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Home » Brandon Rios talks honestly about 135 weight problems, won’t rule out 154

Brandon Rios talks honestly about 135 weight problems, won’t rule out 154

After looking gaunt and initially failing to make weight for a WBA title defence against John Murray in December 2011, Rios stubbornly stuck to his guns as he attempted to see through a massive clash with Cuban star Yuriorkis Gamboa only four months later.

Following Gamboa’s decision to pull out of the fight due to contract issues just three weeks away from the April 4 date, his compatriot Richar Abril famously gatecrashed a press conference to earn himself the opportunity to face Rios on the date.

Rios, who never backs down from a challenge – especially a public one, wanted to teach up and comer Abril a lesson, although looking back the current welterweight contender says the fight at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas should have never gone ahead.

“When I fought Richard Abril he came in with a different gameplan, you know. It was a fight I took at short notice and I wasn’t really 100% for that fight,” Rios explained to World Boxing News.

“After the Gamboa fight fell through, they put me in with this guy and he’s just an awkward guy to fight and to me that’s just what happened. I wasn’t 100% and confident to fight that night. I wasn’t myself because I wanted the Gamboa fight and was like ‘what?’ – when he pulled out.

“I really didn’t want to fight at lightweight no more (once Gamboa was out) and they made me fight that fight. As you can tell, I came in overweight and I just wasn’t myself in that fight.

“If I could have made 135 like I am making 147 now it would have been a different story. When I am properly trained and making my weight perfect I am a different animal – I’m a beast, a monster. But when I jack off and am not disciplined like I should be, it’s a different story. I don’t look my best and everybody can see that.

“All the critics then say bad things about me which is okay as I know it’s my fault and when I don’t make weight I don’t blame anybody else but me. At the end of the day, when I’m trained, disciplined and I make my weight comfortably – not struggling, you see a different guy in the ring.”

In his latest fight, Rios overcame rival Mike Alvarado for the second time in three bouts against the Denver puncher and is once again on the brink of securing a massive encounter that could lead to another shot at a recognised belt.

The 28 year-old is content right now as he is strong at the welterweight limit, although ‘Bam Bam’ didn’t rule out one further trip up the divisions if a huge opportunity should present itself at some stage in the future.

“147 is a new weight class for me and I feel very comfortable in it,” he pointed out. “It’s like my third or fourth fight at 147 and the first two times it was getting used to that weight, but now I am comfortable at that weight and I feel good at it, great – perfect.

“Would I move to 154? – You never know, man. Life is short and crazy. I could possibly get up to 154 if it’s the right purpose and need to do it and if it means a lot to me, yeah I’ll do it. Right now, 147 – I feel great at it.”