Less than a week before his encounter with Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, Brandon Rios bragged that he would send the eight-division world champion into retirement.
It wasn’t the first time he had made this statement. The 27-year-old Rios also made the same pronouncement as early as three months ago, some time after this fight with Pacquiao was finalized by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
But back then, nobody gave Rios’ words much credence. Except for writer Kirk Jackson of BoxingInsider.com, who said that this retirement Rios is talking about will not happen in Pacquiao’s fight this Sunday in Macau.
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Although Jackson agrees like most boxing experts that it will be difficult for a boxer to make a comeback after a devastating knockout, especially at age 34, he believes Pacquiao stands a good chance at a successful return to the ring because his first opponent en route to a comeback is Rios.
“Rios is a tough fighter and he will try to play the role of spoiler to Pacquiao, who will use this fight to redeem himself from the two losses he suffered last year in the hands of Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez “But Rios’ plan to retire Pacquiao will not happen because Rios is tailor-made for Pacquiao.
“The other factors going against Rios is, he is moving up in weight (147 lbs) for this fight (Rios said though that the extra weight has made him stronger and going up to 147 is not actually a big factor).
He is also a flat-footed and crowd-pleasing action-pack styled fighter who does not have the foot movement and counter-punching prowess that gives Pacquiao problems,” Jackson said.
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The simultaneous opening day games of the PBA in Cebu and Davao last Sunday were pictures of stark contrast, based on the live report radioed by TV5’s Paul Mata from Davao and the eyewitness assessment of a small media group from Manila who covered the Talk ’N Text-Meralco game in Cebu.
If the venue in Davao was filled to the rafters with a deliriously delighted overflow crowd of more than 7,000 in attendance, the scenario in the Queen City of the South was rather subdued.
In fact the sweating Cebu gallery was almost sedated.
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It was close to game time when the small media group from Manila led by TV5 PR head Peachy Guioguio arrived at Cebu Coliseum. With the narrow entrance swarming with scalpers, squeezing through took a little time.
TV5 personnel had to be dispatched to both Cebu and Davao for the television coverage but Guioguio said she had to be present in Cebu to oversee the outreach activity of TNT and Meralco there.
Peachy said that since the two Manny V. Pangilinan-owned teams were playing in Cebu, they decided to help in repacking the goods to be distributed to the victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda through project “Tulong Kapatid.”
“The players were just too happy to oblige, even if it meant taking a few precious hours from their scheduled practice. The players did a good job in repacking the goods and and turning over basketballs to school children.”