Brandon Rios promises victory over Pacquiao in November clash

MANILA - A fight with Manny Pacquiao is the opportunity that Brandon Rios had long coveted, and one that he thought he had let slip by him.

The 27-year-old Rios of Oxnard, California had been on the shortlist of future Pacquiao opponents for some time, despite campaigning at lightweight just a year ago. It seemed as if the former WBA lightweight titleholder Rios would have to work his way back up from the bottom after he dropped a close, but unanimous decision to arch-rival Mike Alvarado this past March in a rematch of their epic war last year.

[Related: Alvarado evens up the score, beats Rios via decision]

"At first I was a little worried thinking, 'Man, I blew my chance of getting a big mega fight, now I gotta start all over and work my way up the ladder,'" Rios tells GMANews.TV of the loss to Alvarado, a decision he disputes. "A lot of things went through my mind."

Despite coming off of his first professional defeat, Rios (31-1-1, 23 knockouts) will get his big shot on November 24, when he faces the former eight-division world champion Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KOs) in a twelve-round welterweight bout at the Venetian Resort in Macau, China. Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao and Alvarado under his Top Rank banner, told Lem Satterfield of RingTV.com that Rios has verbally agreed to the bout, while Pacquiao is expected to sign his contract this week.

[Related: Comebacking Pacquiao to face US fighter Rios in Macau]

Rios, who is managed by Cameron Dunkin and trained by reigning Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia, says he has been maintaining his conditioning in the gym despite the punishing fight he engaged in less than six weeks ago, sparring with former junior welterweight titleholder Marcos Maidana, who is preparing for his June 8 clash with Josesito Lopez.

Pacquiao, 34, is looking to get back on the winning track following a disastrous 2012. The reigning Sarangani congressman dropped a controversial split-decision to Timothy Bradley in June, then suffered a sixth-round knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth meeting this past December.

Despite the knockout, which rendered Pacquiao unconscious for several minutes, Rios doesn't feel Pacquiao is slipping.

"He selected me because he's ready," said Rios. "Marquez is a great counter-puncher, they fought four times and Marquez already knew what to do to win the fight. What can you say? He fought a great counter-puncher and boxer so you can't take anything away from Pacquiao for that loss. Pacquiao's a veteran, he's been in the sport for a while. He knows what it takes to get ready for this type of fight.

"Pacquiao is obviously very talented. He's the only boxer to that ever achieved eight world titles in eight different weight classes, so I take nothing away from a legend like Pacquiao. But I'm ready to fight, I've always been ready."

Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach told Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports that they will train for the fight in Pacquiao's hometown of General Santos City. Roach says that he preferred the brawling, less-mobile Rios as an opponent over Alvarado, who had also been in the running to face Pacquiao.

"Rios is a good fighter who fights well in the pocket, but he's more hittable," Roach told Iole. "I want to see Manny with a good performance. I think he can knock this guy out, and this guy is one of the new generation of fighters coming up."

Rios turned professional in 2004, winning his first 18 bouts before being held to a draw by Manuel Perez in 2008. Rios later avenged that blemish by seventh-round TKO and has since defeated former champions and top contenders like Anthony Peterson, Miguel Acosta and the aforementioned Alvarado.

Rios competed in a non-title underneath Pacquiao's conquest of Antonio Margarito at Cowboy Stadium in 2010, stopping Omri Lowther in five rounds.

"I'm going to win the fight because it is my time," said Rios. "It's time for a new era to take over, I've been waiting for this kind of fight for the longest. I'm willing to give it all I have to. It's going to be a great fight but I'm going to come out victorious. I'm ready to win and have my hand raised at the end of the fight and go on to bigger and better things."  - AMD, GMA News



Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and contributes to GMA News. He is also a member of The Ring ratings panel and can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com. An archive of his work can be found here. Follow him on Twitter too.