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.
wow Alvarado cleary wasnt ready and deserved the beating he got. Its a fact. Your lying to your self if you think that was the same alvarado that fought Marquez and rios.. not hating.. its factual..
he lost his killer instinct?that is why when u fought him u just stand in front of him covering your face coz u know if u open up anytime he will knock u out..move on please…
Pac lost his killer instinct ?
No way.
His opponents’ strategy are to put up a turtle defense and run / box away. Not much of them engage Pac in a brawl.
Otherwise, their faces will be reconfigured or get knocked down or knocked out.
Rios’ sour-graping after having that beatdown of a lifetime even though he took some PEDS. Hell, he even cried over it in an interview.
Ahahaha you are right man … Just like floyd mc chiken always ducking but no guts
Rios, you won one fight (Chavez does not count) against washed up Alvarado and you thought you can beat Pacquiao…? Wake up boy. You ain’t 5H11T!
So you see one Gayweather and three Manny’s and Gayweather still gonna win ?
guys don’t misinterpret rios. he just want to encourage mayweather to sign the contract. what if he talk otherwise then the duck will be too much scared and the fight will never happen. just my thought. lmao 😀
i think so too.
these guys need to lighten up and chill out.
Pacquiao vs Mayweather is the fight to see. I do not know how mayweather can handle Pacquiao’s foot and hand speeds. I can see a fight like Rios and Pacquiao. Pacquiao will be all over a bruished Mayweather.
that’s true you feel so wrong to say that fagweather beats the pacman because deep in your mind you know the TBE (the best excuser) will have a beatdown once he engage in the ring with the “man” Manny PACMAN Pacquaio, that’s if the fag have enough courage to finally sign the contract to fight him!!!
Poor Brandon,until now he’s still crying..lol
The MF’er has to be related to Macroids Marquez !
Or either it’s a Mex thing !
Stupid punch drunk Rios !
Best thing for you and Alvarado to do is retire and open a car wash . Thats probably more suited to both your abilities .
I dunno if Pacquiao beats Mafag if the fight is made , but I truely hope Pacquiao hurts that frickin monkey .
It is truely my belief that Pacquiao will have to knock him down ALOT or either knock him out to win as I think Mayfag will have the fix in for a decision .
Am I saying I think Mayfag would try and buy the fight ? You bet your ass I am !
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again , all the Mayfags should leave the planet . They are wasting good oxegen everytime they breath !!!!!
He thinks Provodnikov would be a good match for him and he’d come out victoriouse . What the fuck has this idiot been drinking ?
Pacquiao pounded him and made him look like the punching bag he was , if Provodnikov hits him half that much he may very well take that rock Rio’s calls a head right off his shoulders !
Oh!!! Does, Rios his dreaming like a human punching bag.
Fraud ScumWeather Jr. just announced that he prefers to fight recently defeated Mike Alvarado.
JailWeather Jr. feels that Alvarado can give him a good fight, a fight that the fight fans would enjoy and like to see.
How about ’em Knicks?
My advise to you mr. boxing bag..accepts the reality that Manny made u as practice boxing bag..u cried like a baby on ur interview after the fight..u said u practice hard..but what happen ..Manny beat ur ass…so be fair..
sour graping boxer, yeah, he should favor fraud gayweather in order to entice him to fight Pacquiao.
Trust your instincts Rios….”I know it is wrong”. Mayweather without his pre-fight demands will never win against the top 5 boxers. His biggest protectors are NSAC and USADA. Without their drug leniency, Floyd will never make it to round 6.
Whatever Rios sYs, he is still a HUMAN PUNCHING BAG.
Last 2008 when pacman fought the golden boy everybody say that pacman has no chance against Oscar,but what happened? although pacman is going older and slowing a li’l bit likewise also to mayweather, the main benchmark that we should consider is Fastness,sharpness & stored gas.Has anyone see pacman deplete his Gas for his several latest fight? but mayweather indeed show it. I doubt by this time and ever from the start that mayweather will has no any chances to win when the two meet.
Rios is right, about pacman has still mercy to his opponent,pacman controlled his punches not to hurt his opponent seriously, but pacman should fight without mercy, this is sport.., if pacman will not hurt his opponent, his opponent will hurt him.Rios thought that he can put pacman into retirement on that day when he fought pacman but he was frustrated when he lost cause Rios aim too high and cried.
We could pretty well comprehend what Rios is feeling right now. He is quite esthatic because he has been able to defeat a washed up and unprepared Alvarado in Denver. Before he fought Pacquiao, Rios has been telling the world to knock Pacman out and yet Pacquiao humiliated him and taught him a superb boxing clinic, Americans understimate Pacquiao forgetting that we are talking here of a man who have won 8 titles in 8 different weight classes. I give Floyd 4 rounds to last agaisnt Manny.
How Floyd can beat Manny, when Floyd refuses to fight Manny. Rios should have said, Floyd had to fight Manny in order to prove, that he will beat Manny.
Floyd is smart…..not fighting Pac.
Which brings us to Rios….
He is dumb because he fought Pac and lost big time and cried like a girl…
Now if Floyd be dumb and fights Pac and get spanked, he’ll cry worst than Rios and Rios will say I did better than Floyd…
End of the story….