Basisphilosophie » juries did not prevent him from showcasing

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Juan Manuel Marquez fought 12 times at the Forum in the early days of his record-setting career, and the Mexican champion fondly remembers almost every round. Even as an unknown featherweight prospect, Marquez loved the crackling atmosphere of the 1990s fight cards at the once-Fabulous Forum, where Lakers owner Jerry Buss indulged his passion for boxing by putting on hundreds of shows. Hollywood glitterati and hard-core fight fans mingled in Buss famed arena, which fell into decline after the Lakers and the NHLs Kings moved downtown to Staples Center in 1999. The Forum still holds a beloved place in the minds of California sports fans -- and after 13 years of inactivity, the building is back in the boxing business. Marquez (55-7-1, 40 KOs) gets the privilege of re-christening a building where he has never lost. "I feel very happy, because I get to fight in a great place," said Marquez, who made his Forum debut in 1995. "It is a beautiful, historical place." Marquez is hoping to revive the excitement when he takes on Mike Alvarado (34-2, 23 KOs) on Saturday night at the Forum, which has been rehabilitated by The Madison Square Garden Co. with everything from a fresh coat of red exterior paint to a thoroughly refurbished interior. Marquezs welterweight showdown with the hard-punching Alvarado live on HBO is the first fight card since 2001 at the Forum, where dozens of Mexican and American boxers got their first big fights. Its also the place where Top Ranks Bob Arum promoted Muhammad Alis second fight with Ken Norton in 1973, back when Jack Kent Cooke owned the building. "I really missed it when they closed the Forum as an entertainment and sports venue," Arum said. "They used it as a church for a while, and nothing pleases me more than that it is back as a sports venue and hosting a boxing event." Arum put together a compelling main event for the Forums return. Although both fighters are coming off a loss, Marquez and Alvarado are among two of the worlds most entertaining fighters at their weights, with Alvarados boldness and brawling instincts contrasting nicely with Marquezs skill and counterpunching. Marquez has won world championships in four weight classes, and a victory over Alvarado would set him up for a shot at a fifth title at 147 pounds. The winner of this bout is likely to fight Manny Pacquiao in the fall, which means Marquez would get a fifth bout with the Filipino congressman after winning their fourth meeting by spectacular knockout. "I concentrate only on this fight," Marquez said. "Maybe in the future Ill think about that fight, but right now, the most important fight of my career is against Alvarado, because he is a strong fighter and a tough fighter." Alvarado is eager to bounce back from a difficult loss to Ruslan Provodnikov, who stopped Alvarado and took his 140-pound title last fall. While Alvarado would love the career-changing opportunity of a fight with Pacquiao, hes grateful for the chance to fight Marquez, who ranks right alongside Pacquiao among their generations best boxers. "Im here to put on a better show and perform at a higher level," Alvarado said. "This is where I belong, and Im going to show that this weekend." Although the main event is compelling, the return of boxing to the Forum will evoke fond memories for veterans of the fight game. Arum is hoping the card creates new excitement in Inglewood for future visits in an area already featuring several excellent boxing venues, including the outdoor StubHub Center in Carson. "I see that a lot of the fighters (for this weekend) are staying at the Marriott at the airport," Arum said. "When we did the Ali-Norton II fight, that was the fight headquarters as well. That was what, 41 years ago? Oh my, I was a thin, young handsome guy. Now Im an old, fat guy. It was a great night, a good fight. Norton gave Ali trouble. The fight at the Forum was very close, and Ali pulled it out." Wholesale Adidas Shoes China . Others describe it as taking the parrot for a walk. Cheap Authentic Adidas Shoes .com) - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right elbow last week, the teams official site reported Wednesday. http://www.discountadidasshoes.com/. On a hot, sweaty day, the Hall of Famer looked cool and comfortable. Cheap Adidas Shoes China . Pedroia reached the milestone with a little panache, hitting a grand slam in the sixth inning and propelling the Boston Red Sox to a 7-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night. Adidas Shoes Outlet . Anor had not scored since getting his first two goals of the season vs. Philadelphia on March 22 but struck with laser precision from distance in the 56th and 75th minutes. Montreal (3-10-5) lost its third straight and Impact coach Frank Klopas said it literally was a case of his players not stepping up.ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves agreed to eight-year contract with first baseman Freddie Freeman that is worth about $125 million on Tuesday. The deal was confirmed by the team on Tuesday night. Earlier in the day, outfielder Jason Heyward and the Braves agreed to a $13.3 million, two-year contract. Heyward and Freeman had filed for salary arbitration last month. The 24-year-old Freeman was an All-Star last year when he hit .319 with 23 homers and 109 RBIs. He matched his career high in home runs and set highs in batting average and RBIs which finishing fifth in NL MVP voting. He has topped 20 home runs in three straight seasons. "Freddie has established himself as one of the best young talents in the game," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "We are excited to sign one of our own homegrown players to a contract that will keep him in a Braves uniform for the next eight seasons." Closer Craig Kimbrel is the Braves only player left in arbitration. Heyward, also 24, and Freeman are key members of the Braves core of young stars. Kimbrel, shortstop Andrelton Simmons, outfielder Justin Upton and starting pitchers Julio Teheran and Mike Minor are 26 or younger. Evan Gattis, 27, is replacing Brian McCann as the starting catcher. Heyward was happy to avoid arbitration. "In my head it basically says to me, lets go play some baseball," he said. Heyward is coming off an injury-filled season, and Wren said the relative lack of playing time complicated the arbitration process and helped make the two-year contract possible. Heyward hit .254 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs in a career-low 104 games during his fourth season with the Braves. He had an appendectomy on April 22 and broke his jaw on Aug. 21 when he was hit by a pitch from New York Mets left-hander Jon Niese. "Last year was such a tough year physically, through no fault of his own, with the appendectomy and getting hit in the face," Wren said. "So it also made it tough for both sides in an arbitration situation because its hard to pin a number when youre comparing to players who played a lot more." Heywardd said he has moved past his injuries.dddddddddddd "Physically, I feel great, being 24 years old and being blessed with some genetics to go along with that," he said. "Im growing up still in this game and Im looking forward to what my body is going to allow me to do going forward." Heywards deal calls for a $1 million signing bonus, payable in equal installments on May 1 and July 1, and salaries of $4.5 million this year and $7.8 million in 2015. The 2015 salary would escalate based on a points system for 2014 accomplishments, going up $500,000 for 20 points and then by $25,000 for each additional point. Heyward would earn 10 points each for 502 plate appearances, All-Star game selection, a Gold Glove award, a Silver Slugger award and finishing 11th-to-20th in MVP voting. He would receive 15 points for 6th-to-10th in MVP, 25 points for third-to-fifth and 35 points for first or second. Heyward enjoyed his best season in 2012, when he hit .269 and set career highs with 27 homers, 82 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. Heywards injuries did not prevent him from showcasing his versatility. A 2012 Gold Glove winner in right field, Heyward started 20 games in centre last year. He spent most of the season hitting second in the order before he was moved to the leadoff spot by manager Fredi Gonzalez on July 27. Over his next 22 games, Heyward hit .349 with five homers, 15 RBIs and 23 runs. Heyward is projected as Atlantas leadoff hitter. "He provides a great presence," Wren said. "The one thing we saw, especially after Fredi moved him to the leadoff spot, it allowed him to utilize his speed, it allowed him to utilize his ability to get on base even to a greater degree. "I think other teams felt pressure from the very first pitch of the game, because all of a sudden now youve got a 6-foot-6, 230-pound leadoff hitter that can do some damage from the get-go. That came back to us time and time again, that theres no let up. It starts right away." Heyward is eligible for free agency after the 2015 season. He had asked for a raise from $3.65 million to $5.5 million in arbitration and had been offered $5.2 million. ' ' '