Rios: ‘No Way In Hell’ Vargas Would Have KO'd Bradley

By Keith Idec

Brandon Rios doesn’t buy Jessie Vargas’ argument.

Timothy Bradley’s next opponent doesn’t believe Bradley’s last opponent would’ve had enough time to knock out Bradley, even if confused referee Pat Russell hadn’t erroneously stopped their June 27 fight eight seconds too soon in Carson, California.

“I thought Bradley was doing really good,” Rios told BoxingScene.com last week, just before Bradley-Rios was officially announced at a press conference in Los Angeles. “Vargas just waited too long to pull that trigger. He had him hurt, but there was no way in hell that, with only eight seconds left, the fight was going to be stopped [because Bradley was too hurt].

“Bradley was already holding on for his life and there was like five seconds left. So Vargas never would’ve gotten the knockout. In my opinion, he wouldn’t have got the knockout because there was so little time left and Bradley is a warrior. Vargas waited too long to fire that shot. It is what it is. It happened. That’s between them two.”

Las Vegas’ Vargas (26-1, 9 KOs) was considerably behind on all three scorecards, but hurt Bradley with a right hand with 21 seconds left in their 12-round fight. Russell mistook the 10-second warning for the final bell, separated the boxers and waved a premature halt to the bout approximately eight seconds before it was supposed to end.

Bradley, who was holding Vargas when Russell stopped their fight, won a unanimous decision (117-111, 116-112, 115-112) and the interim WBO welterweight title. Rios understands Vargas’ frustration, but thinks he ultimately should’ve realized he wouldn’t have had enough time to finish Bradley anyway.

“If that was me in that position, I would’ve been mad,” Rios said. “At the end of the fight, I would’ve been mad. But after Robert and everybody talked to me, they would’ve told me there was no way in hell I would’ve won the fight. ‘Even with five seconds left, you would not have won it because he was already holding onto you and by the time the referee broke you guys up, he would’ve separated you guys and then [told you to] box, and then, ding, the bell rings.’

“I would’ve been upset at that moment, until I would’ve seen the tape and I saw Robert and everybody else talked to me about it. Then I would’ve been like, ‘F--k it. It is what it is. Let’s move on.’ ”

Rios (33-2-1, 24 KOs), of Oxnard, California, is scheduled to battle Bradley (32-1-1, 12 KOs, 1 NC), of Palm Springs, California, on Nov. 7 in an HBO “World Championship Boxing” main event at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.