Frank Stea/ATG Radio
Last night ATG Radio had the chance to sit down with undefeated former WBA lightweight Champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios as he prepares for his upcoming
10/13 fight on HBO against Mike Alvarado.
We discussed several topics with him including his preparations for the Alvarado fight, moving to 140, Garcia family beef, Adrien Broner and more. Here are some of the highlights from the interview:
On his fight with Alvarado being official: “I signed my contract and I believe he signed his contract. I don’t know about his part but I have done everything on my part. I am ready to fight now! Top Rank set the date so it’s official. I believe he signed his contract and I have signed mine.
"The fans and everyone are going to be excited because I am excited about this fight. It is the type of fight I have been looking for so it’s going to be great!”
On moving to 140: “140 going into this fight is going to be great. I am already hitting 150. It’s going to be perfect. This is the weight I needed to be at. I knew after the Attilion fight 135 was getting harder for me.
“When I fought Murray it was hard. Everybody saw it in the Abril fight. In the Attilion fight, I did good but it was a struggle to get down. Now 140 here I come. 140 is my new weight class. I am pretty sure that I am big for 140 so I will fit right in. I am going to be great. Hopefully everybody at 140 will be ready for me because I am a guy with heart, balls, and everything else.“
On if the Alvarado fight being similar to the Peterson fight: “I am going into the same fight because he is undefeated too. I need to make a statement. I need to go in there and make a statement to say to everybody that 140 is a new division and I am ready to for it. Hopefully these guys are ready for me.
"When I fought Peterson that was my opening at 135 so I made a statement that I was looking for the best at 135. I won a world title with Acosta who hadn’t lost in 19 fights. I was just beating these undefeated guys to show you I was ready for it.
"Now I am going into this fight, fighting Alvarado who is (33-0). I am making a statement to show everyone I am the best at 140 too. That is why for my 140 debut I wanted the toughest guy out there and that is what I told my manager Cameron Dunkin. Give me Mike Alvarado and let’s make it happen.
"I can’t fight Maidana right now because he is training with us and a part of our team so I told them to give me Mike Alvarado so they made the fight happen.”
If the tension between the Garcia brothers decreased after Danny and Victor Ortiz split: “No honestly I think it is the same built up tension between them. You can forget about the past but the Garcia family is very hard headed. Danny is hard headed and Robert is hard headed. It is really up to them but I don’t think so.
"Right now Robert and I are concentrating on our stuff. We are ready to move on and forward. I am not worried about the past and whatever is between them is their business. There is nothing that I can do about it. That is between brother and brother. All I can do is speak for my end, which is Robert. He is moving forward and I can’t speak on the business. I do not want to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong.”
On his close relationship with Robert Garcia: “It helps out a lot because there are trainer’s that look at their fighters like 'they are my fighters and money makers”. Robert looks at me as his fighter and friend. He has been with me since I was 18 and looks at me as just not his fighter but as his friend also.
"It is good for the gym that we work together. I know that he is just not in it to make money but to help me out. This goes to show what I can do and what I can become.”
On Adrien Broner: “Well if Adrien Broner wants it like he said 'Anybody can get it' but obviously he can get it. I don’t come after people they come after me. If he wants it he can get it. He says he wants me then come and get me but I won’t come after him.
"He says 'MexiCAN, AfriCAN, Puerto RiCAN get it,' well this Mexican says you want it then come and get it!”
To hear this exclusive in-depth interview with Brandon Rios as well as Shane Mosley, Joey Dajweko, Joel Diaz Jr, and Kenny Porter feel free to listen below:
ATG Radio is a proud affiliate of worldboxingnews.net and goes LIVE every Monday & Wednesday night from 9-11 PM EST. The show is hosted by Frank Stea @FrankStea, Michael Doss, Jake Donovan @JakeNDaBox , Kim Francesca @KimFrancesca and produced by Tim Kudgis @BigTimeTimmyATG .
We discussed several topics with him including his preparations for the Alvarado fight, moving to 140, Garcia family beef, Adrien Broner and more. Here are some of the highlights from the interview:
On his fight with Alvarado being official: “I signed my contract and I believe he signed his contract. I don’t know about his part but I have done everything on my part. I am ready to fight now! Top Rank set the date so it’s official. I believe he signed his contract and I have signed mine.
"The fans and everyone are going to be excited because I am excited about this fight. It is the type of fight I have been looking for so it’s going to be great!”
On moving to 140: “140 going into this fight is going to be great. I am already hitting 150. It’s going to be perfect. This is the weight I needed to be at. I knew after the Attilion fight 135 was getting harder for me.
“When I fought Murray it was hard. Everybody saw it in the Abril fight. In the Attilion fight, I did good but it was a struggle to get down. Now 140 here I come. 140 is my new weight class. I am pretty sure that I am big for 140 so I will fit right in. I am going to be great. Hopefully everybody at 140 will be ready for me because I am a guy with heart, balls, and everything else.“
On if the Alvarado fight being similar to the Peterson fight: “I am going into the same fight because he is undefeated too. I need to make a statement. I need to go in there and make a statement to say to everybody that 140 is a new division and I am ready to for it. Hopefully these guys are ready for me.
"When I fought Peterson that was my opening at 135 so I made a statement that I was looking for the best at 135. I won a world title with Acosta who hadn’t lost in 19 fights. I was just beating these undefeated guys to show you I was ready for it.
"Now I am going into this fight, fighting Alvarado who is (33-0). I am making a statement to show everyone I am the best at 140 too. That is why for my 140 debut I wanted the toughest guy out there and that is what I told my manager Cameron Dunkin. Give me Mike Alvarado and let’s make it happen.
"I can’t fight Maidana right now because he is training with us and a part of our team so I told them to give me Mike Alvarado so they made the fight happen.”
If the tension between the Garcia brothers decreased after Danny and Victor Ortiz split: “No honestly I think it is the same built up tension between them. You can forget about the past but the Garcia family is very hard headed. Danny is hard headed and Robert is hard headed. It is really up to them but I don’t think so.
"Right now Robert and I are concentrating on our stuff. We are ready to move on and forward. I am not worried about the past and whatever is between them is their business. There is nothing that I can do about it. That is between brother and brother. All I can do is speak for my end, which is Robert. He is moving forward and I can’t speak on the business. I do not want to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong.”
On his close relationship with Robert Garcia: “It helps out a lot because there are trainer’s that look at their fighters like 'they are my fighters and money makers”. Robert looks at me as his fighter and friend. He has been with me since I was 18 and looks at me as just not his fighter but as his friend also.
"It is good for the gym that we work together. I know that he is just not in it to make money but to help me out. This goes to show what I can do and what I can become.”
On Adrien Broner: “Well if Adrien Broner wants it like he said 'Anybody can get it' but obviously he can get it. I don’t come after people they come after me. If he wants it he can get it. He says he wants me then come and get me but I won’t come after him.
"He says 'MexiCAN, AfriCAN, Puerto RiCAN get it,' well this Mexican says you want it then come and get it!”
To hear this exclusive in-depth interview with Brandon Rios as well as Shane Mosley, Joey Dajweko, Joel Diaz Jr, and Kenny Porter feel free to listen below: