Weights: Donaire-Nishioka, Rios-Alvarado, More!

Image: Weights: Donaire-Nishioka, Rios-Alvarado, More!(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) By Chris Williams: IBF/WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (29-1, 18 KO’s) easily made weight on Friday during his weigh-in for his bout on Saturday night against Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KO’s) in a fight card that will be televised on HBO from the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California. Donaire, looking nervous and not as confident as usual, weighed in at 121.6 pounds. Nishioka, 36, looked much more at ease during the weigh-in, and came in at 121.8.

Donaire has been saying over and over again for anyone that’s interested in hearing him repeat himself that Nishioka is the best fighter in the entire super bantamweight division. If Donaire is actually right and not just talking to make himself look better, then he could be in for a really tough fight on Saturday night against the hard hitting Nishioka.

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Arum wants Rios-Alvarado winner to fight Pacquiao in April

Image: Arum wants Rios-Alvarado winner to fight Pacquiao in April(Photo credit: Chris Farina – Top Rank) By Chris Williams: In a move that’s not all that surprising, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is reportedly interested in putting the winner of this Saturday’s clash between Top Rank stable fighters Mike Alvarado (33-0, 23 KO’s) and Brandon Rios (30-0-1, 22 KO’s) in with his number #1 cash cow fighter Manny Pacquiao next year in April in a Top Rank in house fight.

Arum told the Manila Standard that a fight between Pacquiao and the winner of the Rios-Alvarado fight “Could be unbelievable. The public would go crazy for that fight. Imagine Manny against either of these animals. Manny will have to become an animal himself.”

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Rios looks weight-drained for Alvarado; Bradley’s next fight possible for February

Image: Rios looks weight-drained for Alvarado; Bradley's next fight possible for February(Photo credit: Chris Farina – Top Rank) By Dan Ambrose: Despite moving up in weight to 140 lbs in order to have less of a struggle to make weight former WBA World lightweight champion Brandon Rios (30-0-1, 22 KO’s) is looking like he’s STILL having problems trying to make weight, as he looks painfully thin going into his fight this Saturday night against unbeaten Mike Alvarado (33-0, 23 KO’s) on the undercard of Nonito Donaire vs. Toshiaki Nishioka on HBO at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California.

Rios, who failed to make weight for his last fight against Richard Abril six months ago in April, moved up five pounds from the lightweight division to the light welterweight division so that he could safely make weight. However, I had a feeling that this still wouldn’t be enough because five pounds is really nothing given how badly weight drained Rios had been for his last two fights.

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Rios vs. Alvarado on Saturday

Image: Rios vs. Alvarado on SaturdayBy Chris Williams: In a fight that really should be scheduled as the main event instead of the co-main event, former WBA World lightweight champion Brandon Rios (30-0-1, 22 KO’s) will be stepping up in weight to the light welterweight division to fight unbeaten contender Mike Alvarado (33-0, 23 KO’s) in a WBO light welterweight title eliminator at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California.

Presumably, the winner of this fight will be soon getting a shot against WBO light welterweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez. Don’t count on it happen, though. I’m sure Top Rank promoter Bob Arum would love to put Alvarado or Rios in with Marquez for his WBO belt in 2013, but I bet Marquez won’t go for it unless he’s offered a lot of money. Going from the big, big payday Marquez will be getting for the Pacquiao fight on December 8th to a much smaller payday against Rios or Alvarado will likely be a serious buzzkill for Marquez. I bet he vacates and leaves the winner of the Rios-Alvarado fight with no one to fight except someone like Ruslan Provodikov. I bet they can’t to fight him in a fight that few boxing will even care about.

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Rios – Alvarado, Donaire – Nishioka: Two good fights on October 13th on HBO

Image: Rios - Alvarado, Donaire - Nishioka: Two good fights on October 13th on HBOBy Dan Ambrose: Boxing fans will get a chance to see if former WBA World lightweight champion Brandon Rios (30-0-1, 22 KO’s) is for real or not at light welterweight when he takes on undefeated contender Mike Alvarado (33-0, 23 KO’s) in a WBO light welterweight title eliminator bout on October 13th at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California, United States.

The Rios-Alvarado fight will be on the undercard of the match-up between former WBC super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KO’s) and current IBF/WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (29-1, 18 KO’s).

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Donaire-Nishioka, Rios-Alvarado now official

Image: Donaire-Nishioka, Rios-Alvarado now officialBy Chris Williams: The October 13th fight card featuring two Top Rank bouts featuring former WBA World lightweight champion Brandon Rios (30-0-1, 22 KO’s) making his light welterweight debut against unbeaten 140 pound contender Mike Alvarado (33-0, 23 KO’s) and IBF/WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (29-1, 18 KO’s) defending his titles agaisnt 36-year-old former WBC super bantamweight champion Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KO’s) has now been made official on HBO at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California.

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