Big stage awaits unbeaten teen

He might be only 19 years old, but Saul Alvarez is ready to take a big step in his professional boxing career.

Golden Boy Promotions has Alvarez, a welterweight from Guadalajara, Mexico, who is 31-0-1 with 23 knockouts, slotted to fight in one of the main undercard bouts on the card headlined by the welterweight showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden on Saturday. Alvarez will face Jose Miguel Cotto in a scheduled 10-round bout that will be televised on the HBO pay-per-view portion of the card.

"It's very important that I perform well because this is my first time fighting in Las Vegas and I want to make a good showing," Alvarez said through an interpreter. "I'm facing the best fighter I have ever fought."

Alvarez, who is nicknamed "Cinnamon" because of his red hair and freckles that give him the appearance of a Latino Huckleberry Finn, has become something of a teen idol in Mexico. In his five-year professional career, he has generated crossover appeal with women, and word is some of his female fans have taken off their tops and flung them at the ring.

"Yes, I have seen that," Alvarez said sheepishly. "But people are starting to recognize me, and I've been getting endorsement offers. Movies and television, too."

Alvarez began boxing at age 13 when he found his way into Jose "Chepo" Reynoso's gym in Guadalajara. Two years later, Alvarez turned pro, saying he needed to face stiffer competition in order to improve.

"I'm pleased with the progress I've made, but I still have a lot of work to do so I can be the best fighter possible," Alvarez said. "This fight (against Cotto) will be my biggest challenge."

Cotto, the older brother of former world welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, is 31-1-1 with 23 KOs.

■ CLOSED-CIRCUIT TICKETS -- In addition to pay per view on HBO, the Mayweather-Mosley fight will be available in Las Vegas on closed-circuit TV. The MGM Grand, Mirage, Mandalay Bay, Bellagio, Luxor, Monte Carlo and Circus Circus will show the fight.

Tickets are $50 and are on sale at each property's box office as well as through Ticketmaster and online at mgmgrand.com and ticketmaster.com.

■ HOLYFIELD-BOTHA NUMBERS -- The Nevada Athletic Commission released figures for the April 10 Evander Holyfield-Frans Botha heavyweight fight at the Thomas & Mack Center, and the numbers weren't good for Crown Boxing promoter Frank Luca.

According to the NAC, only 1,173 tickets were sold, producing a live gate of $58,695. There were 1,000 complimentary tickets distributed, and 6,975 tickets went unsold. Luca announced after the fight that the attendance was 3,127.

The gate barely covered rental of the Thomas & Mack, which according to director Daren Libonati was $50,000. The commission said that Holyfield earned $150,000 and Botha $100,000 for the fight, which Holyfield won by technical knockout in the eighth round of their scheduled 12-round bout.

■ CHARLES SETBACK -- Just when broadcaster Nick Charles appeared to be winning his eight-month battle with bladder cancer, he suffered a setback with the cancer spreading to his lungs.

Once again, Charles, 63, will have to take time away from the microphone, where he has been working on Showtime's fight cards, to deal with his health issues.

Charles was in Las Vegas in February, working the Top Rank card at the Las Vegas Hilton that Nonito Donaire headlined. But in March, when he went to his doctors for a checkup, Charles learned the cancer had spread.

He is about to begin another round of chemotherapy in an attempt to stop further spread of the cancer. He said he hopes to return to work this summer.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.