By Dan Ambrose: Brandon Rios (31-2-1, 23 KO’s) seemed to get upset with the questioning from HBO’s Max Kellerman last Saturday night moments after Rios had been beaten badly by Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China. Rios lost about as bad as a fighter can lose when it comes to a decision, and he wasn’t a happy camper moments after the fight when the judges scores revealed that he had lost by the scores 119-109, 120-108 and 118-110.
Rios’ face was badly swollen to where both sides of his eyes and the sides of his face were swollen outwards, and it looked painful. He had taken a vicious beating in a fight that probably should have been stopped by the 8th round when it was evident that Rios was not going to win and was just taking a one-way beating.
Kellerman then came up to Rios and asked him an embarrassing question about whether he felt like he had been a punching bag. That was the wrong thing to say to a guy that had just taken a beating, and Rios looked like he was waiting for Kellerman to say the wrong word and he was going to then go off on him.
Here’s how the conversation went:
Kellerman said after the fight “You said before the fight ‘I’m not going to be a punching bag, I have skills.’ Do you think you proved something with this fight going the distance with Pacquiao?”
Rios: “What do you think, Man? You was watching it; do you think I’m a punching bag?”
Kellerman: “I don’t think you’re a punching bag. I think you’re incredibly determined.”
Rios: “Nah, nah, that’s not the question I asked. What do you think?”
Kellerman: “I said I don’t think you’re a punching bag. I think you’re very determined.”
Rios: “You answered your question then.”
It had to have been a little embarrassing for Rios to have Kellerman ask a question like that after a fight that was as one-sided as that in front of massive amounts of people watching the fight on HBO. It seemed like a thoughtless question from Kellerman because he should have known that Rios wasn’t too happy about how the fight went, yet Kellerman asked the question anyway.
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