SAN DIEGO – January 18, 2013 – Fight fans will turn their attention to New York City and Madison Square Garden for the first significant bouts of 2013 as HBO’s Boxing After Dark series returns with a tripleheader on Saturday, January 19.

Thanks to Top Rank Promotions doing the math, the six boxers in the three featured events have 123 knockouts among their combined 170 fights. Given the nervousness about unexpected decision making by judges, none of these guys want to leave their fate in the hands of the judges if they can help it, always good news for boxing heads. Ringside Seat has your look at what to expect from these three events.

Orlando Salido vs. Miguel Angel “Mikey” Garcia, featherweights

Mexican featherweight champion Orlando Salido (39-11-2, 27 KOs) defends his belt against Miguel Angel “Mikey” Garcia (30-0, 26 KOs), younger brother of trainer Robert Garcia of Oxnard, California.

Salido, age 32, won an exciting, action packed fight against Juan Manuel Lopez last March after beating him in their first meeting in 2011. He also knocked out Moises Guitierrez in a July fight in Mexico. His career has hit speed bumps, losing to Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2010. But he’s won his last five bouts by knockout. Is he on a roll? This is the bout of the night where an upset seems a good possibility.

The 25-year-old Garcia will have his hands full with Salido, who can take it just as well as he dishes it out. Garcia, currently the WBO’s number one ranked featherweight contended, knocked out former WBA featherweight champion Jonathan Barros in the eighth round in November 2012. He’s trained by his father Eduardo, part of the hot ticket Oxnard, California-based Garcia team. Lately everything the Garcia touch has turned to boxing gold including success by Nonito Donaire and Brandon Rios.

Gennady Golovkin vs. Gabriel Rosado, middleweights

Fans may be more eager to see the hard hitting man from Kazahkstan via Germany, Gennady Golovkin (24-0, 21 KOs) in only his second U.S. appearance against Gabriel Rosado (21-5-0, 13 KOs), a no-nonsense, solid junior middleweight contender from Philadelphia. Golovkin, age 30, is now training in Big Bear, California. He’d like to make a big impression on American fans and work his way up into the big money bouts against the likes of Sergio Martinez or perhaps Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. following their expected rematch later this year. He’s also called out Canelo Alvarez, and even Andre Ward at 168 pounds. 

Golovkin was the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in his weight class and won two amateur world championships before entering the professional ranks. Golovkin’s reportedly had 400 amateur fights. He is known for stupendous punching power, the sort of knockout artist North American fans love. Defensely he may be a bit suspect, but if you can knock the other guy down first, how much will it matter?

Rosado, age 27, started boxing professionally at age 18. He should get support by plenty of Philly fans in the Garden. It worked for Danny Garcia last October at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Rosado works out of the same gym as Garcia and Garcia’s spectacular success may inspire and rub off on Rosado, which has a way of happening when fighters in your gym enjoy success.

Rosado’s heard all the talk about Golovkin being unbeatable, but Rosado believes he’s the toughest opponent Golovkin has faced as a professional.  “It is our job to smash this dude. Is he good? Yeah, the dude’s good. I’m not saying he’s not. But to look past me and think that it’s sweet? Like, nah,” said Rosado. 

Rosado is coming up in weight class to fight Golovkin after some confusion over staging the bout at a catch weight. Rosado, refused, saying he doesn’t want to hear any excuses when he beats Golovkin. It’s impressive talk if he can back it up.

Golovkin has a spectacular American debut in September, decking Grzegorz Proksa in impressive fashion for a fifth round TKO. It was his 11^th straight win by knockout. It’s a big jump from an upstate New York casino to Madison Square Garden, especially with boisterous fans cheering on your opponent. Let’s see how Golovkin handles it. 

Rocky Martinez vs. Juan Carlos Burgos, super featherweights

The third fight of the evening is a classic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico matchup: junior lightweight titleholder Rocky “Mini” Martinez (26-1-1, 16 KOs) of Puerto Rico against “King” Juan Carlos Burgos (30-1, 20 KOs) of Mexico. Martinez, age 29, is a crowd-pleasing WBO champion who brings the action. He received good exposure in his victory over Miguel Beltran on the undercard of the Martinez vs. Chavez Jr. card in September. The fans love him for it. Martinez says he’s been training nonstop and is even better shape now.

Burgos, age 25, is making his second attempt to win a belt. His only career loss was to Hozumi Hasagawa in 2010 and he acquitted himself well. He puts on fights fans enjoy watching, and this is not to be discounted. Technical fighters may amass good records, but they don’t get TV exposure and make the big money. Martinez and Burgos should provide a good start to a great evening of action.

HBO’s World Tripleheader on Boxing After Dark airs on Saturday, January 19, at 9:45 p.m EST. Fight fans can join Ringside Seat for a live Communities chat on Saturday night, starting at 9:30 p.m. EST. We will provide round-by-round commentary, real time photos and invite your comments on all the action.

Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR, is President/Owner of the Falcon Valley Group in San Diego, California. She is also a serious boxing fan covering the Sweet Science for Communities. Read more Ringside Seat in the Communities at The Washington Times. Follow Gayle on Facebook and on Twitter @PRProSanDiego.Gayle can be reached via Google +

Please credit “Gayle Falkenthal for Communities Digital News” when quoting from or linking to this story.   

Copyright © 2013 by Falcon Valley Group

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