“Mike Alvarado’s return to the ring after an 11-month break is just what the doctor ordered,” Top Rank Boxing’s Crystina Poncher said on Friday night’s nationally televised telecast for Unimas.
The 36-year-old Alvarado and one-time WBO junior welterweight champ improved to 37-4 with 25 KOs in his victory over North Carolina’s Mathew Strode (24-5, 9 KOs) inside two rounds of the welterweight clash at the UIC Pavillion Center in Chicago. The end came when “Mile High Mike” delivered a combination of punches to stun the outclassed Strode at 2:40 in the second round.
When Alvarado and his team came on The Final Word with Joe Rico and Alex Ramirez in February, he expressed how happy he was with his new training team of Rick Lopez Sr and Ricky Lopez Jr and how they improved his overall performance.
“The best about it is the training and critiquing I’ve been getting from my cousin and my uncle, so I can’t wait to exploit that,” Alvarado said.
Mike’s brief but impressive performance Friday night is something Top Rank Boxing has been waiting for since his two disappointing losses in the Mile High City for HBO boxing.
Mike has publicly said that he’s learned from his past and is in a better mindset than he’s ever been. Three years sober and recently married, Alvarado welcomed his new son last year.
What’s Next? Rumors are swirling that Jose Carlos Ramirez (20-0, 15 KOs) and 2012 Olympian might be Alvarado’s next opponent.
Catch the full fight between Mike Alvarado vs. Mathew Strode below, courtesy of Top Boxing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybu5BakGRqg
Featured Image Credit: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing