and humble you, but if you keep fighting you give yourself a chance.
Alvarado kept fighting and gave himself a chance, the rest of his journey is a bonus.
Standing-8 