Weights: Pacquiao 145, Rios 146.5

11/23/201311/22/2013 Rob Smith

rios673433 (Photo Credit: Top Rank/Chris Farina) Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) successfully made weight today for his fight for the vacant WBO International welterweight title against the younger 27-year-old Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) for their fight on Saturday night at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China.

Pacquiao weighed in at 145 lbs., and looked in great shape. Rios came in slightly heavier at 146.5. The Rios looked, he appeared to be a little drained, and it seems like he’ll rehydrate quite a big by tomorrow night. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Rios coming into the fight with a 10-15 pound weight advantage over Pacquiao tomorrow night.

Rios is definitely bigger fighter here, and it’s going to be interesting to see what he can do with his superior size. He won’t have the speed or the experience advantage, but it’s very possible that he could make up for that with his size and youth. He takes a great shot and he’s getting the 35-year-old Pacquiao at the ideal time with him coming off of a knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, and not having looked good in many years.

Pacquiao vs. Rios: The Macau Massacre

11/22/201311/22/2013 Chris Carlson

This Saturday night which will be Sunday morning Macau time, Manny Pacquiao attempts to climb back on the horse that bucked him and ride that thing in to the sunset of his career.

The man that will be across the ring from Pacquiao is Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios, who’s full steam ahead style has everyone outside the Rios camp thinking this fight will be a one sided beat down not in his favor, and entertaining as hell while it lasts.

Can Manny bounce back from the nightmare that still lingers from his fourth encounter with the Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez?

Can Rios clip Manny with a fight changing punch making him an overnight star in the boxing world?

Pacquiao to Roach: “Are Those The Guys That Made Fun Of You? That’s All I Need To Know”

08/02/201411/21/2013 Vitali Shaposhnikov

roach73 When Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza got into a scuffle, it was evident that this fight, at least the competitive angle of it, is going to change its course. Verbal back and forth is always a part of boxing, its marketing and hype. Nevertheless when Alex Ariza kicked Freddie Roach and made fun of his Parkinson’s, he signed his respect away, and boxing fans are unlikely to give it back anytime soon.

Roach was also out of line, and is now being dubbed a racist for saying a few things that are certainly worthy of such a title. But knowing Roach and Wild Card, it seems very unlikely that it was anything but the heat of the moment that made him say what he did, as his gym is probably the most international one of them all.

Mayweather/Pacquiao fight could finally happen says Arum ahead of Pacquiao/Rios clash

11/21/201311/21/2013 BoxNation

BoxNation to donate £2 from every new subscription this week to help Philippines disaster victims

Boxing’s biggest-ever money fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao could finally take place according to a key player behind the negotiations.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who promotes the Filipino superstar, admitted to BoxNation that there is genuine will on his part to make the fight happen should Pacquiao overcome the relentless Brandon Rios in Macau, China this weekend.

The matchup between boxing’s two superstar names has long been mooted, ever since both men became household pay-per-view draws.

Bob Arum: “It’s Going To Be Like Hagler-Hearns”

09/14/201611/20/2013 Vitali Shaposhnikov

arum45 This is OK in an event in the United States. But we’re going to throw huge security around this, because this is not something that is appreciated by the Chinese. I think, that with all this undercurrent that’s going on, it’s going to be like Hagler-Hearns,” Arum recently stated in response to the scuffle between Freddie Roach and camp Rios.

The animosity between the camps has been there since the day the fight was signed. Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza working against each other is an ingredient that is bound to create heat. Not only that, but Brandon Rios himself has been on the defense/offense, showing his strong dislike of the fact that many boxing fans as well as media members have already written him off as nothing more but a sleep chosen for slaughter.

Has Freddie Roach’s plan backfired?

11/22/201311/20/2013 Paul Strauss

Manny Pacquiao’s hall of fame trainer Freddie Roach would have liked nothing better than to see dissension in the ranks at Camp Rios. Freddie hoped the likelihood of that happening would increase dramatically with the addition of Alex Ariza to the team. Freddie made headlines when he fired Ariza from the Pacman team. Freddie explained Ariza was a disruption to training activities, a troublemaker who couldn’t get along with anyone.

An interesting point about this whole mess seemed to be that Manny expressed no dissatisfaction with Ariza; although, he did feel he had to honor Freddie’s wish and agree to Ariza’s dismissal. Therefore, Ariza got the heave ho. Soon after, Ariza latched on to the job of training Brandon Rios for his big fight against Pacquiao. When Freddie got the news, he apparently thought (and hoped) Ariza would have a disruptive influence with the Rios Team.

Roach and Alex Ariza Make Pacquiao vs. Rios a Personal Affair, Adding Fuel To The Fight

11/22/201311/20/2013 Vitali Shaposhnikov

By now, most boxing fans have already heard of, or seen the video where Freddie Roach gets kicked by Alex Ariza in the midst of Roach arguing with multiple members of camp Rios over gym time.

The scuffle was aggressive in nature, with not only name calling, but race as well as Roach’s Parkinson’s disease used as verbal weapons. Alex Ariza went farther than most would, not only kicking Freddie Roach but also mimicking his speech stutter.

Roach and Ariza never worked together in harmony, and their professional relationship also ended in a bad fashion. Words were said, and there was an abundance of finger-pointing coming from both sides.

Roach: Rios won’t last past the 4th against Pacquiao on Saturday

11/19/2013 Rob Smith

Based on trainer Freddie Roach’s recent mitt workout with his fighter Manny Pacquiao, he’s moved his original prediction of Pacquiao stopping Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) by the 6th round to Pacquiao stopping him by the 4th round. Roach brags that Pacquiao was hitting the mitts so well that he had to stop the mitt work after just four rounds.

It sounds good but Roach was also bragging about how Pacquiao had his best camps in his last two training camps, and we saw what happened with Pacquiao with him losing to Tim Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez. It just gives you the impression that Roach is like a promoter with the way he builds up Pacquiao, and he ends up with egg on his face when Pacquiao fails to look like the fighter that he once was 4 years ago.

Timothy Bradley Warns Rios About Pacquaio: “He Is Very Difficult To Hit”

11/18/201311/18/2013 Vitali Shaposhnikov

rios777 The most difficult part for Brandon Rios in facing Manny Pacquiao, is not the physical or even psychological portion of it all, but the significant difference in Pacquiao versus any other opponent that Rios has ever faced. The unexpected surprise that Rios might encounter during the fight, the revelation that Pacquiao is significantly faster and stronger than team Rios had anticipated, may force Rios to abandon any fight plan, and try to swing hard in hopes of landing a “Marquez” punch.

Timothy Bradley, the first man in a long time to claim a victory over Pacquiao, suggests that Pacquiao is very hard to land on, and that Rios needs to be ready to deal with frustration:

Left-Hook Lounge: Is Ward the New P4P King?, Is This Pacquiao’s Last Fight?, Who Next for Andre Ward?

11/18/2013 Vivek Wallace

433 Dexter R. (Tampa, FL): I think it’s time Andre Ward gets serious consideration in the P4P discussion. Is it far-fetched (in your opinion) to label him as the best P4P fighter in the sport?

Vivek W. (ESB): I’ve been a huge Andre Ward fan from day one, and back in 2009 when people were laughing at me and questioning him, I said with confidence, (feel free to check the archives), that he would not only win the Super Six Tournament, but in my estimation, was already viewed as the #2 P4P fighter in the sport, trailing only behind Floyd Mayweather. That being said, perspective should always be measured down the center, with few emotions attached. Bottom line, Ward’s performance was as brilliant as you can ask, coming off such a major injury and lengthy layoff. He performed to perfection with poise and brilliance. I have nothing but praise for him, but when we speak along the lines of perspective, it’s important to note that this victory came over Edwin Rodriguez. Think about that!