Juan De La Rosa is 23 years old, not 18 I found out today. I'm in/around the boxing business. I don't know why the show creators need to lie. Now I look at thim completely differntly. If he was 18 I'd say he has a great future, but at 23 he's nothing special/.

• RE: Why Do they Lie About Fighters Ages?????,VegasFightWriter, 05:07 PM, 04-11-05
  • RE: Why Do they Lie About Fighters Ages?????,Throwback, 05:42 PM, 04-11-05
    • RE: Why Do they Lie About Fighters Ages?????,VegasFightWriter, 05:53 PM, 04-11-05
      • RE: Why Do they Lie About Fighters Ages?????,Throwback, 07:08 PM, 04-11-05
        • RE: Why Do they Lie About Fighters Ages?????,VegasFightWriter, 07:47 PM, 04-11-05
• RE: Why Do they Lie About Fighters Ages?????,PhoenixMons, 07:58 PM, 04-11-05
  • RE: Why Do they Lie About Fighters Ages?????,ARnutz, 08:35 PM, 04-11-05
    • RE: Why Do they Lie About Fighters Ages?????,VegasFightWriter, 09:13 PM, 04-11-05
      • Thanks,AyaK, 09:55 PM, 04-11-05
        • RE: Thanks,VegasFightWriter, 11:25 PM, 04-11-05
          • RE: Thanks,Superbad, 11:55 PM, 04-11-05
            • RE: Thanks,Throwback, 03:53 PM, 04-12-05
        • RE: Thanks,VegasFightWriter, 02:35 PM, 04-12-05
          • RE: Thanks,Throwback, 03:55 PM, 04-12-05
            • RE: Thanks,VegasFightWriter, 05:32 PM, 04-12-05
              • RE: Thanks,FarwestChips, 06:56 PM, 04-12-05
                • RE: Thanks,Throwback, 07:51 PM, 04-12-05
                  • RE: Thanks,VegasFightWriter, 08:02 PM, 04-12-05
                    • RE: Thanks,Throwback, 12:52 PM, 04-13-05
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                    • RE: Thanks,Throwback, 12:53 PM, 04-13-05

Interesting. BoxRec lists his birthday as 12/14/82, meaning he was 21 when the show was filmed, not 18, and that he's 22 now. He isn't listed in the 2003 FightFax, which is the most recent issue I have. I believe he represents himself as being 18, but if the producers researched a little, they would know he is listed as being otherwise. It is of course possible that BoxRec has it wrong. It is worth noting that The Contender website lists Juan as being 13-0 (including his win over Tarick), while BoxRec has him at 5-0. That wouldn't be entirely without precedent if he had a number of poorly documented fights in Mexico, especially if they were befre he turned 18, as SRL indicated on the show.

Hi VFW,

It is likely we know each other.

I've heard rumors from a solid source about who won this show. Have you heard any rumors too? I won't say anything to ruin it if what I've been told is true. I won't even hint as it would ruin it is said rumors are true.

Yeah, I heard last year which two fighters apparently made it to the final. It's the same rumor that subsequently has been making the rounds in various mags, etc. I have heard a result of one second round match only. Have you heard any others?

Hi again,

I have only heard about who the supposed winner is. You have likely heard more than me, as I don't know who the other fighter is. Then again, somebody told me the championship fight is still pending.

Great show though isn't it?

There is no winner yet. The final two will fight at Caesars Palace on May 24 in the season finale.

Quite a few folks in the boxing media have been snarky about the show from Day One, but I love it, partly because Ishe is my friend but also because I hink it's great for boxing.

LAST EDITED ON 04-11-05 AT 08:01 PM (EST)

http://www.valleystar.com/sports_more.php?id=53656_0_12_0_M

According to this local source, Juan is in fact 18.

Cavazos did say that De La Rosa, 17, would fight in the fall possibly for the WBC youth title. Fighters 22 years or younger are eligible. De La Rosa turns 18 in August.

"We wanted him to fight," Cavazos said. "He’s a future world champion."

Cavazos said De La Rosa (14-0-1, 13 KO) would be introduced before the fight and would sit ringside.

De La Rosa next fights in July in Rio Bravo, Mexico, his manager Joe Valle said.

That was written in June 2004.

Also, in another local paper, it lists Juan as 18 and his father, 41, as of Febrary 2005. The article deals with a problem the de la Rosa family had with police, so I'm thinking the police/article would have his age listed correctly.

Got blog?

That article says Juan's birthday is in August, but in one of the posts above, VFW says it's listed as 12/14/82.

Something doesn't jive here.

Why does this remind me of that scandal with that Little Leaguer who was too old to play?

'nutz: Proud member of the inoffensive OT Triumvirate... and Shroomhater! - shroom go boom!

My guess would be that the most likely reasons are (1) that BoxRec simply has it wrong; or (2) that, if there were any fibbing involved, Juan's people may have added to his age, to get him a fight in the US. That is not uncommon with Mexican fighters. As I mentioned, he is not in the 2003 Fight Fax, suggesting he had not fought in the US by that point; Ill contact Fight Fax to see if they have an official record.

We've been told that Juan went to Mexico to fight when he was 15. Could it be that he represented himself as 18 when he did it, and that's the date that BoxRec picked up?

I also noticed that BoxRec only showed 3 of his fights prior to last night: 1 in the US in Feb. 2004 and two in Mexico, including one eight days after the US fight. Doesn't look like there is much regulation south of the border.

Re: regulation south of the border: you're right. The padded career record of Julio Cesar Chavez is a case in point. (For that matter, Chavez's son is now fighting in the US. He is allegedly 19, a good four years older than he looks).

If Juan fought in the US in Feb 2004, then according to the other articles that were posted here, he was only 17. He would have had to lie about his age to be licensed. This is likely the source of the confusion. I'm still working on confirmation.

"boxing media have been snarky about the show from Day One"

That's the boxing media for you. Cynical, negative sons of b*tches to the bitter end. Who would've ever thought that a prime-time show like this about boxing would ever appear. It's a God-send for the sport. You would think these guys would think, like you said, that it's good for boxing; support it. But ohhh nooo, we can't be too positive about the sport. SO they're gonna trash it and then keep on complaining about how boxing isn't so popular and why it doesn't get any respect from the media.

These motherf*ckers eat their own. They talk sh*t about the very people they cover to make a living and b*tch and gripe about every damn thing (Jeff Ryan, Wally Matthews, to name a few.) Yeah, excellent P.R.
With "friends" of the sport like this, who needs enemies?!?

I agree with you Superbad 100%. 100%.

A lot of boxing media feel they are smarter by trashing or breaking something/somebody down by talking ill of it than to embrace it. I think it takes more courage to call something good than bad.

I think the show is entertaining to the extreme. Even my non-boxing friend think it's great too. I can't wait for it every Sunday. The guys on the show are so nice and worthy of respect I wish they all could have won. It puts a really good face on boxing.

I heard back from FightFax, by the way, who replied that despte numerous requests to vaious Mexican commissions, they have received nothing in the way of information about his record, official birh date, etc.

VFW,

If your first name starts with an "M" then we definitely know each other and are on excellent terms.....

Nope, not me. The only Vegas fight writer who comes immediately to mind with a first name beginning with M has the initials MK, although I'm probably forgetting someone. That's the opposite of my initials, KM. I don't know if there's a tradition of anonymity on these boards, but I've aleady been "outed." My name's Kieran Mulvaney.

And now that our friend Kieran Mulvaney has been "outed" my stalking of him has began.
Muhahahah < thats as evil as I can sound sorry.

Hi Kieran, I think I may have met you before. Whit Haydon here. I was thinking you were Mike Sloan. Tell Butch I said hi. See you in Vegas sometime hopefully soon!

Oh, hi Whit. Phew I'm glad you meant Mike Sloane. When you said you were good buddies with a Vegas fight writer whose name begins with M, I was afraid you meant Michael Katz! You going to be at the ESPN card at Caesars next week?

No not the guy with the brace around his neck LOL!

Right now I'm about 60/40 going to the 4/23 card at Caesars. I'll look for you. It's going to be a great card man. If not I'll go to the Plaza show on 4/29.

Take care Kieran. -whit

Hey, Whit: Do you write for fightnews.com?

Hi Super,

Yes. I'm in the LA area. -whit