Tag Archives: Top Rank boxing

Brandon Rios admits he was ‘lost’ against Manny Pacquiao; eyes comeback fight against Ruslan Provodnikov

Brandon Rios speaking in Oxnard, Calif. (Photo: Chris Robinson – www.HustleBoss.com)

By Chris Robinson

2013 may not have played out the way Brandon Rios expected, but the former lightweight titlist is still relatively upbeat as the New Year pushes forward.

Catching up with Rios inside of the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, Calif. on Wednesday afternoon before his training session with assistant Donald Leary, Rios took a moment to reflect back to his last ring appearance, a unanimous decision loss to Manny Pacquiao this past November in Macau, China.

“I lost to one of the greats,” Rios explains of his effort against the eight-division champion. “I wish I would have won but it was a great experience for myself. I’ve been in with one of the best of the world. I’m not too down about that.”

Rios admits that Pacquiao’s blend of speed and precision, coupled with his unorthodox southpaw stance, was simply too much for him to cope with.

“The first round I felt good,” Rios said. “After the second round, I lost control. His quickness and his awkwardness caught up to me and [him being] southpaw. I got lost. Once you lose your mind, you lose your fight. I got lost in the second round.”

Still just 27 years old and already having endeared himself to fans because of his pressing style and outspoken demeanor, there are still plenty of options on the table for Rios despite a two-fight losing streak.

The one fight scenario that seems to catch Rios’ eye the most is a mouth-watering showdown with WBO junior welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov.

“I want it to happen,” Rios says of facing the stout Russian. “I want that fight. Everybody wants that fight. That would be a good fight for everybody around the world. Not only that, but everybody would tune into that fight. Honestly, I’ve been telling my manager all the time that I want that fight. It would be a great fight.”

For Rios, simply dealing with a style that is far more suitable to his own is reason enough to clamor for the match.

“He comes to fight,” said Rios. “That’s what I like. We’d both be in the middle of the ring fighting it out. That’s why I want that fight. It would be toe to toe. We’d be brawling it out.”

CHECK BELOW FOR all-access Pacquiao-Bradley II press conference coverage from Los Angeles as well as other boxing updates…

,

Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com

Michael Koncz says the public wasn’t supportive of a Pacquiao-Bradley rematch upon its announcement

Boxing advisor Michael Koncz speaking in Los Angeles (Photo: Chris Robinson – www.HustleBoss.com)

By Chris Robinson

There is no denying the significance of the April 12 rematch between WBO welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley and former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.

Meeting inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the same locale as Bradley’s controversial victory over Pacquiao in June of 2012, each fighter has a lot to gain and much to lose with a pivotal second encounter.

Yet despite all of the subplots surrounding this particular matchup between two of the sport’s best, Pacquiao’s advisor Michael Koncz doesn’t think that the bout was embraced the way it could have been.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting fight,” Koncz told me at the Pacquiao-Bradley II kickoff presser in Los Angeles on Tuesday. “When it was first announced I don’t think the public was behind it and the media wasn’t behind it. But Bradley’s matured as a fighter; fighting the Russian and fighting Marquez.

“They both have something to prove,” Koncz added. “Bradley wants to show that he belongs at the top of the elite fighters. Manny wants to get his belt back and show that last fight around we made some mistakes and maybe we weren’t as aggressive as we should have been. This time it will be different.”

While there were initial reports that Bradley was asking for $10 million for the Pacquiao rematch, the Palm Springs fighter reportedly will be taking home close to $6 million instead.

Koncz applauds Bradley’s willingness to budge from his early demand.

“I don’t get into our negotiations,” said Koncz. “Those are private. But it’s always about money. That’s what they are in the ring for. But I got to give Bradley credit. He was willing to accept less than was in his contract from before, so I give him credit for that.”

There was much uncertainty surrounding Pacquiao following his knockout loss at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez in December of 2012. The Filipino icon’s comeback victory over Brandon Rios this past November in Macau, China offered up a showcase of his still-evident hunger and variety of skills over the course of twelve rounds.

And with the win, so too did Koncz get a sense that Pacquiao is truly returning to form.

“He’s on his way back,” said Koncz. “What I liked about the Brandon Rios fight was the activity of Manny with the combinations and volume of punches and his lateral movement. Can we improve on a couple of things? I think so and we’ll do it in the Bradley fight.”

CHECK BELOW FOR all-access Pacquiao-Bradley II press conference coverage from Los Angeles as well as other boxing updates…

,

Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com

Tim Bradley says everybody will be on his bandwagon if he can find a way to knock out Manny Pacquiao

Tim Bradley speaking in Los Angeles (Photo: Chris Robinson – www.HustleBoss.com)

By Chris Robinson

Tim Bradley is the type of person who leaves little to the imagination.

So upfront and confident is Bradley about his abilities as a prizefighter that it’s easy to gravitate towards him and get a little caught up in the rhetoric.

Heading into his April 12 rematch with Manny Pacquiao, Bradley knows all too well how crucial a convincing victory is in the wake of his controversial split-decision win in their first encounter 20 months ago.

“For me, my label is ‘Redemption’,” Bradley explained while speaking to various media members at the Pacquiao-Bradley II kickoff press conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon.

“That word right there sticks with me because I beat this guy already but nobody believed that I did,” Bradley continued. “I didn’t get any credit for it but now I need to get that credit. This fight has to happen so I can sleep at night. I need this fight just as well as he needs this fight.”

Asked what he must do in order to leave no doubt the second time around, Bradley got bold and pondered the possibility of scoring a stoppage victory over Pacquiao.

“Man, if I could knock him out somehow, that would be the exclamation point right there and my stock would go through the roof,” Bradley explained. “Everybody would be on the Tim Bradley bandwagon. If I win a close decision, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’ll be happy with it but I don’t know that everybody else would be happy.”

CHECK BELOW FOR all-access Pacquiao-Bradley II press conference coverage from Los Angeles as well as other boxing updates…

,

Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com

Ray Beltran feels Manny Pacquiao will set the record straight against Timothy Bradley

HustleBoss.com’s Chris Robinson speaks with lightweight contender Ray Beltran, as he gives his thoughts on the April 12 rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley as well as his undercard showdown against Puerto Rico’s Roman ‘Rocky’ Martinez.

Click the thumbnail for more…
Continue reading →

Ray Beltran feels Manny Pacquiao will set the record straight against Timothy Bradley

HustleBoss.com’s Chris Robinson speaks with lightweight contender Ray Beltran, as he gives his thoughts on the April 12 rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley as well as his undercard showdown against Puerto Rico’s Roman ‘Rocky’ Martinez
Continue reading →

Manny Pacquiao says that Tim Bradley proved his worth with victories over Marquez and Provodnikov

HustleBoss.com was on hand inside of the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif. as eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao took the dais and gave his respect to his April 12 opponent Tim Bradley ahead of their big rematch on HBO pay per view.

Click the thumbnail for more…
Continue reading →

Freddie Roach says that Tim Bradley is one of the toughest fighters in the sport of boxing

HustleBoss.com was on hand inside of the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles as trainers Freddie Roach and Joel Diaz took the dais and spoke ahead of the April 12 Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley rematch.

Click the thumbnail for more…
Continue reading →

Freddie Roach says that Tim Bradley is one of the toughest fighters in the sport of boxing

HustleBoss.com was on hand inside of the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles as trainers Freddie Roach and Joel Diaz took the dais and spoke ahead of the April 12 Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley rematch
Continue reading →

A look at the Pacquiao-Bradley II press conference in Los Angeles [The calm before the storm]

HustleBoss.com goes behind the scenes in Los Angeles moments prior to the final Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley II press conference. Pacquiao faces Bradley on April 12 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada in an HBO pay per view attraction.

Click the thumbnail for more…
Continue reading →

A look at the Pacquiao-Bradley II press conference in Los Angeles [The calm before the storm]

HustleBoss.com goes behind the scenes in Los Angeles moments prior to the final Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley II press conference. Pacquiao faces Bradley on April 12 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada in an HBO pay per view attraction.
Continue reading →

Tim Bradley says he needed the fight with Ruslan Provodnikov to regain respect from the fans

Various media outlets speak with WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley (31-0, 12, KO’s) in Los Angeles ahead of his April 12 rematch with Manny Pacquiao. In this clip, check out Bradley’s thoughts on why his big victory over Ruslan Provodnikov in March was so crucial to his career.

Click the thumbnail for more…
Continue reading →

Tim Bradley says he needed the fight with Ruslan Provodnikov to regain respect from the fans

Various media outlets speak with WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley (31-0, 12, KO’s) in Los Angeles ahead of his April 12 rematch with Manny Pacquiao. In this clip, check out Bradley’s thoughts on why his big victory over Ruslan Provodnikov in March was so crucial to his career.
Continue reading →

Joel Diaz says Manny Pacquiao has lost his killer instinct

Chris Robinson speaks with trainer Joel Diaz, as he breaks down key aspects of his fighter Tim Bradley’s upcoming April 12 rematch against Manny Pacquiao, set for April 12 in Las Vegas.

Click the thumbnail for more…
Continue reading →

Trainer Joel Diaz unimpressed with Manny Pacquiao’s victory over Rios; claims his killer instinct is gone

Trainer Joel Diaz speaking in Los Angeles (Photo: Chris Robinson – www.HustleBoss.com)

By Chris Robinson

When it comes to the abilities of his fighter, WBO welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley, trainer Joel Diaz is as brazen as a supporter as you will.

A former title challenger himself back in his fighting days, Diaz talks with a sharp tongue and is often unforgiving in his assessments of opponents of his fighters.

That being said, it was no surprise to find out that Diaz is exuding confidence heading into Bradley’s big rematch against Pacquiao, set for April 12 inside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Speaking with me for a few moments before the Pacquiao-Bradley II kickoff press conference inside of the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, Diaz is eager to show that Bradley’s controversial split-decision victory over Pacquiao in their June 2012 encounter can be improved upon.

“We’re going to finish what we stated,” stated Diaz. “We’ve got unfinished business. Now we are here to give the people what they want to see.”

Bradley endeared himself to hardcore fans this past March with a gutsy, give and take battle over Ruslan Provodnikov and followed it up seven months later with a tactical and determined effort in edging Juan Manuel Marquez over twelve rounds.

“You guys seen it all,” Diaz stated. “You see Tim Bradley it out with Provodnikov and you guys saw Tim Bradley beat Juan Manuel Marquez. That said, Tim Bradley has built a lot of confidence and he has improved in his craft and he has matured.”

Pacquiao was last seen in the ring in November in Macau, China as he won a comfortable unanimous decision over Brandon Rios.

Coming off of a knockout loss to Marquez one fight prior, Pacquiao seemed to show that his body and mind were well up to the task as he was simply too fluid and fast for the come forward style of Rios.

Still, Diaz is far from convinced.

“I saw him against Brandon Rios,” Diaz affirmed. “And just watching the fight with Manny and him, I’m not going to lie, in the later rounds the fight became boring a little bit. He doesn’t have the spark. He doesn’t have the killer instinct that he used to have a few years ago.

“He’s getting older,” Diaz added. “A lot of fights. A lot of wear and tear. Plus, coming from a loss, the one he had, it’s big.”

CHECK BELOW FOR all-access Pacquiao-Bradley II press conference coverage from Los Angeles as well as other boxing updates…

,

Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com

All-access Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley II Los Angeles press conference coverage

HustleBoss.com was on hand inside of the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles as WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley and eight-division titlist Manny Pacquiao held their kickoff press conference ahead of their April 12 rematch. Check out the thumbnails for a closer look at stay tuned for more updates.

*** For even more updates please visit our YouTube Page

Continue reading →

Bob Arum doesn’t think Mikey Garcia is ready for Manny Pacquiao just yet; reveals why a Gamboa fight makes more sense

Mikey Garcia in the ring on Jan. 25 handling business vs. Juan Carlos Burgos (Photo: Chris Farina – Top Rank)

By Chris Robinson

As his company moves forward, Bob Arum continues to recognize the role that WBO junior lightweight champion Mikey Garcia will play for Top Rank in the coming years.

Sporting a 34-0 record with 28 knockouts and coming off of another dominant victory, this one over former title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos on HBO on Jan. 25, the 26-year old Garcia’s stock continues to rise.

Reflecting back on the Burgos win, a match that saw Garcia overcome a rocky second round before regrouping and cruising towards a unanimous decision, Arum admits that there are still lessons being learned.

“It’s very tough to fight a very good opponent when he doesn’t want to engage and for the first three rounds I found it to be a very exciting fight,” Arum stated. “Garcia got stung in the second round and then he came back and really hurt Burgos in the third round. Burgos was safety-first for the rest of the nine rounds.

“I think that Mikey has to understand that if he’s going to be a superstar, that when his opponent goes into that defensive mood, that he can’t take the bait and just win the rounds,” Arum added. “He’s got to go out and search and destroy.”

Arum has been playing with the idea of Garcia moving up in weight and facing eight-division titlist Manny Pacquiao in the coming years in a big pay per view match. It’s an attractive encounter for the future but Arum realizes that he can’t rush such a scenario and instead looks at Cuba’s Yuriorkis Gamboa as a far more ideal opponent for now.

“Certainly not off his performance against Burgos,” Arum explained. “But we’re optimistic that as he steps up and fights guys like Gamboa and is successful, that Garcia is a possibility.

Arum affirmed that Top Rank president Todd duBoef is in talks with HBO to stage Garcia vs. Gamboa on May 17 inside of the Forum in Los Angeles and revealed why Yuriorkis is still dangerous.

“A fighter like Gamboa is a threat to everyone, because he is an extraordinarily talented,” Arum continued. “But that’s what boxing is about. Where Gamboa’s head is, even if I was with him, I couldn’t tell you.”

FOR MORE BOXING updates please check out recent exclusives from HustleBoss.com below…

,

Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com

Bob Arum eyes Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a Las Vegas pay per view in July against Ward, Golovkin, or Froch

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the ring against Brian Vera this past September (Photo: Naoki Fukuda)

By Chris Robinson

There is a lot on the line for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. heading into his Mar. 1 rematch against Brian Vera.

Chavez won a controversial unanimous decision over Vera in September and he is eager to show the world that his subpar performance in the first meeting was just a fluke.

Speaking with Chavez’s co-promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, on Friday afternoon, we gathered a few updates.

“He’s been training in Culiacan,” Arum said of Chavez. “His father says he looks great. We flew him into L.A. [Thursday] to do some shooting with HBO. He appears to be in good shape and he wants to put in an outstanding performance.”

Arum revealed that Chavez, if successful against Vera, will headline a big pay per view show come July in Las Vegas.

There are three opponents that Arum has in mind in super middleweight kingpin Andre Ward, WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, and Notthingham’s Carl Froch.

Anyone of those fights would be appealing but Chavez has to finish his business with Vera first.

FOR MORE BOXING updates please check out recent exclusives from HustleBoss.com below…

,

Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com

Bob Arum affirms that Juan Manuel Marquez has interest in facing the Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley rematch winner

Mexico City’s Juan Manuel Marquez (Photo: Chris Robinson – www.HustleBoss.com)

By Chris Robinson

As noted in our previous post, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum is pleased with all aspects of the April 12 rematch between WBO welterweight titlist Tim Bradley and eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao.

What I also personally find interesting about the fight is just how much attention Juan Manuel Marquez will be giving to the match.

According to Arum, the Mexico City legend has expressed interest in facing the Pacquiao-Bradley II winner in an effort to land himself a belt in a fifth weight class.

“There seems no reason for him to fight [Ruslan] Provodnikov,” Arum said, referencing the Russian star who had called out Marquez.

“Marquez really wants only one thing before he retires,” Arum continued. “He wants to win that title. And he has indicated to us that he would be very available to fight the winner of Pacquiao and Bradley in the fall.”

Marquez lost a split-decision to Bradley this past October and ten months prior he scored his lone victory over Pacquiao with a devastating sixth round knockout in their fourth encounter.

Marquez had vehemently opposed a fifth meeting with Pacquiao in the past but now seems to have a different mindset.

“That is correct, so he’s obviously changed his tune,” Arum stated. “He doesn’t want to face Pacquiao again if Pacquiao is not successful with Bradley. But if Pacquiao is successful with Bradley, he has stated that he wants to face Pacquiao.”

FOR MORE BOXING updates please check out recent exclusives from HustleBoss.com below…

,

Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com

Bob Arum says that questions still remain for Manny Pacquiao

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum speaking in Las Vegas, Nevada (Photo: Chris Robinson – Hustle Boss)

By Chris Robinson

On Friday afternoon, I caught up with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum to discuss the April 12 Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley rematch as well as the latest news on some of his stable’s biggest stars such as Mikey Garcia, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Pacquiao and Bradley will meet inside of the MGM Grand in a much-needed rematch for both men. Bradley won a split-decision over Pacquiao in June of 2012 that many felt he didn’t deserve and there is some definite unfinished business to settle.

Read below for a few sound bites from Arum.

An important fight…
“I think it’s a very important fight for both of them. Bradley got the decision over Manny and Manny wants revenge [and to] get his title back. That’s important for him. As far as Tim is concerned, he never got credit for winning the fight and now he wants a decisive win to prove that he’s the better fighter. I think this will be a very spirited, very good match and I’m proud of both of these guys for making this fight.”

Tim Bradley signing an extension with Top Rank ahead of the rematch…
“Tim is a terrific guy. It’s a real pleasure to promote him and Tim realizes the value of being associated with HBO and being part of the HBO family. That was very important for Tim and that was, I think, the major reason why he re-upped with Top Rank; because of the connection with HBO. And I’m very pleased that he did.”

Bradley regrouping in 2013…
“Going into the first fight, people didn’t give Bradley much of a chance. There were pretty big odds in favor of Pacquiao. Bradley was relatively unknown and he wasn’t the household name that’s he’s become. After the Pacquiao fight, he distinguished himself with two unbelievable fights. One, the fight with Provodnikov, the Fight of the Year last year, where he showed tremendous courage and grit. And then there was the fight with Marquez, where he fought a very, very good fight to win a decision. Bradley has a lot more credentials going into the second fight than he did when he went into the first fight.”

Questions still remaining for Manny…
“As far as Manny is concerned, he looked like a dominant force going into the Bradley fight. Then he had the knockout loss to Marquez. And that certainly was something to take into account; how would he react to getting knocked out so decisively? I think he answered that part in the Rios fight but questions still remain with Manny and we’ll see when Bradley tests him.”

Check the thumbnails below for more exclusives from the boxing world…

.

Chris Robinson can be reached at Trimond@aol.com

Bob Arum says that questions still remain for Manny Pacquiao heading into the Bradley rematch

HustleBoss.com’s Chris Robinson speaks with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum about the recently-announced April 12 matchup between Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley.

Click the thumbnail for more… Continue reading →