Boxing: Unbeaten Rios overweight, title hope dashed

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Undefeated US fighter Brandon Rios failed to make weight for his lightweight world championship bout on Saturday against Cuba’s Richard Abril, costing him any chance at the crown.

Rios, 29-0 with one drawn and 22 knockouts, weighed in at 137 pounds, two more than the division limit.

It was the second time in a row that Rios has failed to tip the scales at or below 135 pounds, having cost himself a crown last December by coming in overweight before a triumph.

That vacated WBA lightweight title was available to him again on Saturday but Rios assured he cannot win it by coming in overweight. The repeat weigh-in debacle likely assures Rios will move up to the junior welterweight division.

Abril, an interim WBA champion who weighed in at 135 pounds, could still claim the title with a victory over Rios. Abril, 17-2 with one draw and eight knockouts, was paid extra money by Rios’ camp to still take part in the fight.

Neither man will be the WBA’s top man in the division, Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez being the WBA lightweight super champion.

Abril was a replacement for former featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa, also from Cuba, who pulled out of the bout last month.