Marcos Maidana training in Oxnard, Calif. (Photo: Chris Robinson – www.HustleBoss.com)
By Chris Robinson
As we officially enter the month of November, the buzz continues to build for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios pay per view showdown later this month.
In a little over three weeks from now, Pacquiao will lock horns with Rios inside of the Venetian Resort in Macau, China in a fight that promises to deliver its share of excitement.
Rios has been preparing for the contest inside of his trainer Robert Garcia’s personal facility in Oxnard, Calif. and the spirits in camp are extremely high.
On most given days during the week, former world champion Marcos Maidana will work out inside of the gym a few hours before Rios, sometimes sticking around to check out his stable mate’s work.
Maidana is getting ready for a Dec. 14 fight of his own against Adrien Broner and recently took a few minutes to share some thoughts on the Pacquiao vs. Rios clash.
“It’s going to be a great fight,” Maidana revealed. “[Brandon] is having a great camp and he has a great trainer. Manny has the experience but Brandon has the youth. They both know how to win and it’s going to be a great fight.”
When asked if Pacquiao’s speed and mobility could cause Rios some serious issues, Maidana couldn’t dismiss such talk.
“Definitely, it could cause him some problems,” the modest Argentinean slugger claimed. “His speed and his strength and his boxing ability could give him problems. But Brandon is Brandon and he’ll definitely overcome that.
“[Brandon is] a fighter and like I said, he has the youth, and that’s going to be a major factor,” Maidana added.
One question I often ask boxing insiders about the Pacquiao-Rios duel is whether or not they feel Manny has recovered from his chilling one-punch knockout at the hands of his rival Juan Manuel Marquez this past December.
And, just as many of his peers have answered, Maidana seems completely unsure whether or not Pacquiao will have lingering effects from that defeat.
“You know, possibly,” Maidana stated. “It could definitely hurt him. It was one of those knockouts that it’s very hard to recover from. It could probably be a factor, but who knows?
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Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com