Brandon Rios: I’m coming to knock Danny Garcia out

By Boxing News - 02/16/2018 - Comments

Image: Brandon Rios: I’m coming to knock Danny Garcia out

By Stanley White: Brandon Rios (34-3-1, 25 KOs) was keyed up at Friday’s weigh-in for his WBC welterweight title eliminator fight with Danny Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs) this Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(Photo credit: Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME)

Rios was upset during and after the weigh-in, saying that he’s coming to knockout the 29-year-old Garcia to restart his career. Rios is tired of being overlooked by the boxing fans and by Garcia, as he doesn’t feel that he’s been given the proper respect coming into this fight. Rios didn’t realize when he signed for the fight that was going to be dismissed the way he’s been. It’s been upsetting to the 31-year-old Rios that few boxing fans think he can win the fight. That’s why Rios wants to show them how wrong they are by going out and knocking Garcia out in their fight on Showtime Boxing this Saturday.

“Hell yeah I can win this fight,” Rios said after the weigh-in. “I won my world title like this, so why can’t I beat Danny Garcia. He’s nobody special. I’m ready for this guy. When I’m focused, I’m an animal. Nothing stops me. I got this mother [expletive]. When I do it right, I’m an animal. I’m coming to knock this mother [expletive] out. I’m going to win this fight. That’s my prediction,” Rios said.

Rios beat WBA World lightweight champion Miguel Acosta by a 10th round knockout in February 2011. Rios used his pressure style of fighting to defeat Acosta. However, that was a fighter that was pretty shot by that point in his career. After the defeat to Rios, Acosta lost 5 out of his last 6 fights. Rios can take credit for the win over Acosta, but he beat a guy that was long in the tooth and no longer the same fighter he’d been earlier in his career.

Danny Garcia’s father Angel Garcia was also pretty upset for some reason. Rios has got Angel worked up to the point where he almost sounded like he was ready to cry when being interviewed. Rios has gotten to Angel. The only thing I can think is maybe Angel is worried about Danny losing this fight. Rios could beat him with his pressure and his inside fighting. If that happens, the gravy train is over for Angel. Those paydays are going to start doing down for Danny Garcia.

“Smart fighters don’t get hit,” Garcia’s trainer/father Angel Garcia said. Smart fighters don’t fight like that. That’s what we want. Let him. He’s setting himself up for failure. That game plan is a failure. We train with skills, not like a mother [expletive] fool, coming forward like an idiot. We’re going to fight skillfully. A skillful; fighter don’t get hit. That’s what we’re going to do,” Angel said.

Garcia weighed in 146 ½ pounds. Rios came in at 146.5 lbs. as well.

Showtime Boxing will be televising the fight on Saturday night.

In the co-feature bout, WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez (19-0, 17 KOs) weighed in at 167 lbs. for his title defense against Ronald Gavril (18-2, 14 KOs). Benavidez got heated during the face off. At one point, Benavidez used a throat slashing gesture to let Gavril know what’s in store for him on Saturday night. Gavril weighed in at 167 ¼ lbs. This is a rematch for their fight last September, which was won by Benavidez by a 12 round split decision. Benavidez looked a lot better at Friday’s weigh-I than he did for his previous fight with Gavril. The 21-year-old Benavidez looked weight drained for that weigh-in. Gavril, 31, is 10 years older than Benavidez, but he doesn’t have the same punching power or height.