On Saturday, January 24, Brandon Rios (32-2-1, 23 KO) and Mike Alvarado (34-3, 23 KO) will face one another for the third time.
Their first two bouts were epic Fight of the Year candidates as both men showcased an abundance of courage, skill, determination and grit.
And while their previous encounters slightly altered the landscapes of the jr welterweight and welterweight divisions, their upcoming meeting may be the most important.
Rios and Alvarado, once major powerbrokers, will enter their rubber match as fighters with diminished stock looking to secure elite-level relevance in a welterweight division stacked talent. The stakes couldn’t be higher for both warriors, especially Denver’s homeboy, Mike Alvarado, who will have home field advantage yet again. A loss would serve as his third in as many fights.
So what are the odds for Rios vs Alvarado 3?
Not unlike their second encounter, Rios is the favorite. Mike Alvarado +130 Brandon Rios -160
A $100 bet on Alvarado will will win roughly $130 while Rios’ supporters must bet $160 to win $100.
The over and under is as follows: Over: 10.5 Rounds -175 Under: 10.5 Rounds +125 Courtesy Bovada
Dissecting the Odds Although Rios lost their rematch in March 2013, the betting odds for Saturday’s impending brawl aren’t terribly surprising. Since then, Alvarado has dropped two straight, losing entertaining but decisive affairs to Ruslan Provodnikov (TKO 10) and Juan Manuel Marquez (UD 12).
Moreover, his propensity for getting into trouble outside the ring have experts and oddsmakers wondering about the 34 year old Alvarado’s commitment to his craft.
Nevertheless, despite all of his personal issues, Mikey’s decision tilt over Brandon was impressive and well-earned.
If the Denver area native is well-prepared, physically, emotionally and tactically, he may be able to defy the odds once again.
Brandon Rios, Saturday’s favorite, scored a somewhat controversial seventh round TKO over Alvarado in their first dust-up in October 2012 in what some considered a premature stoppage. Despite being wobbled and rattled, Alvarado remained on his feet and appeared coherent as the referee jumped in to halt the action.
The scores, heading into that final round, were 58-56 Rios and 57-57 twice, and a blistering 82% of their combined landed punches (276 of 336) were power shots.
However, like Alvarado, Rios lacks a definitive victory since their rematch. Fight superstar Manny Pacquiao boxed rings around Brandon in the former’s return to the ring in November 2013 following his knockout loss to fight legend Juan Manuel Marquez. And in August, Rios was awarded a disqualification in a foul-filled affair with Diego Chaves.
Heading into the ninth stanza of a 10 round affair, one judge had Rios ahead 75-74 while the other two had Chaves up by the same score.
Rios vs Alvarado 3 will take place January 24 in Bloomfield, CO and will be televised on HBO with a start time of 9:45pm ET.
