By Dan Ambrose: Former WBA World lightweight champion Brandon Rios (29-0-1, 22 KO’s) will be getting a shot to win back his title against Cuban Richard Abril (17-2-1, 8 KO’s) next month on April 14th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The vacant World Boxing Association lightweight title will conveniently be on the line for this fight for Rios against the 29-year-old Abril. This fight should be a piece of cake for the 25-year-old Rios, as Abril has no power and not much hand speed. He’s someone that fights defensively for the most part, trying to keep from getting hit by retreating a lot at the slightest hint of a threat. Rios could have Abril backing up all night long if he keeps up the attack like he usually does against his opponents. This is a much easier fight than what Rios has been accustomed to recently because Rios has been facing guys with power lately.

One question about this fight is whether Rios will have to drain himself in order to make the 135 pound lightweight limit. He failed to make the weight for his last fight against the hard hitting John Murray, and it cost him his WBA title when he lost it on the scales. Rios ate little in the week before the fight but still came in over. He has a nutritionist now helping him with his diet but this is obviously of concern because Rios has been putting on a lot of weight after rehydrating following his weigh-ins. He probably has outgrown the lightweight division and should think about moving up to light welterweight. However, like Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Rios is going to try and stick it out in his division as long as possible. Moving up to the light welterweight division could change things for Rios, because he would no longer be a big fish in a small pond like he is now at lightweight.