Welterweight contender, Brandon ?BAM BAM? Rios has bounced back from back to back defeats in 2013, and now has won two fights in a row and has himself back in title contention. The 147lb division holds some of the biggest stars in the sport, and Brandon Rios is hoping to add his name to the top of the division by getting a high profile fight in 2015.
In part 2 of my ?On The Ropes? boxing radio interview with Brandon Rios, I discuss with him possible fights against Juan Manuel Marquez and Ruslan Provodnikov. Rios also shares his views on Manny Pacquiao?s recent ring performances, and how he thinks a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight would play out. Additionally, Rios talks about when he expects to return to the ring and also gives a message to his haters. Here is what Brandon Rios had to say.
Jenna J: People have mentioned Juan Manuel Marquez as a possible opponent for you. Would you be interested in that fight?
Brandon Rios: That would be an excellent fight, I would love to get that fight. Fighting a legend, fighting a guy like Marquez, one of the guys that?s been up there, the guy who knocked out Manny Pacquiao, I would love to fight that guy. It would be an honor just to be in the ring with him, like it was with Pacquiao.
Jenna J: Fans talk a lot about a fight between you and Ruslan Provodnikov. What happens there?
Brandon Rios: Honestly, that would be an excellent fight. We both go at it, that would be an excellent fight. It brings the best out of me when I fight a guy that does the same kind of fight that I do ? a come forward fighter. I think that brings the best out of me. I?m very confident that I will come out victorious in that fight too. I?m very confident in myself and not a cocky confidence, a confidence that I would win that fight.
Jenna J: Right now you?re campaigning at welterweight. Is this a weight class that you plan to spend the rest of your career at?
Brandon Rios: Right now, if a bigger name comes up at 154lbs, I would definitely go up to 154lbs, I have no problem. Right now at 147lbs, I feel really good and comfortable. I made weight perfectly and fine this time. Actually, the night before I was 149lbs, I went to sleep and I woke up at 146lbs, I was very comfortable. I wasn?t really killing myself like I had been in the past.
I?ve done everything perfect right now, I ate up all the days before the weigh ins and that never happened to me. I ate twice on Thursday, I ate twice that day. I wasn?t really killing myself, I made the weight perfectly fine, I feel comfortable at it. But if there?s a bigger name at 154lbs, definitely I would take it.
Jenna J: I want to talk about one of your past opponents, Manny Pacquiao. What are your thoughts on the way that he?s looked since you fought him?
Brandon Rios: Pacquiao seemed that he had let off the gas a little bit, to me it feels like he doesn?t have that killer instinct. With me, when he was fighting me, I thought he would just take me out or knock me out when he had me hurt, if he had me hurt. I thought he would just put a little more pressure on to it. Same thing with Bradley and Algieri, he did drop Algieri but I think the old Pacquiao would have gone out there and finished him or the old Pacquiao would have gone out there and killed him.
I don?t know if it?s because he found God and he doesn?t feel like he wants to hurt people ? which I?m not saying is a bad thing, everybody has their belief and I do respect the lord but in that ring, you?re trying to hurt your opponent because I know the opponent is gonna try to hurt me, that?s how I see it.
I have my beliefs, I do believe in the man upstairs, I do believe in the lord and all that, but in the ring, I?m trying to hurt my opponent like the opponent is trying to hurt me. That?s what I?m saying and that?s what I?m feeling.
Jenna J: How do you think this Manny Pacquiao does against Floyd Mayweather?
Brandon Rios: It feels wrong for me to say this but I think Floyd beats Manny Pacquiao. Floyd is just a very defensive fighter, he?s got so many skills, he?s been in so many positions and he does have that skill. I do believe that Floyd beats him.
Jenna J: How do you think he beats him, by decision?
Brandon Rios: I think decision, I don?t see nothing else. I think it would just be a decision because Floyd is too smart to do anything else. He?s not gonna take a risk and try to get hurt himself.
Jenna J: Back to you Brandon, how soon do you expect yourself to get back into the ring?
Brandon Rios: I wish I was getting back in the ring already. I wish today was the day or next week, but at the end of the day, I got to wait. I?ve been trying to get my manager to look for fight for me already because I?m ready to get back in the ring. I came out of the ring with no bruises or scratches and I don?t want to let my conditioning go to waste.
Jenna J: Are you hoping to stay active and fight like three fights a year?
Brandon Rios: That?s exactly right. I can make that happen if I just keep doing this type of performance that I?ve been doing, like the last fight, just be ready, be in shape and go out there and do what I have to do, finish them out, early.
Jenna J: Is there any message you want to say to all the people who doubted you and said you were done?
Brandon Rios: No, they can still keep hating like they always do. At the end of the day, I can say something else but they?re just gonna keep saying different things. They?ll say, ?Oh Alvarado was done,? you can never please those types of people.
All they are is just keyboard warriors and they?re probably fat son of a bitches behind a computer just talking shit, that?s all they do because they hate their life. They wish they can do what we do and they hate their life and it is what it is. Let them be behind a computer, eat a fucking donut or twinkie and probably die of a heart attack. Fuck it, I move on.
Jenna J: What do you want to say to your fans, the ones that have stood behind you, Brandon ?Bam Bam? Rios fans?
Brandon Rios: Yes definitely, to all my fans and people who actually support me outside and inside the ring, I really do appreciate them. I do this for them, I fight my heart out for them, the real fans.
It means a lot to me just to have people around me that really do care about me. Thank you guys very much, much love and expect more good fights from me, this time I?m more dedicated and more focused and I promise you guys I?ll give you better fights.
