RIOS AND ABRIL CONTINUE WORD WAR
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 11 Apr 2012
Former world light weight champions Brandon ?Bam Bam? Rios and Richard Abril who is the current WBA Interim champion, battle each other for the WBA lightweight interim title at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino on Sunday, Manila Time, continued their word war after a media workout at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas.
Rios (29-0-1, 22 KO?s) said ?I?m not letting this unknown come in and ruining eight years of hard work I put into building my professional boxing career. I beat Miguel Acosta when he was in his prime unlike Abril who beat him on his way down on short notice.?
Rios said he was disappointed when he lost the title on the scales because ?I lost the title to myself and not to an opponent. It was my fault 100%.?
He revealed that the minute he returned home after that fight (A TKO 11 victory of John Murray on Dec. 3) he ? went straight to the gym to resume training and hired a nutritionist. It was the best decision I ever made. I?m a beast. I feel so much more energetic and powerful and I?m not missing meals. I?m never hungry.?
The talkative Rios said ?I?m just a guy who loves to fight. I love my job.
?I originally came back to 135 pounds to fight Gamboa and to win back my world lightweight title. I wanted my title back. I?m not the same without a world championship belt around my waist. I also think a world title makes me worth more. It makes me more valuable.?
He noted that Juan Manuel M?rquez who goes for his 4th world title against the Ukraine?s Serhiy Fedchenko at the New Mexico City Area in a clash for the WBO super lightweight Interim world title also on Sunday, Manila Time and he ?have a lot of options in 2012 and a lot of opportunities. I think this could be a career year for either of us. One of us could end up as the Fighter of the Year.?
Abril (17-2-1, 8 KO?s) was unfazed by Rios? rhetoric saying ?This is a great opportunity for me to win a world title. It?s also a great opportunity for Rios to lose to a great champion. He?ll become more famous because he lost to me.
"When I beat Miguel Acosta to win the interim world title, I knocked him down three times during the fight. I had a more dominant performance against Acosta than Rios.?
Then Abril carried the fight to Rios, verbally, stating ?I?m going to break Rios? mouth when we fight. He?s said a lot of shit. I want Rios to make weight. I want him at his best when I beat him. No excuses.?
Abril said he was surprised when Gamboa withdrew from his fight against Rios pointing out that he thought Gamboa ?had a good chance to beat Rios. For a $1 million purse I would fight King Kong.?
The Mexican bluntly stated ?I don?t like Rios. He?s got a big mouth. Rios is a good fighter. He has a Mexican fighting style. But Saturday is going to be the end for him. My best weapon is my precision. That is my advantage over Rios.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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