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cnnWriteBotNav_transition(); </script> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> $('.hiddenNav').hover(function() { $('.globalNav').show(); }, function(){ $('.globalNav').delay(3000).hide(); }); </script> <div id="banner"> <script language="JavaScript"> siAds.render('mma_boxing/top.728x90', 728, 90); </script> </div>  <div id="content"> <div class="left-column"> <h1 class="pagetitle">Posts Tagged ‘Brandon Rios’</h1> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-4701"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/17/timothy-bradley-takes-out-ruslan-provodnikov-in-tremendous-welterweight-fight/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Timothy Bradley takes out Ruslan Provodnikov in welterweight fight">Timothy Bradley takes out Ruslan Provodnikov in welterweight fight</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/17/timothy-bradley-takes-out-ruslan-provodnikov-in-tremendous-welterweight-fight/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2013/03/17/timothy-bradley-takes-out-ruslan-provodnikov-in-tremendous-welterweight-fight/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_4702" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 610px"><img class="size-full wp-image-4702" alt="Timothy Bradley improved his record to 30-0 with a 12-round unanimous decision over Ruslan Provodnikov. (Jae C. Hong/AP)" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/timbradley_031613_blog_final.jpg?w=600&h=451" width="600" height="451"/><p class="wp-caption-text">Timothy Bradley (left) improved his record to 30-0 with a 12-round unanimous decision over Ruslan Provodnikov. (Jae C. Hong/AP)</p></div> <p>Three thoughts on Timothy Bradley’s wildly entertaining win over Ruslan Provodnikov:</p> <p><b>Who saw this coming?</b></p> <p>Bradley, the defending champion who has spent his career competing against top competition, was a heavy favorite coming in against Provodnikov, a 140-pounder best known for being Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partner. But from the opening bell, it was clear this was no mismatch. Both Provodnikov and Bradley came out aggressive, but while Bradley landed the higher volume of punches, Provodnikov’s carried more steam behind them. Provodnikov had Bradley rocked multiple times in the first two rounds, including a shot in the first that appeared to knock Bradley down, to the point where he stumbled twice just trying to get up. Referee Pat Russell ruled it a slip, and Bradley recovered to control the action until the 12th round, when an aggressive Provodnikov swarmed him with power punches and put him down with less than 20 seconds to go. The final scores (114-113, twice, and 115-12) were right, given that judges are handcuffed by what the referee calls. But if Russell had ruled a first-round knockdown, the fight would have been scored a draw.</p> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/17/timothy-bradley-takes-out-ruslan-provodnikov-in-tremendous-welterweight-fight/#more-4701" class="more-link">Read More…</a></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Mar 17, 2013</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2013/03/17/timothy-bradley-takes-out-ruslan-provodnikov-in-tremendous-welterweight-fight/#comments" title="Comment on Timothy Bradley takes out Ruslan Provodnikov in welterweight fight"><span data-lf-article-id="4701" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">0</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-3543"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/10/15/roundtable-how-impressive-was-brandon-rios-win-over-mike-alvarado/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Roundtable: How impressive was Brandon Rios’ win over Mike Alvarado?">Roundtable: How impressive was Brandon Rios’ win over Mike Alvarado?</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/10/15/roundtable-how-impressive-was-brandon-rios-win-over-mike-alvarado/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2012/10/15/roundtable-how-impressive-was-brandon-rios-win-over-mike-alvarado/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_3548" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/alvarado-rios.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-3548" title="alvarado-rios" alt="" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/alvarado-rios.jpg?w=300&h=327" height="327" width="300"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Brandon Rios (right) outlasted Mike Alvarado (left) on Saturday in a slugfest that’s been hailed as the fight of the year to date. (Harry How/Getty Images)</p></div> <p style="text-align:left;"><strong>How impressive was Brandon Rios’ win over Mike Alvarado, Saturday’s junior welterweight bout that many pundits have preordained the fight of the year?</strong></p> <p><strong>CHRIS MANNIX:</strong> I’ve had my doubts about Rios; the brawler style, the trouble making weight and the size Rios balloons to when he is not training have made me question whether he could rise to an elite level. But against arguably his best opponent at a heavier weight, Rios did what he has always done, wearing Alvarado down with thudding body shots and closing masterfully in the seventh round when he had Alvarado hurt. Sure, I still wonder if Rios can box — the fight was even on two judges cards and Rios held a two-point lead on the third’s before the fight was stopped — but there is simply no keeping Rios from getting inside. He is relentless.</p> <p>I have little doubt that if Manny Pacquiao beats Juan Manuel Marquez in December that Top Rank will match Pacquiao with Rios. Financially, it makes sense: Rios is enough of a household name now and with the right promotion, Pacquiao-Rios could surpass 1 million pay-per-view buys. But if Pacquiao is unavailable, Rios has plenty of options. Oscar De La Hoya tweeted that he would make a Rios-Lucas Matthysse fight, which has the potential to be even more of a war than Rios-Alvarado. Rios could look for a 140-pound title (a shot at the IBF belt could be available) or simply seek out the biggest paydays. Whatever happens, Rios will be in a big fight, one worth a whole lot of money.</p> <p><strong>RICHARD O’BRIEN: </strong>I know that Bob Arum said ahead of time that the winner of Rios-Alvarado could be in line to be Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent (assuming Pacquiao gets by his old dance partner Juan Manuel Marquez on Dec. 8), but that prospect pales compared to the promise of a rematch of last Saturday’s sensational set-to in Carson, Calif. Rios prevailed in what people are already calling, with justification, one of the best fights of the past several years. But really both boxers did themselves — and their trade — proud. And in the process, they provided fans with a rare show of skill, courage and real passion. From the explosive (a combined 190 punches) first round on there was no letup in the action, or in either fighter’s commitment, as both threw — and absorbed — hundreds of heavy, heavy shots. Two of the judges had the bout even after six rounds, while the third had Rios just ahead, yet the stoppage by referee Pat Russell was a good one. (Though had he survived the seventh, Alvarado might very well have come right back out in the eighth and thrown 147 punches — as he did in the fifth — and Rios no doubt would have been right there to meet him.) In the end, this was a great fight and one that elevated both men’s stature in the sport.</p> <p>Rios is the real deal: He has great strength and power, an obviously sturdy chin, and he fights with the kind of energy and enthusiasm that makes him enormously enjoyable to watch. I’d expect him to prevail in a rematch with Alvarado and will be very eager to see where he goes from there.</p> <p><strong>BRYAN ARMEN GRAHAM:</strong> Classic fights happen, but far less often when they’re predetermined as such. The come-forward, crowd-pleasing styles of Rios and Alvarado had prompted most boxing people to earmark Saturday’s matchup as a potential fight of the year from the moment it was made. It ended up being the rare case of a hyped fight that exceeded its lofty expectations: two prime sluggers trading hell and laying the groundwork for a must-see rematch or, if we’re lucky, a trilogy.</p> <p>Rios’ well-documented struggles making the lightweight limit came to a head in December when he lost his title on the scale ahead of the big December show at Madison Square Garden. The young puncher had a sickly pallor when he visited the <em>Sports Illustrated</em> offices about 48 hours before the weigh-in and it was apparent he’d outgrown the division. But any concerns about whether he’d bring his punch up with him to junior welterweight were spectacularly dismissed during Saturday’s breakthrough performance — a spine-tingling 23-minute war that rendered moot the stench from Rios’ dubious point victory over Cuba’s Richard Abril last year. Now Rios is a star — he debuted today at No. 14 in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/mma/boxing/pound-for-pound-ratings/index.html" target="_blank">SI.com’s pound-for-pound ratings</a> – and a can’t-miss showdown with Pacquiao looms if the Filipino congressman can hold serve against Marquez. That, of course, is no sure thing. Far more certain is the fact that Rios’ biggest paydays are yet to come.</p> <p><em>HBO will air replays of the Rios-Alvarado fight on Oct. 15 (11:30 p.m. ET/PT) and Oct. 16 (11 p.m. ET/PT).</em></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Oct 15, 2012</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/10/15/roundtable-how-impressive-was-brandon-rios-win-over-mike-alvarado/#respond" title="Comment on Roundtable: How impressive was Brandon Rios’ win over Mike Alvarado?"><span data-lf-article-id="3543" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">0</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-3455"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/10/09/quick-jabs-rios-alvarado-creates-buzz-robert-helenius-returns-more/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Quick jabs: Rios-Alvarado creates buzz, Robert Helenius returns, more">Quick jabs: Rios-Alvarado creates buzz, Robert Helenius returns, more</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/10/09/quick-jabs-rios-alvarado-creates-buzz-robert-helenius-returns-more/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2012/10/09/quick-jabs-rios-alvarado-creates-buzz-robert-helenius-returns-more/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_3456" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/seanie-monaghan.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-3456 " title="seanie-monaghan" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/seanie-monaghan.jpg?w=300&h=240" alt="" width="300" height="240"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Seanie Monaghan (right), a popular and rugged ticket-seller in the New York City area, could fight Notre Dame alum Mike Lee in the near future. (AP)</p></div> <p>Some quick jabs …</p> <p>• Promoter Lou DiBella is bringing popular light heavyweight Seanie Monaghan back to headline his next Broadway Boxing show in New York on Oct. 24 against Rayco Saunders. The 31-year old Monaghan (15-0) isn’t really a prospect–he’s slow and he gets hit a lot–but he’s a banger and sells a lot of tickets in the Irish community. I asked DiBella recently if he thought there was a big fight out there for Monaghan and he came back with an interesting name: Light heavyweight and Notre Dame grad Mike Lee. DiBella told me he thinks Monaghan-Lee could sell out the Theatre at Madison Square Garden.</p> <p>• Hey, B.J. Flores: Time for a bigger fight.</p> <p>• I’m looking forward to Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado this Saturday night as much as anyone, and Top Rank’s Bob Arum has told me he thinks the winner is a strong candidate to face Manny Pacquiao next year. But that would be a massacre. Rios and Alvarado are wildly entertaining but neither is close to Pacquiao’s level.</p> <p>• Good to see heavyweight prospect Robert Helenius will make his return to the ring next month after a nearly year-long hiatus due to a shoulder injury. Here’s hoping Helenius gets serious about his training. Helenius has the size and killer instinct to be a top heavyweight but his jab is pathetic and Dereck Chisora — who is not exactly a great boxer either — beat Helenius up on the inside in his last fight. That jab needs to become a sharp, stinging weapon for Helenius, a la Wladimir Klitschko, or he will never become an elite heavyweight.</p> <p>• Time for Ivan Calderon to retire.</p> <p>• Interesting note I gleaned during my reporting of an item I wrote in <em>Sports Illustrated</em> this week on featherweight Orlando Cruz, who recently announced he was gay. In the aftermath of the announcement, Top Rank attempted to get Cruz out of his Oct. 19 fight against Jorge Pazos so they could match him against top 130-pound prospect Mikey Garcia. If Cruz beats Pazos, he will be a candidate for a significant fight, possibly against Garcia, sometime next year.</p> <p>• On Monday, Top Rank announced the signing of 19-year old Puerto Rican prospect Felix Verdejo. Verdejo, a lightweight, was a member of Puerto Rico’s 2012 Olympic team. He won two fights in London before losing to eventual gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko. Top Rank officials are targeting December for Verdejo’s pro debut.</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><em><strong>– Chris Mannix</strong></em></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Oct 09, 2012</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/10/09/quick-jabs-rios-alvarado-creates-buzz-robert-helenius-returns-more/#respond" title="Comment on Quick jabs: Rios-Alvarado creates buzz, Robert Helenius returns, more"><span data-lf-article-id="3455" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">0</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-3239"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/09/18/quick-jabs-ricky-hatton-comes-back-amir-khan-finds-new-trainer-more/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Quick jabs: Ricky Hatton comes back, Amir Khan finds new trainer, more">Quick jabs: Ricky Hatton comes back, Amir Khan finds new trainer, more</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/09/18/quick-jabs-ricky-hatton-comes-back-amir-khan-finds-new-trainer-more/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2012/09/18/quick-jabs-ricky-hatton-comes-back-amir-khan-finds-new-trainer-more/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_3240" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 308px"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/ricky-hatton.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-3240 " title="ricky-hatton" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/ricky-hatton.jpg?w=298&h=417" alt="" width="298" height="417"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Former two-division world champion Ricky Hatton (above), who announced a comeback last week, might be an attractive opponent for compatriot Amir Khan. (AP)</p></div> <p>Some quick jabs …</p> <p>• How much money did Miguel Cotto leave on the table when he passed on a rematch with Manny Pacquiao? According to Bob Arum, a lot. Arum said Cotto’s guarantee for a Dec. 1 date with Pacquiao would have been around $13 million, with the possibility of going as high as $15 million if the pay-per-view numbers were strong. Instead, Cotto will settle for significantly less in a fight with unknown junior middleweight Austin Trout while Arum signed Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth fight with Pacquiao by guaranteeing just $6 million.</p> <p>• HBO was thrilled with the rating it got for the heavily promoted Sept. 8 showdown between Andre Ward and Chad Dawson. According to the Neilsen numbers, Ward-Dawson attracted 1.3 million viewers, the sixth straight World Championship Boxing telecast exceeding 1 million viewers for HBO.</p> <p>• Here’s my one and only thought on the proposed partnership between Manny Pacquiao and 50 Cent: I’ll believe it when I see it.</p> <p>• I’m fully expecting a rematch between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Sergio Martinez to take place early next year. Chavez Jr. wants it and Martinez isn’t going to sniff that much money against anyone else. Hopefully Chavez will take his training a little more seriously next time. He has the talent to beat Martinez but he has to be in peak condition both mentally and physically if he expects to have a shot against a fighter as fast and skilled as Martinez.</p> <p>• At 33, comebacking Ricky Hatton probably has one more big fight left in him. And perhaps the biggest one of his career could be out there: Amir Khan. They haven’t invented a word for how big Hatton-Khan could be in England and after a tune-up or two both could be ready for it.</p> <p>• Little tired of strength coach Alex Ariza taking to Twitter and passive aggressively implying that a fighter would have done better had he been more involved. In the aftermath of Chavez’s loss to Martinez, Ariza, who had reduced role in Chavez’s camp this time around, in a Q&A with his followers, suggested that Chavez would have performed better had he followed his diet and that Chavez was “not in my kind of shape.” It’s not the first time Ariza has done this and it’s getting a little old.</p> <p>• Arum says he plans on bringing welterweight titleholder Tim Bradley back in December. Possible opponents include Ruslan Provodnikov, Zab Judah, Lamont Peterson and Robert Guerrero. Guerrero is under contract with archrival Golden Boy but Arum told a handful of reporters last week that Bradley-Guerrero was a fight he would really like to make.</p> <p>• Hasim Rahman, who held the WBC heavyweight title for a year between 2005 and ’06, is getting another crack at a world title. Rahman, 39, will travel to Germany to take on Alexander Povetkin on Sept. 29 in a fight that will be televised in the U.S. on Epix.</p> <p>• Predictably, the Adrien Broner-Antonio DeMarco negotiations are progressing slowly. Broner, who is represented by influential and divisive manager Al Haymon, wants the lion’s share of the money and DeMarco isn’t willing to give it to him. Like I’ve said before: Fight each other or don’t fight anyone else in your weight class on premium TV.</p> <p>• How much did it cost 50 Cent to pry Yuri Gamboa away from Top Rank? That would be $1.2 million. From what I hear from Top Rank officials, that’s just about how much the company invested in Gamboa.</p> <p>• The always entertaining Gabriel Rosado (20-5) is back in action on Friday night, when he headlines the next installment of NBC Sports Network’s <em>Fight Night</em> series against Charles Whittaker (38-12-2). This is a big fight for Rosado: If he wins, he becomes the No. 1 contender for the IBF junior middleweight title held by Cornelius Bundrage.</p> <p>• While we all wait (and wait, and wait) for Pacquiao-Mayweather, it’s clear Arum is setting up the winner of next month’s junior welterweight fight between Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado as the next opponent for Pacquiao. Rios-Alvarado is expected to be a war, which should give the winner a nice bounce going into a Pacquiao fight.</p> <p>• Showtime has to be pleased with the numbers for Saul Alvarez-Josesito Lopez on Saturday. According to Neilsen ratings, Alvarez-Lopez attracted 1.04 million viewers. Still, that’s a 42 percent drop from Alvarez’s HBO-televised fight against Kermit Cintron in November 2011, which drew 1.47 million viewers.</p> <p>• Amir Khan is reportedly set to name Virgil Hunter, best known for training super middleweight champion Andre Ward, as his new coach. That’s a good call. Hunter has a brilliant boxing mind who believes hit-and-don’t-get-hit is the only philosophy a fighter should live by. For a shaky-chinned fighter like Khan, that’s the best kind of trainer.</p> <p>• Speaking of Ward, cross Mikkel Kessler off the list of potential next opponents. Ward had expressed interest in a rematch with Kessler — whom he picked apart over 11 lopsided rounds in 2009 — but Kessler elected to face 37-year old Brian Magee, who owns a minor super middleweight title. It’s just as well: Ward-Kessler would have created no buzz in the United States.</p> <p>• Last week, Arum spent a lot of time talking to reporters about junior middleweight prospect John Jackson, even going as far as to say Jackson would get a televised slot on the Pacquiao pay-per-view telecast. But on Saturday, Jackson (13-1) ran into another pretty good prospect, the Jack Loew-trained Willie Nelson (19-1-1), who beat him in a close decision. Jackson still has potential and a lot of power (12 knockouts) but needs to polish his game so he can out box fighters he can’t knock out.</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><em><strong>– Chris Mannix</strong></em></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Sep 18, 2012</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/09/18/quick-jabs-ricky-hatton-comes-back-amir-khan-finds-new-trainer-more/#comments" title="Comment on Quick jabs: Ricky Hatton comes back, Amir Khan finds new trainer, more"><span data-lf-article-id="3239" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">0</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-2424"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/05/21/marquez-delays-scheduled-fight-until-november/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Juan Manuel Marquez delays scheduled return to ring until November">Juan Manuel Marquez delays scheduled return to ring until November</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/05/21/marquez-delays-scheduled-fight-until-november/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2012/05/21/marquez-delays-scheduled-fight-until-november/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div> <div id="attachment_2425" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 233px"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/maneul.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2425 " title="maneul" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/maneul.jpg?w=223&h=300" alt="" width="223" height="300"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Juan Manuel Marquez was slated to fight in July. (Reuters)</p></div> <p>Interim junior welterweight titleholder Juan Manuel Marquez, who had been planning to return to the ring in July at Cowboys Stadium, will not fight again until November, multiple sources told SI.com, when he could be in line for a fourth fight with Manny Pacquiao.</p> <p>Marquez, 38, has been penciled into the July date since April, when he defeated Sergey Fedchenko to win the interim WBO title. The original plan was for Marquez to face former lightweight titleholder Brandon Rios, who was the co-feature on Marquez’s card and would move up to 140-pounds.</p> <p>However Rios’s issues making weight — he failed to make the 135-pound limit in each of his last two fights — concerned Marquez, who ruled him out as an opponent. Negotiations between Marquez and Zab Judah stalled recently, and Marquez decided there was not enough money in a fight with undefeated Filipino prospect Mercito Gesta.</p> <p>Instead, Marquez (54-6-1) will wait until November, when he hopes he will get one more chance against Pacquiao. Marquez lost a closely contested decision last November, his second straight narrow defeat to the Filipino star. If a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather cannot be made for the fall, Marquez, who helped generate 1.25 million pay per view buys with Pacquiao in their last fight, is expected to be at the top of his list.</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><strong><em>-Chris Mannix</em></strong></p> </div> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>May 21, 2012</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/05/21/marquez-delays-scheduled-fight-until-november/#respond" title="Comment on Juan Manuel Marquez delays scheduled return to ring until November"><span data-lf-article-id="2424" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">0</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-1818"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/03/05/gamboa-rios-in-jeopardy-after-no-show/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Gamboa-Rios in jeopardy after no-show">Gamboa-Rios in jeopardy after no-show</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/03/05/gamboa-rios-in-jeopardy-after-no-show/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2012/03/05/gamboa-rios-in-jeopardy-after-no-show/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <div id="attachment_1828" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/yuri.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1828 " title="yuri" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/yuri.jpg?w=300&h=400" alt="Yuri Gamboa" width="300" height="400"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Yuri Gamboa's trainer has 'no idea' why he missed Monday's press conference in Miami. (Martin Rose/Getty Images)</p></div> <p>The highly anticipated April fight between Brandon Rios and Yuri Gamboa is in jeopardy and frankly, no one knows why. On Monday, Gamboa was a no-show for his press conference in Miami to promote the bout, a press conference his promoter, Top Rank, says Gamboa specifically asked for.</p> <p>“I’m totally confused,” said Gamboa’s trainer, Emanuel Steward. “I called [co-promoter] Ahmet Ohner and he told me he was having problems. What I gathered from Ahmet is that he doesn’t have much control over the situation. He seemed very frustrated.”</p> <p>Steward, who just returned from training unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, said the plan was for him to begin working with Gamboa after Andy Lee’s fight on March 10th. Now, Steward reiterated, “I have no idea what is going to happen.”</p> <p>Complicating the situation is the possible involvement of Floyd Mayweather. On Monday night David Levi, Mayweather’s personal assistant, posted a picture on Twitter of Gamboa working out at Mayweather’s boxing gym. Last month Roger Mayweather reportedly told boxingscene.com that Gamboa had signed a promotional deal with Mayweather Promotions.</p> <p>Top Rank President Todd duBoef says that not only does Gamboa have an ironclad promotional contract with Top Rank, but the two sides recently agreed to an extension.</p> <p>Top Rank issued a press release Monday confirming Tuesday’s scheduled press conference in Los Angeles to promote Rios-Gamboa will go on as planned.</p> <p>Said duBoef, “We’re expecting him to be there.”</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><em><strong>– Chris Mannix</strong></em></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Mar 05, 2012</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/03/05/gamboa-rios-in-jeopardy-after-no-show/#comments" title="Comment on Gamboa-Rios in jeopardy after no-show"><span data-lf-article-id="1818" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">0</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-1321"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/12/02/brandon-rios-ready-for-murray-defense/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Brandon Rios ready for Murray defense">Brandon Rios ready for Murray defense</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/12/02/brandon-rios-ready-for-murray-defense/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2011/12/02/brandon-rios-ready-for-murray-defense/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <p>NEW YORK — WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios stopped by the <em>SI</em> offices ahead of Saturday’s title defense against England’s John Murray on the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito undercard.</p> <p>The irreverent Rios (28-0-1, 21 KOs), widely regarded as the world’s best 135-pounder not named Juan Manuel Marquez, will be looking for his 11th straight victory and 10th consecutive knockout against the 5-to-1 underdog Murray (31-1, 18 KOs).</p> <p style="text-align:center;"><embed src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312oe_/http://widgets.vodpod.com/w/video_embed/Video.15769059" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" wmode="transparent" flashvars="" width="425" height="350"/></p> <p style="text-align:left;">The Oxnard, Calif.-based Rios said he’s excited to be fighting in Madison Square Garden for the first time — a longtime dream venue — and hopes to put on a show against Murray, who is coming off the first defeat of his career against Kevin Mitchell in July.</p> <p style="text-align:left;">“If you don’t come prepared, it’s going to be an early night,” Rios said at Thursday’s undercard press conference in Times Square. “If you come prepared, you’re still going down early.”</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><strong><em>– Bryan Armen Graham</em></strong></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Dec 02, 2011</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/12/02/brandon-rios-ready-for-murray-defense/#respond" title="Comment on Brandon Rios ready for Murray defense"><span data-lf-article-id="1321" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">0</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="post-wrap"> <div class="post-top"></div> <div class="post" id="post-1115"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/11/16/hard-hitting-yuriorkis-gamboa-plots-future/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Hard-hitting Yuriorkis Gamboa plots future">Hard-hitting Yuriorkis Gamboa plots future</a></h1> <div class="category"> <a href="/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/category/boxing/">Boxing</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/11/16/hard-hitting-yuriorkis-gamboa-plots-future/#comment"><span class="js-kit-comments-count" exclude-sources="Twitter" include-sources="Comments" uniq="/2011/11/16/hard-hitting-yuriorkis-gamboa-plots-future/"></span> Comments </a> </div> <div class="entry"> <div id="cnnSCFontButtons"> <div id="cnnSCFontLabel"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize.gif"/></div> <div id="cnnSCFontMinusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('default'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_d.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_minus_l.gif" alt="Decrease font" title="Decrease font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"></div> <div id="cnnSCFontPlusBtn" onclick="setActiveStyleSheet2('LargeFont'); return false;"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_d.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnIncreaseFont"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312im_/http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.element/img/4.0/story/textsize_plus_l.gif" alt="Enlarge font" title="Enlarge font" class="cnnDecreaseFont"></div> </div> <p>LAS VEGAS — Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward has a message for anyone at 130 pounds: Watch out for Yuri Gamboa.</p> <p>“He is so gifted and coordinated, it’s phenomenal,” said Steward, who was hired to replace Ismael Salas as Gamboa’s trainer last month. “He can be electrifying. He has the makeup of a champion, and I like that.”</p> <p>Over the years, Steward has developed a reputation as a jab master, built largely on the success of heavyweight champions Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko. Though Steward says he will work on Gamboa’s jab, he doesn’t expect to make any major changes.</p> <p>“I like knockouts,” Steward said. “I got that [jab master] label because of Wladimir but as a rule I like knockouts. You need a jab, I don’t care how old you are or tall you are. I want to improve his left hook a little. I want to get him to turn it like Miguel Cotto or Julio Cesar Chavez. I’ll show him a few trick moves and then leave him alone. Anything I can dream of, he can do. Some guys you dream of them doing things and they can’t. Not him.”</p> <p>Steward says Gamboa’s next fight will be in January at 130 pounds. Steward says he would like Gamboa (21-0) to stay at 135 for a few fights before making the jump to 135.</p> <p>“I think 135 is about it,” Steward said. “He’s only 5-5. And when you fight at 135, a lot of guys come in at 150.”</p> <p>One fight that Gamboa’s promoter Top Rank has said they are interested in is a matchup with 135-pound champion Brandon Rios. However Steward says he is not interested in that fight.</p> <p>“I don’t like that fight right now,” Steward says. “Gamboa needs a few fights at 130. Besides, they are both big stars in the sport. We have such a shortage of young fighters. All of the stars are in their 30’s. We need to take time to develop young superstars and not just run them out and have them fight each other so quickly. It’s not good for the business.”</p> <p>There is a big fight for Gamboa at 130 pounds: Adrien Broner, the former U.S. amateur standout who will fight for a vacant super featherweight title on Nov. 26. Both Gamboa (16 knockouts) and Broner (17 KO’s) have tremendous power. A matchup in the spring of 2012 would be a spectacular fight.</p> <p style="text-align:right;"><em><strong>– Chris Mannix</strong></em></p> <div id="jp-post-flair" class="sharedaddy sd-like-enabled sd-sharing-enabled"></div> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="post-bottom"> <li>Published On <span>Nov 16, 2011</span></li> <li id="right"><span><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130823054312/http://mma-boxing.si.com/2011/11/16/hard-hitting-yuriorkis-gamboa-plots-future/#respond" title="Comment on Hard-hitting Yuriorkis Gamboa plots future"><span data-lf-article-id="1115" data-lf-site-id="308691" class="livefyre-commentcount">0</span></a></div></span></li> </div> </div> <div class="navigation"> <div class="alignleft"></div> <div class="alignright"></div> </div> </div> <div class="sidebar test"> <div id="ad300x250" class="rightbox"> <script language="JavaScript"> siAds.render('mma_boxing/rgt.300x250', 300, 250); </script> </div> <div class="rightbox"><div class="list"> <h2>Recent 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