What makes Brandon Rios must see TV? Well everybody already knows how I fight. Everybody knows I come and fight with my heart and balls. I leave it all in the ring and there are no limits. People like that at the fights. The fans already know I will not give them a boring fight, because every single fight I have brought my exciting style of fighting to the ring. There have been fights where the opponent has not let me give the fight I like to give but that doesn’t stop me from trying. For example when I fought Anthony Peterson in 2010, I tried giving fans what they paid to go see, but he kept giving me low blows. Even with the low blows though, I still let it go and fought the way I fight. As a matter of fact the low blows just got me angrier and I came back stronger, which I think he realized because he would come back with another one.
With Richard Abril same thing, I trained for the fight hard, like I always do. Had no respect for him because of the fact he had disrespected me in Florida that same year. So that it just made me train harder and prepare myself well for the fight. When I came in to the ring, and we started fighting I noticed he kept clenching and didn’t stop. I tried to change my game plan but it seems like he wanted to slow dance the whole time. Of course I got frustrated because I am used to giving the fans a different kind of fight, not see a slow dance. I can only do so much though, because both opponents need to want to fight in order to give the fans the fight they want to see. He wasn’t willing to engage.
I now train in a way to fight different fighters, not just brawl, because at the end of the day I don’t know how my opponents train to fight me. Come November 23 I can guarantee Manny Pacquiao and myself will give the fans the fight of the year. Why? Because Pacquaio has established that he is an elite fighter, I think I have proven throughout my professional career, and especially the last two fights against Mike Alvarado, that I am an exciting fighter. A fighter the fans want to see live. The first fight against Mike Alvarado, I remember Hall of Famer Michael Buffer said it loud and clear, “Ladies and Gentlemen after six and a half rounds and perhaps the greatest fighting you will ever see has finally come to an end.” That was two warriors going at it, Mike and I gave the fans a great fight. That’s how I like to fight, that is my style of fighting. Same thing with Rios vs. Alvarado II. People usually don’t like sequels but even if I lost to the cards that night, both Mike and myself did not let the fans down. We both fought out hearts out and left it all in the ring. That’s how it should always be, fight, fight your way to the top. Fight for your fans, because at the end of the day, the fans, whether they love or hate us, they’re the ones who pay for our sport. Us, the fighters, we have to keep Boxing alive by fighting the way the greatest fighters have always fought. Leaving it all in the ring, taking the fights the fans want us to fight. Entertain them and making every fight must-see TV, that’s what I do for my fans and my haters.
Face Off: Manny Pacquiao vs Brandon Rios
24/7 Pacquiao/Rios debuts Saturday, Nov. 9 at 12:15 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.
Pacquiao vs. Rios takes place Saturday, Nov. 23 live on pay-per-view beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.
For more coverage, check out the Official CraveOnline Boxing News Feed and visit our friends at RingTV.
Photo Credit: Getty Images Sport / Stephen Dunn/Staff
