By Dan Ambrose: WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios broke his right hand in the 8th round last Saturday night against World Boxing Association lightweight champion Miguel Acosta, but continued to throw right hands until Acosta went down in a heap in the corner in the 10th. But along the way, Rios took a tremendous amount of head shots from Acosta and he’s fortunate that he didn’t end up with neurological problems rather than just a harmless broken hand. Rios was throwing so many punches and without form, just slapping away with his shots. It’s not wonder that he ended up breaking his hand. It was a really sloppy performance from Rios in this fight.

The injury will sideline Rios for awhile with him having to wear a big cast on his hand until the break heals. He could be fighting 37-year-old Marco Antonio Barrera next, so it probably doesn’t matter what kind of hand injury that Rios sustained because Barrera isn’t the same fighter he once was and would likely get beaten by pretty much all the top contenders in the lightweight division right now. It doesn’t necessarily have to be Rios to be the one to beat him because Barrera looks nothing like what he once was many moons ago. This will give Rios a scalp to add to his resume, even if it’s scalp that will have little true meaning because of how shot Barrera is looking now. I’d much prefer to see Rios fight Michael Katsidis or Robert Guerrero. Those guys can fight, and I’d be surprised if Rios could beat either one of those guys.