(Photo credit: Casino/Showtime) By Dan Ambrose: Richard Abril (17-3-1, 8 KO’s) wants a chance to avenge his controversial 12 round split decision loss to Brandon Rios if Abril can get past unbeaten #2 WBO, #3 WBA, Sharif Bogere (23-0, 15 KO’s) in their fight for the vacant WBA World lightweight title tonight at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, The Joint, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Abril lost to Rios last April in a fight where many boxing fans had Abril easily winning over the highly popular Top Rank fighter Rios. Abril wasn’t supposed to dominate Rios because he was clearly brought in to make Rios look good and lose the fight. Instead, we saw Abril easily beating Rios and then ending up losing the fight in one of the worst scored fights you’ll ever see.
Abril, #1 WBA, is probably wasting his time talking about a Rios rematch because Rios has shown zero interest in ever facing Abril again, and Rios’ promoters at Top Rank also don’t want that fight. It’s not surprising because they’re angling Rios for a big money fight against Manny Pacquiao in the future, and they don’t need Rios to get beaten or have him winning fights that the boxing public sees him badly losing.
Rios’ promoter Bob Arum is keeping Rios busy fighting Mike Alvarado, and if Rios can beat Alvarado for a second time, Arum will likely put Rios in with Pacquiao, WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley or Juan Manuel Marquez.
All three of those fights would bring Rios a lot more money than he’d get in a fight against Abril, and he wouldn’t nearly the same criticism in losing to them than he would in getting beaten by Abril. That’s why Abril is probably never going to get a rematch with Rios no matter how hard he tries for it. He made Rios look really bad, and it’s doubtful that Top Rank and Rios himself wants that to happen again.
Abril, 5’11”, needs to seriously worry about getting past the speedy 5’6” Bogere tonight rather than worrying about rematches with opponents that will never happen. Bogere has the speed to give Abril problems, and he’s got good power as well. Abril will have to use his boxing skills and long reach for him to get past Bogere tonight in their Showtime televised fight.
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