By Radio Rahim
Trainer Robert Garcia is hoping that we finally see a battle between former champions Brandon Rios (33-3-1, 24KOs) and Victor Ortiz (31-6-2, 24KOs).
Rios and Ortiz have a longstanding feud with each other that first began when they were young fighters who were both training with Garcia.
Ortiz went in his own direction, while Rios stayed with Garcia for his entire career - until recently, when he parted ways with Garcia and hired Ricky Funez. Rios is also a free agent after recently parting ways with longtime promoter Top Rank.
Rios has been out of action since getting knocked out by Timothy Bradley last November in Las Vegas.
After he got knocked out, he announced his retirement but then Rios quickly changed his mind. Garcia was hoping that Rios would retire at first, but now he's changed his mind on the matter after watching how hard Rios is working and how he's kept his weight in check under the tutelage of Funez.
"The way he's training and the weight, by keeping it low, I think he could fight. Before, when he was losing 40 pounds before a fight..... that's when I was thinking that maybe it's time that you don't do it again. It's because he was too comfortable with me. Now with a trainer, new instructions, a new voice - he's doing things right. He could still fight. He's young, he's only 30," Garcia told BoxingScene.com.
And the man that Garcia would love to see him get in the ring with - is Ortiz. Garcia believes that fight would be a very big ticket seller in the Southern California area.
"He still has a few fights left, but the fight I want to see is against Victor Ortiz. That's the only fight I want, especially now that he's free agent he could easily go and talk to whoever is in charge of Victor Ortiz and make that fight happen. It will be huge in Southern California," Garcia said.
Ortiz has been out of the ring since getting knocked out by Andre Berto in four rounds back in April. He had Berto down in the second, but then packed it in after getting dropped in the fourth.
