Yesterday Freddie Roach made headlines after taking a few shots at one of the sport’s hottest names, former champion Brandon Rios.
Rios lost his title on the scales this past weekend as he failed to make the lightweight limit of 135 pounds during his weigh-in for his clash with Manchester?s John Murray. Rios would go through with the bout and stop Murray inside of eleven rounds at Madison Square Garden, yet he now appears to be in line for a move up in weight.
That news is music to Roach?s ears as he currently works with the man many regard as the sport?s premier junior welterweight in Amir Khan.
?Amir Khan will expose Brandon Rios at 140,? Roach exclaimed. ?I definitely want to see that fight. I want Amir to stay at 140 and beat Rios just for me. Brandon Rios made fun of me before with my Parkinson?s, and even though it was funny, I feel I was disrespected. Brandon is an exchange fighter. He doesn?t even know how to throw a feint, he has no game plan and you can tell.?
Upon catching wind of Roach?s remarks, Rios? trainer Robert Garcia was quick to point out that Rios will be able to go tit for tat with anyone at 140 pounds.
?Brandon Rios is moving up to 140,” Garcia said. “We?re not thinking about it. The last time he made 135 was against [Urbano] Antillon and he was really having trouble. We were thinking about moving up to 140 but there was talk about Brandon fighting [Yuriorkis] Gamboa, so we were trying to hold it as much as we could so we could get that fight. But there?s bigger fights at 140. Brandon is a big guy. He?s probably bigger than any 140-pounder out there. He?s strong and he could match up against any of them.?
Rios failing to make weight for his fight with Murray definitely doesn?t appear to be a case of a fighter lacking discipline given his rugged work ethic in the gym, and Garcia points out that he was weakened by the end of camp.
