R&B Singer And Bareknuckle Scrapper Joshua “Famez” Alvarez: Fireworks On Stage And In The Cage

R&B Singer And Bareknuckle Scrapper Joshua “Famez” Alvarez: Fireworks On Stage And In The Cage

The crowd roars as his performance gets bigger and better and more exciting. And they’re on their feet chanting his name. And the sound is deafening. And the lights are blinding. And Joshua Alvarez holds up his arms triumphantly, basking in the glory. Proud of himself and all that he’s accomplished.

Whether singing on stage or fighting in the cage, Joshua “Famez” Alvarez is a natural born performer who knows how to work a crowd.

“All I can say is, whoever sees my fights, just expect fireworks,” Alvarez explains. “My fights aren’t boring. I’m gonna put on a show. I put on performances on stage and in the triangle.”

Alvarez, who recently turned 20, has been into music since he was 17. “I’ve had a pretty big fan base here in Miami and I had a little concert where 2,000 girls came out,” says Alvarez. “Now I’m just working on discrete projects. Just working on a whole bunch of songs.”

For Alvarez, music comes first, fighting comes second. He reasons, “Fighting is a hobby. Music is just more of a priority.”

Alvarez is realistic about his priorities, too. “In the long run, I see music more as a career.” Alvarez continues, “I wouldn’t want to get banged up every other month.”

Makes sense. Few girls will be willing to pay to watch him perform with a busted up face. Or, maybe they will? Regardless, Alvarez is determined to do the best he can in both facets of his life as long as he can.

“I like music and fighting. I mean, I can make money off both,” he says with a laugh.

Alvarez recently made his prize fighting debut in a bare-knuckle fighting contest, at the inaugural “BYB Extreme: Battleship I” event on Go Fight Live (GFL), against Johnny Morales, an opponent with a near 50-pound advantage.

“Yeah, he weighed in, like 200 something pounds. I was 152 pounds,” Alvarez says.

According to Alvarez, his original opponent, who weighed only 5 to 10 pounds more than him, didn’t meet the required health criteria. “I had a few days to decide if I wanted to fight the 200-pound guy or not fight at all,” he recalls. “So I didn’t want to pass up on an opportunity. I still got the TKO, even weighing 50 pounds less.”

True to his word, Alvarez ignited an explosive performance that night, lighting up “the triangle” like the Fourth of July.

The Triangle. That’s BYB’s fighting arena. With its first event, BYB, led by famed bare knuckle fighting promoter and unbeaten MMA competitor Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris, introduced a new concept by throwing two opponents in a three-sided cage.

“The hardest thing about it is that it’s very confrontational because it’s so cornered in,” Alvarez states. “You can’t run as much. You just have to fight and do what you trained for.”

When asked how he trains for his opponents, especially those substantially bigger than he is, he answers, “I train to fight the best. I don’t care who it is. In situations like these, if my opponent doesn’t make blood or there is an injury, I‘m prepared. It’s (because) of my guys at Renegade Fight Squad. I train to fight the best.”

He also adds, “Just work on my stamina, work every day. Do a lot of Muay Thai. Work on my ground game, even though BYB doesn’t do a lot of ground game.”

Alvarez is so grateful for every chance he gets, “This is a great opportunity for me whether it is fighting or music. So whatever it is, I’m gonna do my best.

“I do all this for my niece,” says Alvarez. “Music, fighting, all of it is for her to make sure she has a better life.”

Whether it’s a fight or a concert, Alvarez is confident in his ability to make it exciting. “I’m gonna put on a show. I put on a performance on stage and in the cage.”