LONDON (21 Jan) – Brandon Rios has labelled his trilogy showdown with nemesis Mike Alvarado a ‘do or die’ affair, admitting he may hang up his gloves if he loses.
The all-action welterweight star will meet the exciting 34-year-old Alvarado in battle for the third time this weekend, following two epic clashes in which they share a win apiece.
Ahead of the edge-of-the-seat matchup, live and exclusive on BoxNation, Rios has predicted fireworks when he steps into the ring, for what could be the last time in his thrilling career.
“I am ready for anything Mike Alvarado brings to the table. I know all his tricks. He can’t surprise me this time. For both of us it’s do or die. If I lose this fight I may just call it a day as a fighter. I’ve been at this a long time,” said Rios.
“This will be the best fight of the trilogy, as it should be. No one should be surprised if this fight ends in a knockout. It’s happened once already. I’m not looking for the knockout but you can bet I won’t be avoiding it if the opportunity presents itself.
“I am so ready for chapter three this Saturday night. This is the ending the fans have been waiting for and I promise you they will not be disappointed,” Rios said.
The duo first met in the ring in October 2012 with Rios coming through as the victor when he stopped Denver born Alvarado in round seven following a relentless toe-to-toe clash, which many experts labelled their ‘Fight of the Year’.
Five months later and they were doing it all again in similarly rousing fashion, this time at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, but it was to be a different outcome with Alvarado stealing the show in a close 12-round unanimous points win.
This time round, however, former WBA lightweight world champion Rios has revealed he has gone back to basics to ensure it is his hand which is raised at the 1stBank Center in Bloomfield, Colorado.
“Our first two fights were exciting and have become legendary. I am proud to be associated with them and with Mike Alvarado,” said Rios.
“We gave the fans and ourselves the best we had to offer and produced spectacular performances. It was so intense and so close. All I kept thinking in each fight was ‘Don’t stop. Keep moving forward.’
“For this one Robert [Garcia] and I are working on using the ring in case Alvarado tries to run. The training method I am using is going back to the basics that I used in our first fight.
“I expect Alvarado to do what he did in the second fight, which is to run and move. He thinks I’m going to follow him like I did in the second fight. We are working on everything we think he will be bringing to the table, but this time we will be 100% ready for him,” said Rios.
The tough and durable Alvarado, though, is of the belief that a leopard doesn’t change its spots and knows full well what to expect from the unrelenting Rios.
“I will not fight his fight. I am sticking to our plan. But you can bet I will shoot the works when I have him in my sights,” said Alvarado.
“I feel great. I know the kind of fight this will be. He’s going to try to cut off the ring and when he does, he’ll open himself up and when he does that I will be cracking him.
“Fighting Brandon Rios has and continues to be an honour. This is a trilogy fans will remember for a very long time. We are entertainers and our fight on Saturday will be the grand finale. I intend to start the fireworks early in the fight,” he said.
Alvarado vs Rios is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.
