RIOS VS PACMAN NEXT?
By Robbie Pangilinan
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 12 Jan 2013
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Undefeated Mexican-American light-welterweight Brandon Rios was supposed to be the next opponent of eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao, with April 20 being planned as the fight schedule.
That is, if Pacquiao won over Juan Manuel Marquez in the Act IV of their bitter rivalry last December. <http://www.badlefthook.com/2012/12/5/3734084/pacquiao-vs-marquez-iv-manny-next-fight-win-brandon-rios-april-20-2013-hbo-boxing-news>
The world knows what happened: Marquez knocked Pacquiao out in the sixth round. And it looks like Rios? dream of a big fight was knocked out with Manny.
Rios wants to face Pacquiao in the ring after his victory against Mike Alvarado on HBO Boxing After Dark. Rios won via seventh round stoppage against Mike Alvarado in what was dubbed ?an epic battle,? ?an absolutely brutal war,? and probably what could be the 2012 Fight of the Year, at the Home Depot Center at Carson, California.
Arum was very happy about the fight and compared it with Ali-Frazier, Hagler-Hearns and Corrales-Castillo, without a single boring moment. And he wants Pacquiao and Rios to be in the ring together.
Rios (31-0-1, 23 KO) and Alvarado (33-1, 23 KO) truly gave the fans their money?s worth, as there was never a single boring moment in their fight.
Rios launched uppercuts and body shots, while Alvarado used jabs effectively. It was a close fight in the early rounds, then in the fourth and fifth, Alvarado seemed to dominate Rios. But Rios landed strong punches in the sixth and seventh, hurting and defeating his opponent.
Former chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and boxing aficionado Philip Juico predicts, ?Explosive fight for this year is Brandon Rios and Manny Pacquiao.?
?Posibleng si Rios na makakalaban ni Manny sa April kung magkakasundo sila ni Arum,? said Pacquiao?s trainer Buboy Fernandez in a phone interview.
?Uhaw sa laban at parehas ang bilis nila ni Manny. Now is the time to redeem himself,? said SEL-J Sports CEO Jay Lacnit.
Rios and Pacquiao will definitely be another big sale for PPV, something that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum likes. This is why he did not support a rematch between Timothy Bradley and Pacquiao because Bradley does not sell much on PPV.
The 26-year-old Rios should take this fight, for the big money and the bigger opportunity. Both Pacquiao and Marquez are getting old, and Rios might not be given another chance to face either of them. Analysts say that Arum should put Rios in with Pacquiao or Marquez as quickly as possible before Rios takes a loss that actually counts as a loss.
Last year, Richard Abril technically beat Rios, but the judges gave the fight to Rios. Arum did not go for a rematch, which I think is necessary for Rios to prove that he can beat Abril without controversy. Abril looked like Mayweather beating up Ricky Hatton during their fight. And Rios needs to redeem himself with this boxer before facing the Filipino boxing icon.
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