Bam Bam Don’t Throw Pebbles: Review, Ratings Update

by Cliff Rold

It was obvious he would get hit going in.  The question was whether he could take it and hit back harder.  If he could, the Lightweight division might just have the sort of young star it needs in a field of grizzled, thrilling veterans.

Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios (27-0-1, 20 KO) answered and then some on Saturday night. 

Rios is the new WBA titlist at 135 lbs.

Let’s go to the report card.

Grades

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Acosta B+; Rios A

The prefight report card predicted that:

Rios may be rocked early by way of careless aggression.  If he does, he will weather the storm and, as the rounds pass, Rios’s sharp shots, fired in high volume, will wear Acosta down and see him taking real punishment along the ropes.  The pick here is Rios arriving in the upper echelon at 135 with a stoppage sometime around the ninth or tenth.

Not bad huh?

One week ago, the pre-fight report card picked Fernando Montiel to defeat Nonito Donaire in a narrow decision. 

Just saying.

What matters this week is Rios’s tenth round knockout, a brutal piece of come from behind work that saw defending titlist Miguel Acosta (28-4-2, 22 KO) give up what appeared an early lead on the cards with knockdowns in the sixth and eighth before the fateful final round. 

Rios deserves all the credit.

Acosta earned all our respect. 

After a masterful fourth round where Acosta had Rios rocked, Rios dug deep.  The tide began turning in the fifth.  It was a ship’s passing moment, Rios’s legs growing stronger while some nasty hooks to the body could be seen to begin the wilting of Acosta.

Acosta did not give up.  In the ninth, taking a whupping on the ropes, Acosta let everything go he could.  It was not enough.  Sometimes, that is the way he is.  He went out all man.

So did Rios, and with a new diadem.  As noted by many in the lead to the fight, Rios has an element of star quality to him that is unmistakable.  Now we have evidence of a deep reservoir of ring character, the ability to win when winning is hardest, to sacrifice and pay the toll of a champion.

At 24 years old, it’s probably only just begun.  

Looking Ahead

Before exploring this beginning more, the future of the valiant defeated merits consideration.  At 32, suffering his third stoppage loss (if the first since 2003), his options may be limited.  As a Venezuelan fighter with still generally limited exposure here in the U.S., his lack of belt could make him the ultimate high risk, low reward fighter.

Let it be hoped he captures a better fate.  In two major U.S. appearances, he has been in thrilling affairs with Urbano Antillon and now Rios.  He makes good fights and is a good fighter.  There need to be more Acosta’s, more fighters who leave it in the ring win and lose.  Perhaps a hard luck showdown with just-missed title challenger Ali Funeka (30-3-3, 25 KO) could find a way onto some undercard or another.  If not, could Acosta be a tantalizing chance for greater T.V. exposure for IBF titlist Miguel Vazquez (27-3, 12 KO)? 

Rios’s future is not as uncertain.  He is signed with Top Rank and Top Rank has fellow titlist Humberto Soto (54-7-2, 32 KO).  Soto will defend his WBC strap against the aforementioned Antillon (28-2, 20 KO) in an immediate rematch of their 2010 thriller.  Should he win, a fight with Rios could be a Fight of the Year candidate. 

Or, perhaps it would be better to say another candidate.  Rios already has one.

Should Antillon defeat Soto, Rios-Antillon is another barnburner waiting to happen.

But what of the man still recognized as the real World Champion at Lightweight?  Is Rios ready for Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KO)?  If not, how does one really get ready for the future Hall of Famer? 

If Rios is not ready now, he should be sooner than later.  With his style, the miles he’ll put on his body could mount quickly.  Could he even get the fight? 

That’s probably the bigger question.  Marquez clearly wants bigger fi$h.  Even if he cant get them, Marquez is also still (for now) with Golden Boy Promotions.  Their feud with Top Rank is felt around the sport.  Lightweight is one of the biggest victims.  The top ten is largely divided between the top camps and, while great fights can be made in house, resolution of the class can only happen with cross pollination of talent.

Report Card Picks 2011: 2-1  

Ratings Impact

135: Rios jumps from #6 to #2 on the strength of his victory.  While previous #9 Antonio DeMarco also won, he slips to #10 as his performance doesn’t compare well to Urbano Antillon’s losing outing versus new #1 Humberto Soto last year.

These moves and other critical results from the week behind are addressed in the updated ratings.

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Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel, the Yahoo Pound for Pound voting panel, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com