Brandon Rios: record, next fight and profile →
NEW YORK— Born in Texas, reared in Kansas and now “living the life” in Southern California, World Boxing Association (WBA) No. 1 contender Brandon Rios will fight for his first world title belt on the year’s first SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast Feb. 26 LIVE on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
Ernest Gabion catches the official weigh to the WBA lightweight title bout between Miguel Acosta and Brandon Rios. Watch both boxers make weight.
Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada - The weights are in for tomorrow's Showtime televised lightweight title clash. The first boxer to step on the scale was the challenger, Brandon Rios (26-0, 19KOS), and he weighed in at 134.5-pounds. WBA champion Miguel Acosta (28-3, 22KOs) stepped second. He was shredded and looked very strong. Acosta's weight was identical to the Rios, at 134.5-pounds.
To say that trainer Robert Garcia has been a busy man these days is an understatement. The Oxnard-based coach has a fine core of talented prizefighters and is often the case in the sport, he recently saw his time divided between two of his prized pupils when bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire and lightweight contender Brandon Rios had their bouts scheduled a week apart from one another.
By Robert Morales - One thing about Bob Arum, the 79-year-old chairman of Top Rank Inc. can ruffle feathers with the best. He was in rare form recently when he started taking pot-shots at the proposed April 16 welterweight title fight between champion Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz. Arum beefed that Berto should be defending against the winner of last Saturday's Mike Jones-Jesus Soto-Karass fight instead of a 140-pounder (meaning Ortiz) coming off a draw with another 140-pounder (Lamont Peterson). Welterweight is 147. Lou DiBella, Berto's promoter, countered by saying this comes from a man promoting a fight between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and a fighter ("Sugar" Shane Mosley) coming off a draw with Sergio Mora, who turned around and lost to Brian Vera. DiBella also basically suggested Arum mind his own business.
LAS VEGAS — Before their WBA Lightweight Championship matchup this Saturday, Feb. 26 LIVE on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), champion Miguel Acosta (28-3-2, 22 KOs) and challenger Brandon Rios (26-0-1, 18 KOs) spoke with the media at the promotion’s final press conference today from the Key West room at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, just across the casino from Saturday’s venue, the Pearl Theater.
Brandon Rios knows that his upcoming title fight with Miguel Acosta won't be easy. One of the reasons why he is confident that will leave the ring with his hand raised is because of the sparring he received in training camp.
Las Vegas,Nevada --- "IT'S SHOWTIME" --- (L-R) WBC World Lightweight champion Miguel Acosta,Caracas,Venezuela and hard-punching, undefeated challenger Brandon Rios,Oxnard,Calif. pose during the final press conference for their upcoming WBA world Lightweight title fight on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing at Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb 26. --- Photo Credit : Chris Farina - Top Ran
In September, unbeaten Brandon Rios was an underdog when he stepped in the ring versus Anthony Peterson. The fight started out close but quickly became one-sided. Peterson ended up being disqualified because of repeated low blows in a fight that he appeared to be well on his way to losing.
Las Vegas - After spending a few days in Las Vegas and training at the Top Rank Gym, WBA lightweight champion Miguel Acosta is very confident of retaining his title this Saturday. He faces undefeated Brandon Rios in a Showtime televised fight from the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.