Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios has emerged as one of the most exciting young boxers in the sport.
With his “all or nothing” style and a perceived willingness to take on all comers, the 25-year-old from Oxnard, California is becoming one of the real players in a sport desperately in need of another major name.
Following his three-round destruction of Urbano Antillon July 9 at The Staples Center in Carson, California, promoter, Bob Arum applauded his fighter’s win, but also mentioned his young find as a potential rival to his current reigning cash cow, Manny Pacquiao.
While Rios is still two full weight classes away from welterweight, there is a way for him to move up responsibly and actually make a serious run at his promotional stablemate.
Here’s Brandon Rios’ road to Pacquiao:
Michael Katsidis
While Pacquiao is entertaining Juan Manuel Marquez in November, Rios could do well to have one more memorable brawl at lightweight. Australia’s Katsidis is a born warrior with a recognizable name and a penchant for headline-grabbing battles. Rios would be the clear favorite to dismantle Katsidis, who has lost two in a row, but there would be few fans complaining about this match-up. A money fight that would surely attract hardcore boxing fans, this battle would add more weight to Rios’ name as he moves up to jr. welterweight.
Humberto Soto
The former two-division world champion recently vacated his lightweight title in order to move to jr. welterweight. For Rios, Soto would be a great transitional fight as he moves from 135 to 140 lbs. Soto carries a reputation as someone who plays it safe in opponent selection, but fights like a warrior when pressed. So, getting Soto in the ring could be the tough part of this possible bout. But if this fight could be booked, Rios would be able to test the waters at jr. welterweight without being at a huge size disadvantage. In terms of resume, Soto would also represent the most accomplished fighter in Rios’ career.
Marco Antonio Barrera / Erik Morales
Either one of these Mexican legends would provide Rios with a real surge in exposure and a Hall of Fame name on his resume. The destruction of Barrera or Morales would also represent a symbolic passing of the torch from one generation of Mexican fighter to a hungrier, younger Mexican-American.
Joel Casamayor
The Cuban former world champ has seen better days and is just waiting to be retired by a young warrior. Rios should have little trouble dealing with “El Cepillo,” but a fight with a smart, awkward southpaw would help Rios greatly in preparation for Pacquiao.
Alfonso Gomez
Rios’ debut at welterweight would be memorable against an eager, but not overly-skilled 147-pounder like the former Contender cast member. Rios-Gomez, which could do solid numbers on HBO or Showtime, would introduce Rios to the casual public and create a nice buzz going into a Pacquiao clash (hopefully at a 144 lb. catchweight).
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Five fights and eighteen to twenty-four months to prepare for a bout with the Filipino phenom. If Rios adds the pounds responsibly and develops a few technical nuances, there’s no reason to doubt that the Oxnard buzzsaw could give Pacquiao a genuine and brutally honest war.
Paul Magno was a licensed official in the state of Michoacan, Mexico and a close follower of the sport for more than thirty years. His work can also be found on Fox Sports and The Boxing Tribune. In the past, Paul has done work for Inside Fights, The Queensberry Rules and Eastside Boxing.
