irish micky ward

Rich Marotta speaking before Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado II: "I'm sure the overwhelming consensus will be Rios. However, I will be a contrarian. I think Mike Alvarado is being sold short."  

Although Brandon Rios became the first man to stop Mike Alvarado in October's bloody Fight-of-The-Year-caliber clash of unbeaten junior welterweights, ex-beltholder Kendall Holt believes that Alvarado can exact revenge on Saturday night.

Arturo Gatti was involved in a Ring Magazine "Fight Of The Year" four times throughout his career, but was most known for his three bouts against Irish Micky Ward -- the first and third of which earned Ring Magazine's "Fight Of The Year" honors.

Micky Ward on referee Pat Russell's stoppage of Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado: "You'd rather be a punch too early than a punch too late, so I think that the referee did a good job of stopping it."

The manager of the late Arturo Gatti hired investigators to find out the truth about the fighter's death. Pat Lynch said their findings will demonstrate that Gatti did not kill himself.