HBO Boxing Preview: Rios vs Alvarado 2

Photo Credit : Chris Farina – Top Rank

Last year I wrote an impassioned plea for everyone to grab their popcorn and tune in for Brandon Rios versus Mike Alvarado on an HBO undercard. I think my call was proper as they delivered a thrilling battle that prompted FOTY talk. I’ll be honest and say that while the bout was awesome, it lacked that dramatic moment of one of the fighters rebounding from a near finish to mount a rally that is needed for all time type wars. I had no issue with the stoppage, much more of an issue with HBO’s commentary that ignored Rios’ body work, but hopefully tomorrow night we will get the full course.

I love everything about Brandon Rios. His trash talk amuses me and he is all action in the ring. My one concern is the huge weight cuts as they tend to cut short a warriors prime. His skills are highly underrated as he constantly pressures and punches while rolling with shots better than he is credited with. The key here for him is to promptly show Mike who is the boss and make him wilt with constant pressure and body work.

Alvarado showed more skills than we knew he had in the first encounter, though not as many as the HBO team of cheerleaders credited him with. He is obviously a tough guy, but battling Rios in a tough competition is not a high percentage proposition. He was throwing way over one hundred punches a round and in the rematch I think he needs to concentrate more on the movement he employed and dial down the output for a measured approach.

It’s always difficult to prognosticate rematches. This one is even more difficult, I’m seeing a lot of people thinking that Alvarado will out-box a, shockingly *eye roll* weight drained Rios, and others that see Brandon breaking him down comprehensively. I actually see the middle ground in this bout. Alvarado absolutely can’t throw that many punches, he isn’t going to hurt Rios and an output of 1,500 punches in a war is nonsensical. At the same time, I don’t see why Mike would be mentally distressed from the first fight. Whatever your take is on the stoppage, he never left his feet and many thought he was ahead so I don’t see why he isn’t entering the rematch with confidence.

I’m envisioning a mixture of the two, perhaps not quite as violent an affair, but a fantastic style contrast that sees Alvarado use his legs to try and thwart the constant aggression of Rios. I think things will be back and forth over the first eight or nine rounds with the fight in the balance until Brandon’s body work slows him down and he batters Alvarado down the stretch en route to a late TKO or well earned decision in another excellent contest.
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I absolutely love the co-feature with Terrence Crawford taking on Breidis Prescott in a perfect contrast of up and comer against dangerous gate keeper. Crawford has a tremendous amateur pedigree but this is a large step up against a guy who smashed Amir Khan and was handily ahead of Alvarado before his stamina let him down.

I’m a Crawford believer and I think his speed and movement will hold off the hard charging Prescott until his stamina wanes and Terrrence stops him late in a fantastic opener.

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