LAS VEGAS, NEV – Undefeated former World Lightweight Champion BRANDON “Bam Bam” RIOS (29-0-1, 22 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., and his opponent,  World Boxing Association (WBA) interim lightweight champion and Cuban expatriate RICHARD ABRIL (17-2-1, 8 KOs), of Miami, Fla., hosted a Las Vegas media workout at the Top Rank Gym today.  These two warriors face off for the vacant WBA lightweight title on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay.  Here’s what they had to say:

“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 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. 

“I’m going to break Rios’ mouth when we fight. He’s said a lot of sh*t.  I want Rios to make weight.  I want him at his best when I beat him.  No excuses. I was surprised when Gamboa withdrew from his fight against Rios.  I thought Gamboa had a good chance to beat Rios.  For a $1 million purse I would fight King Kong.

“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.”