Last night in Carson, California, WBA lightweight champion Brandon ?Bam Bam? Rios successfully defended his belt with an emphatic 3rd round TKO over proven veteran and former title challenger Urbano Antillon inside of the Home Depot Center. The fight was filled with bad blood because of the animosity between the two fighters and the minute the opening bell rang they came out guns blazing towards one another.
It was assumed that Rios-Antillon was going to be a phone booth type of battle and that?s exactly what we got early on as each man took turns imposing their will on the other. Antillon had some success early as he ripped the 25-year old Rios? body but ?Bam Bam? stormed back towards the end of the stanza and began landing some right hands of his own.
<--- Massive slideshow: Behind the scenes as Brandon Rios storms through Urbano Antillon while Mercito Gesta represents with TKO over Pimentel plus undercard action; cameo appearance by Antonio Margarito, Fernando Vargas, Mikey Garcia and Abner Mares
The pace of the fight was rapid and you knew that something had to give. Slowly but surely Rios began taking command of the fight as his physical strength on the inside and debilitating assault to the body and head began to wear Antillon down.
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In the third round a right hand would put Antillon down and his shaky smile after rising couldn?t hide the inevitable. Rios applied more pressure and about a minute later a right cross crushed Antillon?s chin as he crashed to the canvas face forward. Antillon would rise on wobbly legs and referee David Mendoza wisely called a halt to the bout moments later.
Rios sees his record rise to 28-0-1 with 21 knockouts and after the fight stated he was open to facing the likes of WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan, interim titleholder Marcos Maidana and even welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who himself is eyeing a November trilogy with Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For images of Rios? incredible win as well as Carlos Molina?s upset over Kermit Cintron and Mercito Gesta?s win over Jorge Pimentel please visit the slideshow on the left?
