Rios vs. Alvarado 2 possible for April

By Boxing News - 12/10/2012 - Comments

Image: Rios vs. Alvarado 2 possible for AprilBy Dan Ambrose: Brandon Rios (31-0-1, 23 KO’s) may have seen his chance at a big money fight against Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) go up in smoke last Saturday night with Pacquiao’s 6th round knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez (55-6-1, 40 KO’s), as Top Rank promoter Bob Arum wanted to match Rios up against Pacquiao if he had beaten Marquez but that didn’t happen.

It now looks like Arum is considering a rematch between Rios and Mike Alvarado (33-1, 23 KO’s). Rios beat Alvarado by a 7th round knockout victory last October in an exciting WBO light welterweight title eliminator bout, and I think Arum wants to make that fight again in the absence of a Pacquiao-Rios bout.

LA Times writer Lance Pugmire said “Arum said the Pacquiao-Marquez outcome likely moves Brandon Rios into a rematch in March against Mike Alvarado.”

I bet Rios isn’t too happy about this because he’s been talking as if he had the Pacquiao fight all wrapped up and ready to go, but it sure doesn’t like that’s going to happen now. Rios was already asked in the past if he’d be interested in facing Alvarado again, and he wasn’t too enthused at making the fight again because he wanted to move on to bigger and better things. If Arum makes this fight it’s going to be a step backwards for Rios.

Rios’s problem is that Marquez isn’t likely going to waste a fight facing a little known guy like Rios if he’s got a much bigger money fight against Pacquiao available. Rios defeated Alvarado in their World Boxing Organization light welterweight bout, so in theory Rios should be fighting Marquez if he can’t get the Pacquiao fight because Marquez is the WBO light welterweight champion. But Marquez will almost definitely go for the rematch against Pacquiao rather than fight Rios in a fight that would generate very little money due to Rios’s lack of a name.



Comments are closed.