Brandon ?Bam Bam? Rios is riding high off of his recent win, a TKO3 over ?Mile High? Mike Alvarado. The fight was the third in the series and the most one sided, as Rios controlled the fight from the opening bell to finish. With his dominant win, Rios showed that he was not done as a fighter and is still one of the most exiting fighters in the sport.
In part 1 of my ?On The Ropes? boxing radio interview with Brandon Rios, I talk with him about his victory over Alvarado and get his views on why this fight was different than the previous two. Rios also talks about his motivation for the fight and what he would like to do next. Additionally, Brandon gave his thoughts on how he thinks he would have done against Pacquiao if he fought the way he did recently. Here is what Brandon Rios had to say. Jenna J: You recently fought your trilogy fight with Mike Alvarado. You looked excellent and you scored a knockout win, what were your thoughts? Brandon Rios: I trained hard for that fight. I did my preparations very well, I did everything that I needed to do and I followed instructions this time. I put my pride aside and I actually followed the instructions and did everything right, from diet to training. It was just a great fight. Jenna J: You looked very focused in the fight, how did you feel in this fight compared to the other fights you?ve had recently? Brandon Rios: Yes, I was very focused on that fight. The reason I was so focused was because everyone talked about my career being on the line and everything. I had to train to show everybody that I?m not done yet, because everybody thought that I was a shot fighter, that I?d been in too many wars and that I was pretty much done with. I just had to show everyone that I?m not done, and the fact that I only fought one time last year, it kind of sucked. They put me on the sidelines and there was a lot of stuff behind the scenes that people don?t really realize. I had to come out with a bang and I showed everybody that I?m not done yet. When I really train and I?m focused, you see what you get, you get the best ?Bam Bam,? I?m back now and I?m gonna stay like this.
Jenna J: Right from the opening bell you were right on Mike Alvarado, you hurt him early in the fight. What did you see from him and how did it feel in the ring?
Brandon Rios: Going into that fight, I knew either way, just the reaction that I got, I got the vibe from him in the conference until the face off, and it was just a vibe that felt like he wasn?t all there so I had to do what I had to do and take him out of there. He wasn?t all there, that?s what I saw. Honestly, I saw that he wasn?t mentally there ? his mind was somewhere else, and he was not focused and concentrated on the fight. He thought I would do what I?ve always been doing, he didn?t think I was gonna cut the ring off and use my jab more and actually counter shots. He thought I was just gonna come straight forward. That?s why I pursued what I had to do. Jenna J: When you dropped him in the third round, were you surprised that he got up? Brandon Rios: I knew he was gonna get up. I wasn?t surprised because of the warrior that he is and the mentality that he has, the toughness. I knew he was gonna get up but I didn?t think he was gonna quit sitting down again. I thought he was gonna come back out the next round and rather get laid out on his shield than quit sitting down. It did kind of suck because I was ready for whatever he would have brought. I was so ready for that fight and all the preparation that I?ve been doing just to get ready for this fight and then it ends in three rounds. I thought he was gonna give me a little more of a bang than that. Jenna J: Are you?re a little disappointed that you didn?t get to showcase more of what you could do against him? Brandon Rios: Yeah, it did. I?m not a little disappointed, I?m just kind of upset because of the fact that I thought he would take the fight more serious than he did, knowing that his career could be on the line and knowing that this was a do or die fight for him because he had lost his last two fights. I thought he would be on the ball more and be ready for this type of fight, especially knowing that the guy in front of him is ready and rejuvenated and ready to come back with a bang. I thought that would give him a little more motivation to put on a show, especially in his back yard, in his home town. Jenna J: After this fight, what are you looking for next? Brandon Rios: Like I tell everybody, at the end of the day I have a manager ? Cameron Dunkin ? he?s one of the best in the business and I respect that guy a lot. He?s done a lot for me and he?s stood beside me, which I respect so much. Whatever he says and whoever he picks, that?s who I?ll fight. I?m a fighter, I?ll fight anybody, it?s up to him, he?s the one that goes out and gets the fights for me and gets me paid. It?s up to him and Robert and of course Bob Arum. If those three guys can make a deal and they all agree at the same time, then we can fight whoever it is. If they don?t agree, then we don?t have a fight. That?s their job, that?s what I pay them for, and my job is just to be ready to fight. Jenna J: A lot of fans saw the fighter that you were in this last fight, and some people question whether or not we saw the best of you when you fought Pacquiao. How do you think this Brandon Rios does against Pacquiao? Brandon Rios: If I got the opportunity again, of course it would be a way different situation because I was confident in the Pacquiao fight but I think I got too cocky confident. I wasn?t really me, I thought I was unstoppable, I thought I was somebody else. I just got too cocky and I forgot where I came from, I forgot the drive that got me to that point and I was just thinking that nobody could hurt me and nobody could touch me. Nobody hasn?t really hurt me yet but I just felt that I got too cocky, to tell you the truth. I just got too comfortable and cocky. Like I said, it was a learning experience, I was young and making all this type of money that I?d never made before and it was just something that happened. I learned from my mistakes, I?m glad I learned it now rather than later because I?m still young in the sport and I can still do a lot more. I have learned a lot about myself and I?m just ready to get back to the top again and this time not get overwhelmed about situations like that. I?m gonna stay humble, stay grounded and remember to keep moving forward. If I would have fought Pacquiao like I fought Alvarado this time, I think I would have given Pacquiao a lot more trouble than I did.
