Brandon Rios excited to participate in November 13 card
One fighter’s missed opportunity is another’s gain.
Trainer Robert Garcia has informed undefeated lightweight prospect Brandon Rios that he will be fighting on the November 13 Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito undercard, following Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik’s withdrawal from the card due to a rib injury.
Pavlik was set to take on Brian Vera on the HBO pay-pay-view in a bout he hoped would revitalize his career, but trainer Jack Loew revealed Monday he will not be able to compete.
Rios (25-0, 18 KOs) trains with Garcia and main-event notable Margarito in Oxnard, California. Though his opponent has yet to be announced, he expressed excitement and gratitude at the opportunity of competing on such a high-profile card.
"Actually, last night, my coach, Robert Garcia, he gave me some news that I might be fighting on the Nov. 13 card. He said not to tell anyone yet, but that I might be. So this morning, he called me and told straight up that I'm going to be fighting on Nov.
13, and I said, 'h**l yeah,' I'm ready,’” Rios said.
Rios, who is promoted by Top Rank, was originally slated for a bout against Noe Balonos on December 4 on the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Alfonso Gomez undercard.
His last bout involved a disqualification win over Anthony Peterson in the seventh round. Prior to the bout, Rios had accumulated a six-fight knockout streak.
"I don't know who my opponent is going to be. I don't know if it's going to be the guy that I was going to fight on Dec. 4 or somebody else,” Rios confirmed. “But whoever it is, we're ready for it. It's not like I haven't been training. I've been in the
gym.”
Rios indicated that the fight may be at a catch weight since making weight less than two weeks before the fight can pose problems. “I think that the fight will be at a catch weight, like maybe at 138 or 140. Since they told me at the last moment, and I was
preparing myself for Bolanos. I'm not saying that I can't make the weight at 135, but I'm ready to fight."
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