“Perro” faces Ricardo Mayorga in his next fight
Alfredo “Perro” Angulo continues to make a fast ascent through the ranks of junior middleweight and if you’re not familiar with him yet, you will come February 14, 2009, when he takes on former world champion Ricardo Mayorga in a fight that will be aired on HBO, at a venue yet to be decided.
“Perro” means dog in Spanish and the undefeated (14-0, 11 KOs) Angulo is living up to his nickname; he is known for his intensity and hard-hitting relentlessness in the ring. Since his pro debut in 2005, Angulo has been making a splash in the boxing world, scoring a KO or TKO in his last ten fights.
I caught up with Angulo at All Star Boxing’s fight promotion last Friday and we had some time to chat while waiting for the bouts to begin at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, California. Angulo was there to support his Maywood stablemate, Ruben Rivera (making his pro debut), who later that night split-decisioned against Pasadena’s Elliot Seymour, who also made his pro debut that night.
Outside of the ring, in keeping with his ferocious reputation, Angulo rarely smiles while posing for photos
. His serious demeanor may just be a put on, because as I chat with the Mexicali, BC, Mexico native, he is funny and playful, down-to-earth and direct.
This young man–who’s making all the right moves in boxing circles right now–is unfailingly polite to all who approach him for an autograph or a photo with the popular Mexican brawler. I never see “Perro” growling at anyone–to the contrary he is kind and courteous–unless they happen to be an opponent he squares off against.
He even spent time coaching me as I tested out some new Spanish phrases I had just learned. Angulo was very patient, making sure to correct my pronunciation and having me repeat things until he was satisfied with my attempt at speaking Spanish with him–in a helpful manner and not in a mocking way at all.
And when I try and get him to smile for a photo, he decides to make a more solemn expression. Then as soon as the camera is put away, he breaks into a wide grin and laughs. He has fun switching back and forth from his “mean” look to a broad smile, but timing it just right so that I can’t ever really capture a full smile on camera. He is animated and friendly during our conversation, so his bark may be worse than his bite while not in the ring!
But with all the acclaim he’s now receiving, Angulo remains a low-key guy that takes time to help people– really listening and observing–not blowing off anyone who approaches him.
One example is when a mutual female friend stops by to say hello, Angulo tells her discreetly that she has a bit of lipstick on her teeth. She thanks the fighter for noticing this and heads to the ladies’ room to check on it. And through our conversation, there is a constant stream of fans, well-wishers, corner men, and fellow fighters that want to say hello; he is sincere and genuine with each and every person who greets him.
During last Saturday night’s HBO broadcast of the Hatton-Malignaggi fight, even Jim Lampley and Lennox Lewis were heard singing Angulo’s praises during an undercard battle between James Kirkland and Brian Vera. The commentators raved about Angulo, Lampley calling him “relentless and indefatigable,” also saying, “He’s a sturdy, strong puncher” who never seems to get tired. Lamp’s HBO associate and heavyweight champ Lewis agreed, chiming in, “He’s one tough, rough customer.”
And while speaking with HBO’s Harold Lederman this morning, he told me, “Angulo’s a very, very good
prospect; a tremendous hard puncher with good skills. He stays in good shape and he’s aggressive–he’ll be great on HBO’s Boxing After Dark. It will be a doubleheader with Nate Campbell vs. Ali Funeka.”
Lederman graciously spoke to me about the anticipated Angulo fight, while mourning the unfortunate passing of boxing referee Toby Gibson, who apparently took his own life. The well-known referee Gibson had officiated two of the undercards during last Saturday’s Hatton fight in Las Vegas and a stunned Lederman, who received the news
from a friend last night, told me, “I just saw Toby last weekend and he seemed fine. This is very sad and shocking.”
The “unofficial judge” for HBO then continues on with his assessment of “Perro” and says, “He’s an advanced fighter with the small number of fights he’s had, and I think he’ll have a junior middleweight championship in the future.”
World Boxing Council Supervisor Rudy Tellez, is another one taking quick notice of the slugger and is excited about his potential, “Oh, that Angulo is dynamite!” Also Vice Chairman for WBC Youth World Champions, Tellez adds, “The kid has a lot of composure and I think he’ll be able to unify all the championships someday–he’s awesome.”
The confident, yet modest, 26-year-old Angulo has been getting a lot of attention lately and was surrounded by fans at this month’s World Boxing Hall of Fame awards banquet. The 2004 Mexican Olympian already has a huge local fan base and he certainly made them proud in his last fight at Pechanga Resort in Temecula, California, winning a TKO over Andrey Tsurkan in the final tenth round.
At at this last fight in October–during his decisive victory over the Ukrainian-born Tsurkan–Angulo’s fans came out in force, forming a very boisterous “Dog Pound” rooting section for their beloved “Perro.” Armed with banners and wearing black T-shirts with a row of rabid dogs silk screened across their chests, they make sure to mark their territory at all of his fights. Now his faithful fans are salivating as they await “Perro’s” next bout against Mayorga, in what will surely be an extra-sweet Valentine’s Day for all fight fans tuning in.
Mayorga, who in his career has battled Fernando Vargas, Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, and Vern Forrest among others, will now get a taste of boxing’s newest sensation Angulo. The 35-year-old Nicaraguan (28-7-1, 22 KOs), who was recently defeated by Shane Mosley will most likely be facing his fiercest opponent yet in the younger Angulo, who was a sparring partner for Antonio Margarito.
Here is my interview with Alfredo Angulo, who’s being touted by some as the next big thing in boxing.
Question: Tell me about your next fight.
Answer: I’ll fight anyone. But Gary Shaw and I went down the list and there were two names that we wanted: Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. and Ricardo Mayorga. I want to fight Mayorga.
Q: Where will the Mayorga fight be held?
A: We still don’t know the location yet.
Q: Who is your favorite fighter of all time?
A: I have two: Julio Cesar Chavez and Ricardo “Finito” Lopez; so it’s better to fight Mayorga, not Chavez’ son.
Q: What do you think of your sparring partner Antonio Margarito’s victory over Miguel Cotto?
A: It seemed like seventy percent of the fans were for Cotto and thirty percent were for Margarito. There were a lot of Puerto Rican fans and on that night, everyone thought it was Cotto who would win. But Margarito changed all of that!
Q: Your opinion on Margarito’s fight with Shane Mosley falling through (but now looks to be back on)?
A: They didn’t offer Margarito enough money. It’s time for him to get a bigger pay day and I want him to fight.
Q: You’re currently undefeated. What thoughts do you have about your last opponents?
A: I just focus on fighting and try not to make it too personal. I sometimes don’t remember the names of all the people I fought. (He laughs).
Q: What do you think of your current ranking?
A: I’m happy that I’m ranked #3 WBC and WBO #2.
Q: How did you originally get the nickname of “Perro”?
A: The Mexican Olympic Team gave it to me for my style of fighting, not because I look like a dog. (He laughs).
Q: Where are you living now?
A: L.A. is my home base so I can train in Maywood.
Q: Okay, why don’t you smile more in photos?
A: I don’t smile because a dog wouldn’t smile and I can’t let my opponents see me smiling! I have to be “mean” like a dog! (Then he grins).
Q: What do you think of the December 6th De La Hoya-Pacquaio matchup?
A: Well, Pacquiao is usually at 125, and now he’s going up four weight divisions? (He shrugs).
Q: What would you like to say to your fans who come out and support you?
A: I’m happy that they’re watching me fight. I want the fans to come out and be satisfied with my fights.
Q: Your fans really come out to support you and they are very enthusiastic!
A: I’m always very happy that people are coming to see me. My heart is with the fans and it makes me work harder when I hear them–it’s great!
Q: Thank you, Alfredo, for your time.
A: Gracias and ten cuidado. (Thank you and be careful). Take care.
Note: Special thanks goes to Frank and Noemi Martinez for their Spanish translation assistance!
Photos by Michele Chong: One tough “Perro”; Alfredo Angulo almost cracks a smile!; The fighter jokes with Gwen Adair, Veteran referee Lou Filippo flanks Angulo; David Denkin and Gwen Adair make an Angulo “Knuckle Sandwich”!
Pechanga fight photos courtesy of Raymond Rodriguez