By Dan Ambrose: Michel Rivera says he’s mad at himself about his loss to Frank Martin last Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs) felt that he did everything correctly in camp to prepare himself for his 12-round WBA lightweight title eliminator against the unbeaten Martin (17-0, 12 KOs), but he felt his body was too big. He had a hard time making weight.
In reflecting on what he could have done differently, the 24-year-old Rivera says that he shouldn’t have taken the fight against the southpaw Martin.
Rivera says he should have listened to his body instead of the people around him, who felt that he was ready to take this fight with Martin.
The previously unbeaten Rivera states that he wanted people to talk about him if he were to have won. Instead, he was beaten soundly by Martin, losing a wide 12 round unanimous decision by the scores 120-107, 117-110, and 118-109.
With the problems that Rivera had making weight, it might be time for him to consider moving up to the 140-lb division.
There are a lot of well-known fighters in that weight class for Rivera to fight, and many of the top 135-pounders will soon be moving up to 140.
“I feel mad at myself. I don’t want to say an excuse. Something happened, but I still took the fight. It’s my fault,” said Michel Rivera to Broadway Joel, reflecting on his loss to Frank Martin. “It’s no fault of other people. It’s just mine.
“My body was too big. It was a hard time making weight. My corner knows how difficult it was for me. I was trying to do the plan, but you have to be fast to do the plan. My body didn’t want to answer.
“I was trying to do it, but I can’t because my body was feeling too bad. It was horrible. That was a dream to get a title at 135. Everybody was talking about this division, and I was thinking of being #1 in this division.
“I felt I was the biggest guy there. My body is bigger than the other 135. I’m disciplined. I do everything perfect. I don’t know what to do. I’ll keep training and see what I do wrong and what I do good.
“That was my opportunity to get a top fight. For Latinos, it’s more harder than American fighters. I have 24-0, and these guys have 12-0, and they it’s more easy to get a title shot than Latino has.
“I can never see me that I can lose. I just work away and do everything for winning. I prefer to die than to lose. I can’t be more dedicated than I am. I can’t. It’s impossible.
“The break is very important for the body, and I don’t take a break. I live in the gym. I don’t know,” said Rivera when asked how long of a break he’ll take from the gym after his loss to Martin. “That’s the most difficult part. I don’t know what I’ll do.
“I was doing everything right. In the fight, I don’t feel good. I was thinking if I win this fight, everybody would talk about me. My people would talk about me. That was the right moment.
“You have to know if this kind of fight is in the right moment. Sometimes you have to think when to take the fight, and when you can put time in this style. This guy is different than the others.
“Maybe more easy but it’s southpaw, not orthodox or maybe it’s faster and not slower like the others. You have to see in everything in yourself, not just talking to another person because they’re not in the ring. It’s you in the ring.
“I think this is one of the problems. I was listening more to the other people than myself maybe. Sometimes if your body tells you no, then don’t do it.
“I don’t know,” said Rivera when asked what he learned from the defeat. “I lost, that’s it. I already lost, but I don’t believe I lost right now,” said Rivera.