Former lightweight champion Brandon ?Bam Bam? Rios is back in Oxnard, Calif. and chomping at the bit to get back into training and resume his flourishing career come 2012.
Rios was seen earlier this month going heads up with Manchester?s John Murray in a back-and-forth duel at New York?s Madison Square Garden. While Rios carved out an 11th round TKO victory, there will forever be a blemish next to the bout because of the simple fact that the 25-year came in overweight and was stripped of his WBA belt.
Four-time trainer of the year Freddie Roach had a keen eye on the Rios-Murray scrap and took particular interest to the lingering rumors of Rios? forthcoming move up to the junior welterweight class. Roach trains British star Amir Khan, who just this past weekend was seen losing his WBA and IBF junior welterweight belts in a high-octane affair with Lamont Peterson.
Speaking a few days before the Khan-Peterson duel, Roach had said that his fighter would ?expose? Rios if they were to ever meet. Roach also knocked Rios? trainer Robert Garcia, noting that it didn?t seem like he had been teaching him any true boxing skills.
