It wasn?t but eight months ago that that a disturbing video surfaced of young contender Brandon ?Bam Bam? Rios in a ring during training with Antonio Margarito that the pair of fighters were shown mocking Margarito?s future opponent Manny Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach, whom the boxing community knows well to have the disease of Parkinson?s by flailing their arms in the air and shaking their bodies in the fashion that the disease creates its victims to do.
It was a low blow attack heading into the bout in which Margarito received possible career ending injuries via lopsided domination by Pacquiao at Dallas Cowboy Stadium late last year, but during the final press conference for the right, Rios trainer Robert Garcia, (whom was now shown on the video and didn?t partake in the shenanigan) as well as Brandon Rios, took their time on the podium to apologize and confess their sins to the media outlets.
It was a smart move on part of the young Mexican, who was also shown on HBO?s 24/7 series ripping a magazine picture of Manny Pacquiao and throwing expletives towards the man who would later punish Margarito, while Rios himself was featured on the card as a late substitute and securing a stoppage win heading into his title bout earlier this year. Rios? immediate future following November 12 was different from Margarito?s, as Rios pulled out a come from behind title winning effort against Miguel Acosta on the Showtime network.
In interviews, Rios had himself confessed to a bit of immaturity on his end, which in retrospect wasn?t the wisest way to go about things seeing as he was becoming a regular face on the premium boxing networks, but the Oxnard based fighter made a move in his personal life, marrying his longtime girlfriend and having a child, which he says played a part in the maturity that is now evident in the undefeated WBA titlist.
Just last weekend, Rios, alongside stable-mate Mikey Garcia, banded together for a charity boxing function at their gym, the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, California to raise funds for amateur boxer Gustavo Rodriguez, who trained at the gym and during an incident after leaving the gym, was gunned down and killed.
?Gustavo was one of my amateur fighters. He was just 17. He worked out at the gym last Friday and while walking home was shot and killed,? said Robert Garcia, chief trainer. ?It is a real tragedy and Brandon and my brother Mikey want to help the family.?
Rios did exactly that by throwing punches in the gym?s ring, signing autographs and posing for pictures for all who came and wished to donate whatever they could for the family Rodriguez.
It seems as if 2010 was the year in which Rios was given opportunities to shine on the bright light but dimmed the light somewhat with some off color behavior, and 2011 could be the year in which his title winning match could lead to a Fight of the Year candidate or two to end the year.
One could almost say Rios has made a transition from hot shot, loose-lipped contender to a matured, undefeated title holder who has been featured on both HBO and Showtime cards as the main event.
Rios, (27-0-1, 20KO) once again will have the opportunity to shine on a major network as he takes on Urbano Antillon, and most critics are salivating at the thought of this pairing that could spawn one of the greatest fistic matches of 2011.
It?s basically two young, come forward, offense-first, defense-last fighters of Mexican decent battling it out in Southern California.
What more could be asked for?
Like the classy Jimmy Lennon Jr. would say, ?It?s Showtime!?
The main thing that Rios can accomplish on July 9 is something he has yet to do: take a crack into the mythical pound for pound list. A dominant win over the tough as nails Antillon, (who went life and death against Humberto Soto in 2010?s Fight of the Year, thus the talk of Rios/Antillon providing 2011?s) would begin the discussion of just whether this brash talking, hard punching youngster should be named amongst boxing?s best.
And that wouldn?t be a bad turnaround in less than a year?s time, would it?
