By Ryan Burton
WBA lightweight champion "Bam Bam" Brandon Rios appeared on the latest edition
of "The Boxing Lab", BoxingScene.com's official radio show. The outspoken fighter gave his point of view on Floyd Mayweather's recent TKO victory, which took place last Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las vegas. Mayweather knocked out Rios' nemesis Victor Ortiz.
On why he and trainer Robert Garcia decided not to attend the fight, despite an invitation from Floyd Mayweather:
"We didn't want to deal with the media. That is why we didn't go. we would have had all the questions asked at us by the media. If Victor would have won they would have talked sh*t. I really wanted to go. Not because of Victor but because it was a big fight."
On Mayweather's performance:
"When it went down I knew Mayweather would come out victorious. He is a skillful fighter. He was handling Victor great. Hitting him with those right hands all night long."
On why Ortiz head butted Mayweather:
"He stood there toe to toe with Victor and Victor got frustrated because he couldn't hit him. Victor got angry and hit him with that head butt which is wrong. "
On what he thought when Ortiz walked in the ring and how he saw Ortiz's frustrations escalate:
"I thought Vic gonna do something stupid. When he went in the ring his whole corner was nervous. When he tried to land his big shots he hit nothing. Only his shoulder and elbow. I could see him getting frustrated and leading with his head. You could tell something was going to happen."
On his thoughts after Mayweather won the fight and Ortiz was knocked out.
"To tell you the truth it was like whatever. It didn't mean nothing to me. If he won or lost it would have meant nothing to me."
On the punches that ultimately knocked out Ortiz:
"What Victor did was sh*tty. They say what Floyd did was sh*tty but what Victor did was sh*tty. Why would Victor look at the referee when there was 2 or 3 seconds (left in the round) and he should have put up his guard but he didn't."
On the golden rule in boxing:
"The number one rule is protect yourself at all times. You might get fouled or a low blow but they always say in the locker room protect yourself the whole time."
On declaring an end to his feud with Ortiz:
"All that talking sh*t, I am over it. It is getting old and tired already. People are getting tired of it. I am just worrying about my own sh*t."
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