Despite his very public ‘retirement’ from boxing earlier this month, Brandon Rios will be back according to trainer, Robert Garcia, who has said ‘Bam Bam’s’ decision to quit the sport ‘only lasted a week.’
Rios was comprehensively beaten by WBO 147 champ, Tim Bradley, in Las Vegas at the start of the month, getting stopped in 9 rounds after a sluggish and unconvincing performance that left many fans believing retirement was definitely the right option for the Oxnard-based brawler.
After his comprehensive stoppage defeat at the hands of WBO welterweight champion, Tim Bradley, last night, Brandon Rios publicly called time on his career, insisting he just couldn’t ‘pull the trigger,’ and shrugged off the loss with a customary, ‘f*** it!’
Rios had tried in the build up to suggest he wasn’t done yet, and that he had plenty left in the tank, yet it became evident quickly that 10 frustrating months out of the ring had helped kill any desire ‘Bam Bam’ had left, and he had just been paying lip-service with comments about dragging Bradley into a war.
Brandon Rios (33-3-1, 24 KOs) was totally outclassed tonight in losing to WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs) by a 9th round knockout in a one-sided mismatch between these two Top Rank promoted fighters at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rios was stopped for the first time in his 11-year pro career after getting knocked down twice in the 9th from body shots.
Brandon Rios came in slightly over and looked gaunt at yesterday’s weight-in for his welterweight showdown with WBO champion, Tim Bradley tonight in Vegas, taking the marginal extra weight off after visiting the bathroom.
Rios weighed in at 147.2 lbs, repeating problems on the scales he has had previously in his career when down at 135, notably against Richar Abril and Britain’s John Murray.
Saturday’s HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The main event features a matchup of welterweights Timothy Bradley Jr. and Brandon Rios in a scheduled 12-round fight. The telecast kicks off with a featherweight title fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Romulo Koasicha.
Official Weights from Las Vegas:
Timothy Bradley Jr.: 146.0 lbs.
Brandon Rios: 147.2 lbs.
Tim Bradley will walk in as favourite with the oddsmakers when he defends his WBO welterweight title against Brandon Rios on Saturday night in Las Vegas, a fact that doesn’t bother the challenger, who alluded to the odds as meaningless – or in his own choice phrasing – as ‘bulls***.’
Rios hasn’t boxed since he destroyed old foe, Mike Alvarado, way back in January, in what was their third fight, although the Robert Garcia trained fighter feels that not only is he being underestimated against Bradley, he isn’t getting the credit he feels he deserves, and still won’t even if he pulls off the win, as was the case against Alvarado, who clearly turned up ‘out of sorts’ that night.
LONDON (6 November) – World champion Tim Bradley has vowed to dazzle this Saturday night against big punching Brandon Rios under the tutelage of new trainer Teddy Atlas.
The 32-year-old star has claimed he is a much improved fighter since joining forces with Mike Tyson’s one-time cornerman and that he is unfazed at anything the relentless Rios will throw at him.
Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley steps in the ring with “Bam Bam” Brandon Rios Saturday night live on HBO from Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center. The hype or lack of hype heading into fight week is really no surprise. After all Floyd Mayweather just fought in sin city two months ago and in two weeks time the Mandalay Bay hosts Canelo vs. Cotto.
With both men hailing from California it would’ve been a nice fit at The Forum, its original spot. Unfortunately a miscommunication occurred and the end result is a pretty decent scrap in the wrong venue. The fight itself isn’t that great of a matchup at welterweight. A few years back it may have been seen as a showcase. That’s not to say this scribe won’t be excited once the bell rings, it’s just not an event the public demanded.
Robert Garcia trained brawler, Brandon Rios, has warned anyone thinking he is washed up and/or doesn’t have the tools to deal with WBO welterweight champion, Tim Bradley next weekend, is likely to be in for a rude awakening.
Rios challenges “Desert Storm” at the Thomas and Mack Centre in Las Vegas, live on HBO/Boxnation (UK) and claims he is itching to get back in the ring, having not boxed since January’s third fight with old rival, Mike Alvarado, whom he destroyed in 3 swift and aggressive rounds.
WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (32-1-1, 12ko) is confident that the corner switch to Teddy Atlas from long-time former trainer Joel Diaz, has been the right one ahead of next month’s defence against Brandon Rios in Las Vegas.
Bradley claims he is looking to box a smart fight against Rios, who has himself claimed he will box in his trademark, aggressive style and draw ‘Desert Storm’ into a toe-to-toe war – a notion the champion rejects, despite famously getting drawn in when not needed in the past.