Canelo Alvarez is eager to erase the memory of his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. with a strong performance against Alfredo Angulo, whom he acknowledges will be a difficult opponent.

Alvarez will fight Angulo on March 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, site of his majority decision loss to Mayweather last September.

"This fight ahead is a hard one," Alvarez said in a press release that was sent out on Tuesday. "There will be a lot of punches thrown. Two different styles will clash in the ring and there will be a lot of action. It will be a war that we're all going to enjoy.

"Angulo is a strong fighter. He is a fighter who hits hard and can last a long time in the ring. He is a fighter that always makes his fights tough and you have to work hard to beat him. That's what will happen on March 8 and that's what we'll hope to see."

Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 knockouts) shared his thoughts in a Golden Boy Promotions press release from his training facility in San Diego, Calif.,

"I consider myself a person with a strong mindset and that's how I moved on from the loss against Mayweather. I always train to win, like everybody else and unfortunately last September was not the case. I'm training to make history, and to be one of the best in boxing history," said Alvarez.

"One defeat is not everything. The biggest boxers in history have been defeated. For instance, Muhammad Ali was defeated and he came back and made history. So, here I am, making history, moving forward. I fight to make boxing history. That is why I fight."

Meanwhile, Angulo (22-3, 18 KOs) has had sessions with Amir Khan as well as those with a larger, more technical RING 168-pound champion Andre Ward given that the trio shares California-based trainer Virgil Hunter.

"Camp is going great. I have never felt better in the gym. My hands have definitely been doing the talking. My sparring partners will tell you that," said Angulo. "My team is working so hard as we do every camp. If Virgil is happy, then I am happy, because I know that I am physically on point."

GOLDEN BOY SIGNS MAURICIO HERRERA, ZACHARY OCHOA

Junior welterweight fringe contender Mauricio Herrera and unbeaten 140-pound prospect Zachary Ochoa have signed promotional contracts with Golden Boy, the company's CEO, Richard Schaefer, announced on Tuesday.

"We welcome these two exciting boxers to the Golden Boy Promotions team," said Schaefer, in a statement, "and we have big plans for them in the coming years."

A 33-year-old from Riverside, Calif., Herrera (20-3, 7 knockouts) will challenge RING, WBA and WBC champion Danny Garcia (27-0, 16 KOs) on March 15 at the historic Colisio Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on Showtime.

"Mauricio Herrera is one of the most underrated fighters in the sport," said Schaefer. "But he will get his chance to shine in March when he challenges Danny Garcia for the junior welterweight title."

Herrera has won two straight fights and owns a unanimous decision victory over current WBO 140-pound belt holder Ruslan Provodnikov  from January of 2011.

"Being from Southern California, Golden Boy Promotions has always had a big presence, and I'm happy to be on the company roster," said Herrera.

"I've paid my dues over the years, and now it's time to get my world title and the big fights. Golden Boy Promotions will help me get those fights. The world title, that's up to me."

A 21-year-old from Brooklyn, Ochoa (6-0, 3 KOs) won his first three fights by stoppage — the first in four rounds, the second in 42 seconds, and the third in 2:09.

"It's an honor for me to be a part of the best promotional company in boxing," said Ochoa. "I've been putting in a lot of hard work and I've made plenty of sacrifices over the years, never giving up the dream that one day I would get my chance to shine. That day is here, and I'm going to make the most of it."

Ochoa has four times in New York — including twice at Barclays Center in Brooklyn — as well as twice in Atlantic City, N.J.

"We've been watching Zachary Ochoa during our east coast events," said Schaefer. "He has a bright future in a talent-rich division."

ROBINSON CASTELLANOS MEETS RENE ALVARADO ON FEB. 15

Welterweight Robinson "Robin Hood" Castellanos (19-9, 12 KOs) will pursue his 12th consecutive win on Feb. 15 against Rene Alvarado (19-2, 13 KOs)  in the main event of a Televisa and FOX Deportes-televised card at Centro Internacional de Convenciones in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, Golden Boy announced on Tuesday.

In the co-main event, 19-year-old Roberto "Tito" Manzanarez (25-1, 21 KOs) will meet Carlos Rodriguez (8-0, 3 KOs) in a lightweight matchup.

Castellanos, 31, has stopped three of his past four opponents during a run that includes a split-decision win over ex-beltholder Celestino Caballero in April of last year. Alvarado, 24, has won five of his past six fights, with four knockout victories during that time.

The Televisa broadcast will air on Channel 5 and begins at 10:30 p.m. CST, with the FOX Deportes broadcast airing at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 17.

RUSSIAN WELTERWEIGHT ASLANBEK KOZAEV MEETS RAY ROBINSON ON FEB. 21

Russian welterweight Aslanbek Kozaev (25-0-1, 7 KOs) will face Philadelphia's Ray Robinson (16-2, 7 KOs) on Feb. 21 at the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Dover, Del., according to a release by Champs Management.

MARIO BARRIOS, 18, MAKES A QUICK RETURN

Coming off Monday night's unanimous decision over Manuel Rubalcava, junior featherweight Mario Barrios (2-0, 1 KO), who is 18, will return to the ring against an opponent to be determined on March 7 at the Pala Casino Spa and Resort in Pala, Calif., according to a release.

Photo / Esther Lin-Showtime