DENVER – Undefeated Top-10 junior welterweight contender MIKE ALVARADO has stripped off the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Continental Americas super lightweight title he was scheduled to defend on Saturday night in his north Denver homecoming fight against former Méxican welterweight champion Gabriel Martinez.  Alvarado had captured the vacant WBC Continental Americas title in his previous fight, in May, via a third-round stoppage of Ray Narh (25-2, 21 KOs), who had entered that fight rated No. 6 by the WBC and was riding a seven-year, 15-bout winning streak, with 12 of those victories coming by knockout.

“The WBC rated me No. 7 in May, No. 8 in June, and No. 10 in July.  At this rate, if I keep on winning, I could be out of the WBC’s Top-20 by Christmas.  What is the value of winning a WBC regional title or beating a higher-rated contender?” explained Alvarado.  “Furthermore, I wanted to earn a title shot at the WBC’s super lightweight world champion Timothy Bradley and they just stripped him of the title for no valid reason.  So I’m doing the logical thing, I’m stripping their title belt from my waist and their sanction fee from my purse.  I’ll continue my quest for a world title through one of the other sanctioning organizations.”

 Alvarado and Martinez, who have a combined professional record of 57-2-1(36 KOs) – a winning percentage of 95% and a victory by knockout ratio of 63%, will battle for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) Latino junior welterweight title, Tomorrow!  Saturday, August 30, at Softball Country (2101 West 64th Ave., Denver, CO 80221.)  

 “Top Rank firmly stands behind Mike’s position on stripping off the WBC’s title belt,” said Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank, Alvarado’s promoter, who is in Denver.  “We look at it as belt reform.  Mike was willing to risk his undefeated record and invest in himself by fighting for and defending a WBC regional title, the least he should expect is to be rewarded on merit alone when he wins. Mike made Narh, a higher-rated contender, quit on his stool after three rounds in a fight that was televised internationally as part of the Manny Pacquiao – Shane Mosley pay-per-view broadcast in May.  And Mike drops not once, but TWICE in the WBC’s ratings?  Even Casey Kasem would be embarrassed.”