By Chris Williams: Somewhere out there I imagine Bob Arum of Top Rank is not a happy camper tonight after Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) was defeated by the arguably less popular Mike Alvarado (34-1, 23 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision tonight in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Rios, 26, was one of Pacquiao’s big options for his next fight in September, but now Alvarado had taken the fight off the table by beating Rios. Arum now only has Tim Bradley or Juan Manuel Marquez for Pacquiao.
Arum isn’t going to get Marquez to face Pacquiao unless he gives a really big money offer. Marquez obviously knows Pacquiao only has Tim Bradley and himself to fight, and he can now ask for a 50-50 deal to fight the Filipino instead of the mere 76-24 deal they had last time they fought in December.
With Arum having little options for Pacquiao, he now is pretty much stuck with the reality that he’s going to have to either give Marquez the big cash that he wants for the fight or he’s going to have to put Pacquiao back in with Bradley again.
Given that Arum wasn’t pleased with the pay-per-view totals for the Pacquiao-Bradley fight last year, he’s probably not going to be happy knowing that this is his best option unless he wants to give the Mexican warrior Marquez the money he deserves. The man deserves a 50-50 purse split, and I have no doubts Marquez will accept the fight with Pacquiao in September for September if they promise him a nice $20 million payday.
Arum made a huge mistake in putting Rios back in with Alvarado in a retread fight because it put the unbeaten Rios at an unnecessary risk. You don’t do those kinds of things when you’re trying to set him up for bigger fights like Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez and Bradley. Now Arum has a fighter in Rios who could find himself heading for journeyman status if he gets beaten by Alvarado again, and ends up worn out from the punishment he takes in that fight.
Rios has taken a ton of punishment in his fights with Alvarado and that can’t be good for his long term health.
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