Magicgames II » New York D Brian Strait

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Although Juan Manuel Marquez rarely acts his age in the ring, the 40-year-old welterweight turned back the clock to a specific time and place while he battered Mike Alvarado. Under the spotlights, the smoke and the deafening cheers, Marquez was once again the king of the Forum ring, returning in grand style to the refurbished arena for one more celebration of his brilliance and longevity. Marquez won a clear unanimous decision over Alvarado on Saturday night, dominating in the Forums first boxing card in 13 years. "I wanted to give the public here a gift," the four-division champion said afterward while a pro-Marquez crowd roared its approval. "A gift that dignifies the history of this event and the history of the Forum. I wanted to make this fight a gift for the fans." Marquez (56-7-1) dismantled Alvarado with 12 rounds of technical brilliance and vicious power, knocking down Alvarado in the eighth round and bouncing back from his own ninth-round knockdown to finish strong, even staggering Alvarado right before the final bell. Judges Max DeLuca and Julie Lederman scored it 117-109 for Marquez, and Robert Byrd favoured him 119-108. The Associated Press also scored it 117-109 for Marquez, giving him 10 of the 12 rounds. Marquez improved to 13-0 at the Forum, the former featherweight prospects regular home during the late 1990s. Although he once lived in Anaheim, Marquez hadnt fought in California since his last Forum bout in 1999, and thousands of his local fans turned out to support arguably the greatest Mexican fighter of his generation. The win sets up Marquez for a fifth fight with Manny Pacquiao in the fall in Macau, if Marquez wants it. His knockout victory over Pacquiao in December 2012 was the crowning moment of his career, but the money might compel him to add a fifth chapter to their rivalry. "Well relax first," Marquez said. "I dont know at the moment, but any decision we make will be good for me, good for my family and good for the Mexican fans." Alvarado (34-3) never got rolling in his second straight defeat, struggling to land any major shots beyond the right that sent Marquez to the canvas. "It was a bad experience being in there with a legend," Alvarado said. "I was warming up a little bit too much before I started getting off. It was on me, but it was a great fight." Marquez, who made $1.4 million, showcased the roots of his success against Alvarado, whose apparent fear of Marquezs famed counterpunching left him waiting for Marquez to clobber him. Marquez outlanded Alvarado in 11 rounds, connecting with 44 per cent of his 627 punches. His power shots were even more devastating, landing 57 per cent to just 34 per cent for Alvarado. Marquez was in charge from the opening rounds. With Alvarado sitting back and waiting, Marquez pounded him to the body and pulped the left side of his face, opening a cut under his eye in the middle rounds. "Thats the kind of fighter I am. I like wars," Alvarado said. "Thats how he exploited me, but thats how I fight." Marquez knocked down Alvarado with a counter right hand in the final seconds of the eighth, sending Alvarado sliding under the ropes and nearly off the canvas into the photographers. Alvarado recovered after the bell, and he knocked down Marquez with a double right hand early in the ninth, stunning the crowd. But the shot only seemed to enrage Marquez, who landed big combinations for the rest of the round. Alvarados face was swollen with damage under both eyes in the final rounds. Alvarado wobbled Marquez again in the 11th round, but Marquez kept his feet and finished to a standing ovation. Marquez took a split-decision loss to Timothy Bradley last fall in his first fight since his victory over Pacquiao, but he was back on top in the heralded return of boxing to the Forum, the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings. The Forum was a boxing hotbed for 30 years, hosting Muhammad Alis second fight with Ken Norton along with dozens of fight nights promoted by the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss. "It was a very entertaining fight, and the thing that really thrills me is its a great fight to come back to the Forum with," Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. "So many years ago, there were so many nights at the Forum when we had fights like this." Alvarado hadnt fought since Ruslan Provodnikov stopped him last fall. Alvarado moved away from his native Denver to the Los Angeles area in preparation for this bout, determined to avoid the pitfalls lurking in his hometown. Pittsburgh Pirates Shirts . Everton Preview West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has been around the game long enough to not get too high when things are going well and not get too low when they arent. Edgar Santana Jersey .C. -- Theyll remember the OT from the first Syracuse-Duke game -- and the Ts that decided Round 2. https://www.cheappiratesjerseys.us/1882e...ey-pirates.html. They know how difficult it is to beat the San Antonio Spurs. George scored 28 points and Indiana defeated San Antonio 111-100 on Saturday night, snapping an 11-game skid against the Spurs. Rich Gossage Jersey . Expensive. The NFL fined Tomlin $100,000 on Wednesday for interfering with Baltimores Jacoby Jones on a kickoff return in the third quarter of a 22-20 loss to the Ravens on Thanksgiving night. Richard Rodriguez Jersey . Van Slyke drove in a career-high four runs with two homers off struggling left-hander Tony Cingrani, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled away to a 6-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night, a rare comfortable win in their pitching-dominated series.UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- It was as if Matt Moulson never left the New York Islanders. He was scoring goals, hearing cheers and chants of his name at Nassau Coliseum, and waving his stick to the crowd after being chosen as the games No. 1 star. And none of the fans decked out in orange and blue seemed to mind a bit that he was doing major damage against the home team while wearing a Minnesota Wild sweater. In his first game as an Islanders opponent since being dealt, Moulson scored two goals and had three points in the Wilds 6-0 rout of New York on Tuesday night. "I was pretty nervous. I dont think I slept a minute during pregame nap," Moulson said. "I was here for a long time. This team had a big place in my heart when I was here. The fans give great support. It was pretty emotional." Ilya Bryzgalov made 16 of his 36 saves in the first period when the Wild took a 2-0 lead. Minnesota made the most of 22 shots on a night coach Mike Yeo switched up his lines. "It some ways, you feel a little bit bad. You dont want to sit there and run up the score. Thats not the intention there," Yeo said. "(Moulson) is a guy that is obviously very, very well respected here. You see what the crowd is doing in a game like that. I thought that was very classy." Frustration was also noticeable in the crowd that is fed up with general manager Garth Snow, who not only traded Moulson, but this month also dealt Thomas Vanek -- the key player acquired when Moulson was sent to Buffalo. Moulson, like Vanek an impending free agent, was traded by Buffalo to Minnesota this month. He scored the first of the Wilds two goals in the opening period and their third in the final frame. "Anytime a trade happens or something when you switch teams, you have something to prove," Moulson said. "I had a lot of family and friends here so I made sure I didnt embarrass them." Wild forward Zach Parise will have a similar experience Thursday when the former Devils star plays in New Jersey for the first time since leaving as a free agent. "Its a little different situation. He got traded and I didnt," Parise said with a laugh. "I dont know how its going to be when I get there." Jared Spurgeon, a sixthh-round pick of the Islanders in the 2008 draft, made it 2-0.dddddddddddd. Mikael Granlund pushed the lead to 3-0 in the second, defenceman Clayton Stoner scored his first goal of the season on a breakaway in the third, and Justin Fontaine was credited with a goal after a video review to make it 5-0. Mikko Koivu had three assists to move past Marian Gaborik for the most points in Wild history with 438. Moulson closed the scoring with a power-play goal with 3:26 left. It was his 20th of the season and third in seven games with Minnesota. "I think the trade was pretty tough on him," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "Ive seen him do what he did tonight many times." Bryzgalov earned his second shutout of the season and 32nd in the NHL. Anders Nilsson stopped 16 shots for New York, but couldnt match his fine performance of Saturday night when he beat Buffalo with a 33-save effort. Moulsons name was cheered when announced as part of the Wilds starting lineup, then he was feted with more applause when the Islanders thanked him on the video board. A louder roar went up when he scored his first goal 12:23 in. After his second, fans chanted "We want Moulson!" "I knew from playing against him here that he was a fan favourite," Parise said. "I dont think anyone expected the We Love Moulson cheers at the end, but it was nice to see him get a good reception." Spurgeon, a defenceman who never played for the Islanders, took a pass from Dany Heatley and one-timed a hard drive with 4:03 left in the first. Granlunds seventh of the season, gave the Wild a three-goal edge with 3:58 remaining in the second. Fontaines 13th goal zipped in and out of the net 7:06 into the third, but play continued for over a minute before a video review took place. Moulson and Koivu earned assists. NOTES: New York D Brian Strait broke his left hand while blocking a shot in the second period. ... Moulson, who began his NHL career with Los Angeles, has three goals in two career games vs. New York. He had 118 goals and 105 assists in 304 games with the Islanders. ... Islanders D Kevin Czuczman made his NHL debut. ... The Wild were whistled for penalties for the first time in three games. ' ' '