Newly crowned WBA lightweight champion Brandon ‘Bam Bam’ Rios isn’t the type of guy who is going to win everybody over. His gregarious nature comes in hand with a blunt and sometimes crude demeanor that has definitely rubbed some people the wrong way and that’s simply the kind of reality that Rios will be facing as he continues to gain exposure in the sport.
Rios seemed to hit a low last November when he and stable mate Antonio Margarito were caught on camera appearing to visibly mock trainer Freddie Roach, who was then gearing up his star fighter Manny Pacquiao for a clash against Rios’ stable mate. Roach has Parkinsons disease and both Rios and Margarito appeared to take cheap shots at him by shivering and stuttering, a move that outraged the masses who caught wind of the video online.
<--- Slideshow: Brandon Rios hammers out TKO victory over Miguel Acosta
Rios definitely has made an impression over the past year, in ways good and bad, and whether you love him or loathe him there is something about the kid that you just can’t deny.
He can fight.
Last night at the Pearl Theatre inside of the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, we saw Rios go through a serious gut check as he weathered an early storm from tough Venezuelan Miguel Acosta on his way towards claiming his first championship. Rios was in trouble in the third round but bit down and turned the tide of the fight on his way to scoring three knockdowns, the final one being the clincher as Acosta laid helpless in his corner with his father throwing in the towel.
Rios’ rugged nature inside of the ring is something he will always carry with him and it’s what makes him dangerous. Sure, he has flaws and defensive lapses, but it is his fighting spirit and fortitude that have given him a chance thus far and to his credit he has capitalized on every opportunity.
Boxing is a hard sport and in some ways that is why Rios fits right in. He might have his share of detractors but inside of the ring he is somebody who is always going to be taken seriously. That’s something nobody can deny.
