By Francisco Salazar
Everything was going well for Brandon Rios back in October of 2012.
He was unbeaten, was a world titleholder, and earning six-figure purses to boot.
Rios was on top of the world and his outspoken and brash attitude made him that much more of a persona in the sport of boxing.
Everyone wanted a piece of Rios. And why not? He was as hot a fighter as anyone in boxing.
Then there was the loss to Mike Alvarado over five months later.
No worries. He was getting a seven-figure purse and was fighting Manny Pacquiao on pay-per-view. After 12 rounds of one-sided action on November 24, 2013, Rios walked back to his locker room a beaten man, where his ego was bruised as much as his face from the repeated punches Pacquiao landed.
Things did not look all that better for Rios in his next fight against Diego Chaves in August of last year. He did win, but it was by disqualification and Chaves was up on two judges’ scorecards when the fight was stopped in the ninth round.
His back was at the wall against Mike Alvarado in his last fight on January 24. Not against the wall, but at the wall. One more loss and Rios would be removed as a legitimate contender and some might continue to mock him as an overachiever.
Not only did Rios respond with an outstanding performance against Alvarado on that cold evening outside Denver that night, but saved his career for another day.
That day is tonight, when Rios will challenge WBO welterweight world titleholder Timothy Bradley at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The 12 round bout will headline a Top Rank card and will be broadcast live on HBO, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. PT.
Rios (33-2-1, 24 KOs) may be on his seventh, eighth, or ninth live, but nonetheless, he is still here. While a fight in June did not materialize, Rios wondered what would be his next move. He did not want to sit on the third round technical knockout over Alvarado.
Instead, he wanted to fight, willing to face anyone in the welterweight division, including Ruslan Provodnikov.
The Bradley fight was on-again, off-again, but once it was signed, Rios was in the gym training with famed trainer Robert Garcia.
Bradley has been in the news lately, leaving trainer Joel Diaz and now working with Teddy Atlas. The Palm Springs, Calif. resident is coming off a 12 round unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas, a fight where Bradley was hurt in the last 20 seconds of the 12th round.
Rios, who hails from Oxnard, Calif. is more focused on what Bradley has done and not what Atlas is making him out to be.
“His toughness (is what I respect),” Rios told BoxingScene.com in a recent phone interview. “He’s a warrior. He comes to fight. He’s a boxer and a brawler. I don’t care what he brings though. I’m ready if he wants to box or if he wants to brawl. What I do in the ring is what matters to me.”
Some in boxing believe Rios is nowhere near the caliber of fighter Bradley is. Bradley does have a controversial win over Manny Pacquiao and a split decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez.
Bradley is a five to one favorite to win, but Rios believes this is a 50-50 fight, one where he is capable of beating the odds and Bradley himself.
While some wonder whether Rios’ skill have eroded due to the numerous wars he has had with Alvarado, Rios believes the nine and a half months in between fights was a silver lining, giving him time to recuperate.
“As much as I wanted to get back in the ring right away, it was good that I had this long of a break,” said Rios, who is trained by Robert Garcia. “I got to spend time with my family. The break allowed me to rest mentally and physically. I feel brand new again.”
Which is why he believes no one should count him out. And if people do not give him any chance to win or believe that he is in over his head, he would make believers out of them.
But, he wants to make a believer out of someone.
“My back is against the wall. I’m very focused. Preparation for camp is just like in the first and third Alvarado fights. I’m older and wiser, but I’m confident in my style and what I do in the ring. The way I fight was successful in the amateurs and it got me a world title.”
“I forgot what got me to the top. I forgot about being humble. I’m still young in the sport and I want to be where I was at before the Pacquiao fight.”
“I have a lot to prove to myself. I’m determined to win.”
Francisco A. Salazar has written for BoxingScene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, RingTV, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing
