After his thrilling third round stoppage over Urbano Antillon on Saturday night, WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios became the latest in a long line of fighters named as potential opponents for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao by Top Rank boss Bob Arum.
“In a year or two, I would put him in with Manny Pacquiao,” Arum said. “I think he’s a guy that can match Manny’s speed and power. He has the heart. He has the strength. I think it would be very competitive.”
With two weight classes currently separating them, any fight between the two is likely at least a couple of years away, and with Pacquiao able to count his remaining fights before retirement on one hand the clock is ticking for Rios to climb up in weight and continue to build his reputation.
Rios though, who currently cuts a lot of weight to make lightweight, is more than ready to move up to 140lb division for his next fight, and was quick to name some of his potential opponents in the post fight press conference last night.
“There’s Amir Khan, there’s Marcos Maidana, I want warriors at 140, I want the toughest guys at 140. “
While Khan might be out of the question due to plans of his own to move up in after his next fight or two, the always exciting Maidana would undoubtedly make for a great opponent with Rios, and not by any means one that he would definitely get past.
There are also the likes of Devon Alexander, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse and Tim Bradley, each of whom would present Rios with styles that he has yet to encounter and would each generate a lot of interest.
The chances of him getting through the gauntlet that is the current 140lb division unscathed and eventually facing Pacquiao then is fairly slim.
Rios’ appeal to many is that he is a fighter who won’t back down from any opponent, regardless of the stylistic nightmare that they might present for him.
That attitude is why he is already a fan favorite and will likely become a pay per view attraction before long.
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Ultimately though it may hold him back from climbing as high as he possible could.
Against Antillon he was able to walk through punches and deliver his own which in the end his opponent wilted under.
Against the likes of Maidana or Matthysse, walking through their punches isn’t an option for anyone. Pitted against Khan or Judah, he might walk through punches only to find that there isn’t anyone waiting behind them to be hit, and that he lacks the speed to catch either often enough.
Regardless of how close he ever gets to facing someone on Pacquiao’s level though, for the time being one thing is for certain. Rios will always be an exciting fighter to watch, and will make a welcome addition to the light welterweight division.
Justin Crawford, Pitt: “Pacquiao would destroy Margarito Jr. and so would half of the light welterweight division, no way he gets to welterweight without losses”
