By Dan Ambrose: The last time Brandon Rios (29-0-1, 22 KO’s) fought he had to drain himself for an entire week and drink very little water to try and make weight for his bout against John Murray last December. Not only did Rios fail to make weight for the fight, but he also lost his WBA World lightweight title on the scales after failing to make the weight.

Rios will be giving it a second shot on April 14th against interim WBA lightweight champion Richard Abril (17-2-1, 8 KO’s) at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada. Abril, 29, recently got in a scuffle with Rios before his press conference with the no show Yuriorkis Gamboa in Los Angeles, California.

Abril succeeded with the scuffle in getting a fight against Rios, but it probably didn’t really need something like that to make this fight because there simply isn’t many options for Rios right now. The lanky 5’11”, weak punching Abril is about as good as anyone that can be dug up on short notice like this. Abril recently defeated for former WBA lightweight champion Miguel Acosta by a 12 round decision last October to win the interim WBA title.

On the line on April 14th will be Rios’ old WBA title, so he can get it back and hopefully make weight in future bouts to defend it. I have serous doubts that Rios can make the 135 pound weight limit for too many fights if at all. The Abril fight will be a good test for Rios, because he’s reportedly hired a nutritionist that’s supposed to be helping him with his diet so he can make weight. I like the idea, but I’m not so certain that it’s possible. I can see Rios coming in well over 145 and possibly as much as 150+ and then having to drain himself dramatically to try and squeeze down to 135 to make weight.