By Duke Pahulu: On ESPN.com, Grantland writer Jay Kang wrote an article about the Brandon Rios – Mike Alvarado fight. It was the first story that somehow put a negative spin on a great fight. Kang tried to convey that both fighters were somehow pressured into fulfilling the pre-fight hype. The fact is that both fighters do not know how to fight any other way than what they did last Saturday night.

That’s why the boxing world hype the fight and waited for this match-up since the contracts were signed. Kang was also disturbed by how brawlers tend to get more press than the slick boxer. It’s a fair trade. The brawler get the press for putting his health at risk while the slick boxer gets the win and keep his brain intact. Boxing is a brutal sport. Fans appreciates those that go through the fire for glory.

Not everyone can be Pernell Whitaker or Ivan Calderon. A lot of fighters have limited talent but a whole lot of heart. There is beauty in will overpowering skill. Say what you want about loaded gloves, but it was the will of Antonio Margarito that took Miguel Cotto’s zero from his record. And that is the premise of the Rocky franchise. Anybody who works hard enough has a shot at the throne. Kang ended his article by equating Rios to Gatti.

I believe Gatti was a B-level fighter with an A plus heart. He had a hard time beating B-level fighters. Rios is an elite fighter who was a beast at 135. He knocked out three top ten lightweights in 2011 and in my opinion deserved Fighter of the Year. But because of his dismal outing against Richard Abril, many people wrote him off as being overrated.

All that talk was put to rest when he took out Alvarado. Rios has a better inside game and chin than Gatti. Rios has never been knocked down or out. Praise Manny Pacquiao all you want but Brandon Rios will give him all he can handle. He proved on Saturday that he can take a bigger man’s punch and also that he carried his pop from Lightweight.

Remember that the only fighters that have given Pacquiao fits during his historic run are smaller but quicker fighters in Marquez and Bradley. Pacquiao looks like a speed demon against big welterweights but when the speed isn’t an advantage, you get his last two outings. Jay Kang doesn’t appreciate the bloodlust of Rios-Alvarado. We live in America buddy! bloodlust drives rating.