The buzz around Manny Pacquiao vs Brandon Rios is starting to pick up some steam heading into their November 23rd fight in Macau, China.
For Pacquiao and Rios Los Angeles was the last stop on their U.S. press tour and it was full of Oriental flare. The conference room itself was decorated in vivid reds and golds, with the presser beginning with a golden dragon floating through the room. It’s safe to assume that Golden Boy Promotions & Showtime boxing see a huge future in Macau.
I was in attendance and I must say that their cordial nature made for quite a snooze fest; maybe I’ve just been spoiled by Mayweather & Broner pressers. The promoters were certain that the cordiality will dissolve when these two fighter link up in the ring in November.
The presser itself was relatively short, lasting only about 15 minutes, but there were a few key things to be taken out of what was said:
1. Brandon Rios is extremely confident heading into this fight… He showed respect for Manny’s skills, and says that he won’t read to much into that last Marquez KO, but he wasn’t shy about expressing his confidence. Rios said it best when he said:
“I’m going to be 100% ready, physically and mentally ready. You know me, I always come out and fight with my heart and my balls. I give the fans what they want.”
2. Manny Pacquiao didn’t ooze confidence. Manny explained that he picked Rios for his fighting style and to give the fans “the fight they want.” What fans want is to see Manny avenge his two losses and for him to show that he still cares about being the best fighter in the world.
3. Both fighters are heading into this fight to throw punches. They both were open about their anticipation of an offensive bout and didn’t shy away from promising a fight with great action. This won’t be your father’s defensive boxing display; expect both fighters to come into the ring and let the fist fly from the opening bell.
Pacquiao needs this fight if he wants to reestablish himself in the ranks of the top fighters in the world. He would position himself to fight the winner of Bradley/Marquez next spring and with a win in that contest challenge Mayweather in what would most likely be his final fight. How’s that for a storybook ending?
Check below for the full press conference video: