Yesterday, news broke that Juan Manuel Marquez isn?t pushing forward with a proposed July 14th date at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas after months of curiosity as to who his opponent for that date might have been.
Former lightweight champion Brandon Rios was hoping to land the shot with Marquez but understands how the sport works. Having returned to training in Oxnard, California following last month?s split-decision victory over Richard Abril, Rios didn?t seem too disappointed when speaking on the lost opportunity.
?It?s just boxing. It is what it is,? Rios told me on Tuesday afternoon as he spoke at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy. ?I?ve been in that position before already. It doesn?t bother me. I?m just ready to go on and concentrate on my next fight.?
Rios? fight with Abril wasn?t exactly a banner moment in his career but he points to the fact that the awkward Cuban is to blame for the bout?s lack of action. Facing off with Abril inside of the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, Rios was able to come away with the victory after twelve frustrating rounds and still insists that his foe didn?t come to fight.
?It?s part of boxing,? Rios would say of his encounter with Abril. ?He was awkward. People can say what they want to say; I won. He didn?t touch me, he didn?t hurt me, he was just holding me all night. So how can you just win a fight just holding, holding, holding? I was the aggressive one. I was the one applying the pressure.?
In the wake of that victory, certain fans and members from the media voiced their displeasure in the scoring of the fight, stating their belief that Rios hadn?t done enough to warrant the victory.
Addressing the naysayers, Rios lashed out and questioned their knowledge of the sweet science.
?All those critics out there, they don?t know sh*t about boxing,? stated Rios. ?They just want to talk sh*t. They just want to talk sh*t over the internet because that?s all they can do. They don?t know what we go through in our sport. Like I said, I don?t pay attention to that. I?m ready to move on.?
