Koncz: Rios Defeat Doesn't Rule Him Out For Pacquiao

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

MANNY Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz believes that Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios’ loss to Mike Alvarado doesn’t put him out of a possible fight with the Filipino icon in September.

Koncz, who was at ringside at the Mandalay Bay Events Center for the Rios-Alvarado rematch, told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard: “It was a good fight and was close and entertaining.”

Since Rios had been mentioned as a possible opponent for Pacquiao, possibly in September, Manila Standard asked Koncz whether the loss to Alvarado would reduce the chances of Rios fighting Pacquiao.

“I don’t think it does,” said Koncz.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum wants a third fight, but according to boxingscene.com, he would look elsewhere for the next fights of Rios and Alvarado.

“Are these guys going to fight again?” Arum asked. “Of course, they will. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be next. They can fight other guys and then come back and do a third fight.”

Reacting to calls for a third fight, which Rios said he wanted and Alvarado agreed to provided it’s in his hometown of Colorado, Koncz said both fighters “will jump at a chance to fight Manny.”

Koncz said he hopes to return to Manila next week.

“I will sit down and discuss possibilities with Manny,” said Koncz, who is right now deeply engrossed in the election campaign for Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee, who is running for vice governor of Sarangani province and the Filipino icon’s brother Rogelio, who is seeking the congressional seat in General Santos City.

Alvarado avenged his seventh-round technical knockout loss to Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios with a well-deserved 12th-round unanimous decision in another brutal war at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

It emphasized Arum’s ability to present exciting fight cards coming as it did after the classic battle between World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov, in which Bradley prevailed despite being on the verge of a knockout in the 12th and final round.