Boxing fans are in for a treat this weekend as we get to see
the 2012 ‘Fight Of The Year’ once again. That’s right, Brandon Rios and Mike
Alvarado will go head-to-head in an all-out war for our enjoyment once again on
March 30th at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas. Rios won the
first fight via TKO in the 7th round, but he did not have it all his
own way. Alvarado had a lot of success in the early rounds and proved that
technically he is the better boxer which makes this instant rematch a
legitimate and mouth-watering fight for the fans.
The impressive win back in October means that Rios (31-0, 23
KO’s) remains undefeated with yet another decent name on his victim list. The
26-year old slugger has wins over the likes Alvarado, Miguel Acosta, John
Murray and a controversial split decision victory over WBA lightweight world
champion Richard Abril. His ruthless pressure and aggression allowed him to
almost walk through Alvarado (33-1, 23 KO’s) from around the 5th
round onwards but he has shown in the past that he can be out-boxed, meaning
there is still hope for Alvarado in this rematch.
The 32-year old American was also undefeated going into
their first fight with only really two decent victories on his record; Breidis
Prescott & Mauricio Herrera. He announced himself as a world-class up and
coming contender with these wins, but some believe Rios was a too big step up
too soon. The former Latino light-welterweight champ has proven on many
occasions that he can box as well as brawl, but he just can’t resist the urge
to get involved in a tear-up, which was his downfall in the first fight and
most likely will be again in this one. If he can control himself and stick to
his boxing then he can definitely box his way to a 12-round points decision on
Saturday night. But this is a very tough thing to do when deep down you want to
fight and you’ve got a young warrior like Rios with his head on your chest and
a smirk on his face trying to entice you into an all-out war.
I predict that we will see the same sort of pattern in this
fight with Rios stopping Alvarado just slightly later. Alvarado will have
learned from his mistakes and come into this fight looking to box, move and
stay away in the early rounds. This may drag the fight into the later stages
but I do think Rios will get to him eventually. And when he does, expect to see
the same fireworks that we witnessed last time. Alvarado will try to take the
smart route for the first few rounds, but eventually his heart will take over
and the fans will get what we want to see. Prepare yourselves for another
toe-to-toe slugfest!
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