by Chris Robinson
During my latest swing through the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, California, I caught up with former champion Brandon Rios after another spirited workout.
Coming off of a split-decision victory over Richard Abril in April that resulted in several members of the press taking shots at him and questioning his skills, the outspoken Rios at first wasn’t in the mood to talk but eventually opened up and fired back at his critics during our one on one interview.
Aside from lashing out, Rios also took a look at some recent storylines in the sport, giving his take on various subplots surrounding the likes of Andre Berto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Amir Khan, and others.
Another name brought up during our dialogue was that of former four-division champion Erik Morales, who was last seen suffering a disappointing unanimous decision loss to Danny Garcia on March 24th in Houston, Texas. And while Garcia has moved on towards a lucrative July 14th date with Khan in Las Vegas, so too does Morales continue to create interest, as he was a rumored foe for Marquez’s now-cancelled July 14th showcase in Dallas, Texas and is presently being considered for a rematch with Marcos Maidana or the winner of the upcoming Lucas Matthysse-Humberto Soto encounter.
Now 35 years old and having been a professional for over nineteen years, Morales comes across as a fighter simply looking to cash out, according to Rios.
“Just looking for another payday,” Rios would state. “Erik Morales didn’t look good in his last fight. He didn’t look too good. He looked old already. His age is catching up to him I think. He looked very old. He looks like he’s already came down his hill. He’s not a [Juan Manuel] Marquez, who still looks fresh at an older age. He didn’t look like that.”
As for Rios, it appears that he is lined up for a July 7th date with the capable Mauricio Herrera at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.
