![]() He hired a nutritionist, Cecilio Flores, and has been much more diligent about his strength and conditioning in camp than he'd been in the past. He said he'd be ready no matter who he fought, and points to his dedication in making the lightweight limit as an example. Getting the opportunity to throw punches at another man and getting paid well for it is all the motivation that Rios needs. Rios laughs when he hears Dunkin express concerns about his motivation. And now he's in there with a guy who's 6 feet tall and really motivated and who can really fight." He was really in the dumps when pulled out. "He was getting ready to fight this little 5-foot-3 midget, and now it completely changes. ![]() He was calling me and thanking me for getting the fight made and was saying, 'This is the greatest thing in the world.' was ready for Gamboa, and he was so excited he was bouncing off the walls. Fights like this are ones where you can really get screwed. "I don't like the fight, and I didn't want this fight. "I haven't slept, and I'm scared to death," Dunkin said. Interest in the bout isn't the same since Abril replaced Gamboa, who refused to fight in a contract dispute, but that doesn't mean the threat is less. Rios was originally slated to face Yuriorkis Gamboa, the former featherweight champion, in what would have been a high-profile fight. on Friday because he was concerned about the match and couldn't sleep. He's tall and lanky with a good jab and surprising snap in his punches.Ĭameron Dunkin, Rios' manager, said he awakened at 4 a.m. But Abril is a talented, tough boxer who is vastly underrated by the public and even the boxing media.Ībril is hardly the no-hoper that many have portrayed him to be. Against a fighter like Marquez, a game plan and an agile mind are just as important as a great chin and physical toughness.įirst, though, Rios must get past Abril, and while Abril is no Marquez, few men are. You don't intimidate Marquez, and you don't beat him by bum rushing him. If he wins, and if Juan Manuel Marquez defeats Sergey Fedchenko in Mexico City – the other half of Saturday's main event – Top Rank likely will stage Marquez-Rios on July 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.Ī fight with Marquez would bring Rios into an entirely different realm. Abril, with a win, would earn the WBA lightweight belt.) The fight with Abril will go on, only Rios will not be in line for the WBA title. He came in at 137, was given two hours to lose two pounds in order to make the 135 weight limit, but came back at 139. Rios goes for the WBA belt Saturday night – the one he lost on the scale in December when he missed weight – when he meets Cuban Richard Abril at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in the co-main event of a split-site, pay-per-view show. Now, he's on the verge of taking the next step, and that will require adding a little subtlety to his game.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |