Al Bello - Getty Images
Brandon Rios feels that Antonio Margarito, seen here with one useful eye, was "doing great" against Miguel Cotto. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
In an interview with Chris Robinson of the Examiner, lightweight star Brandon Rios says he's not interested in seeing a rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, and opines that Cotto is done, and that his stoppage win over Rios' training mate Antonio Margarito was "stupid."
Here's what Rios said about the potential Pacquiao vs Cotto rematch, and Cotto's rather lopsided and fairly uncompetitive win in December over Margarito:
"No, it doesn’t interest me. Because it kind of sucks. Cotto’s done. I think Cotto’s done. He’s looking for another payday before he can get out. Pretty much, he’s done. Manny Pacquiao’s still one of the best. He showed it."
... "You know, I thought the stoppage was stupid, because [Margarito] was doing good, I thought he was doing great. Margarito was getting him out of there. I think in the tenth round he hurt him and I think in the eleventh or twelfth I think he probably would have stopped him. That’s my thing, what I seen."
Rios is due back in the ring in the next couple of months on HBO. John Molina was a rumored opponent on March 3, but latest word is the date will be pushed back to mid-April.
0 recs | 24 comments
A couple more things:
If Cotto is done, then Margarito is dead.
He says Pacquiao “showed it,” that he’s still one of the best, and also said that he thinks Pacquiao lost to Marquez. That doesn’t mean Pacquiao can’t still be one of the best, I admit, but the two statements don’t really jibe.
Maybe Rios and Victor Ortiz have more in common than we thought.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
I’d watch Rios vs. Ortiz.
Apprentice - January 26, 2012
Who wouldn’t? If anyone wouldn’t, get out of here.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
My thoughts exactly
I think Victor is the smarter of the two but I would pick Brandon in a street fight anytime.
pakinpower - January 26, 2012
I would say they’re smarter than each other in different ways. Rios at least knows he’s a clown.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
Yeah but he’s kind of an addict about it. He knows he’s a clown, he knows what he is doing is wrong, but he can’t stop himself from doing it.
Waldo Rastel - January 26, 2012
What’s wrong about being a goof? I know he made fun of Freddie Roach once, and it was a low down damned despicable shitty thing to do, but he hasn’t really done anything like that since then that anyone has seen. I was just talking about on 24/7 when he described himself as a clown.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
I mean there is nothing wrong with being a clown, but you also need to have a sense of what is too far. You think if Rios fought a FM Sr fighter that he wouldn’t make fun of his cough?
Waldo Rastel - January 26, 2012
I’m willing to say that he almost certainly would not. He didn’t even make fun of Urbano Antillon’s lisp.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
All I know is that when it comes to true heel-dom, it’s Rios > Mayweather in my book.
El Destruyo - January 26, 2012
Haha no he didn’t but there was a video that you posted here of them at a press conference and Antillon said something and then Rios got on the mic repeating what he said in a stupid mocking voice and I completely lost my shit for like 5 mins. He’s such a 1st grader it’s great. Rios should move up and fight Ortiz for lunch money.
TheDreadedMarco - January 26, 2012 via mobile
think he did, it was in a press con when rios kept saying “i cant understand what your saying” or something of the like.
I think Rios is a nasty shit bag. Not a clown
doglookslikeafox - January 27, 2012
Victor is like, you know, like, ready at any time for anyone. Victor is not running scared. It’s like they say… Hey, it’s better to die on your feet than live on your knees. Victor, sometimes isn’t ready, but this time, he’s ready for anything. At the end of the day, hey, Brandon Rios can come get some of Victor.
RyanSexton - January 26, 2012
i dont completely disagree with brandon
i do think cotto isnt great anymore.. he got a lot of credit for beating margarito in a performance that didnt impress me. he legit ran a lot in that fight. and the punches hurt him, a lot of people said it wasnt like the first fight, but id argue thats because he was hit less from running more. he was marked up and didnt like being hit. margarito being old and slow (terribly slow) won cotto the fight, not necessarily cotto being some resurrected fighter
Eddie Gonzalez - January 26, 2012
I don’t recall Cotto ever being hurt in that fight. Honestly, as much as he moved in the rematch, I thought he moved more in their first fight. Although he still moved a lot he sat down more on his shots, and actually backed Margarito up a few times when he wanted. I think he could have done it more, but it seemed like his mentality was made up to move than stand his ground.
Kory Kitchen - January 26, 2012
+1
cylee1180 - January 26, 2012
Agreed
doglookslikeafox - January 27, 2012
yup. and i didn’t realize it was Cotto’s job to make sure Margarito could hit him. and i’ve yet to see where Margarito hurt Cotto and was coming on. It simply didn’t happen. And even if it had, I don’t think Margarito would’ve had enough to finish the job in 2 rounds. Cotto fought smart, and it wasn’t like he was flat out jogging around in circles ala Amir Khan. When he got trapped, he pivoted and created some space to reset. i get the feeling that if a freddie roach fighter were to fight that way, people would be salivating over the job he did preparing the fighter.
Sentimental - January 27, 2012
Shame on Cotto for fighting smarter
And frankly, he did a ton of back pedaling in their first fight too.
Brickhaus - January 26, 2012 via mobile
Margarito by round 10 should have worn an eye patch and a hook on his hand. Margarito had “moments” on the ropes, but they were few and far between. Cotto whooped that arse, and when he couldn’t, he held to slow the momentum (Shane Mosley style), and he fought smart.
cylee1180 - January 26, 2012
Cotto fought the perfect fight.
cylee1180 - January 26, 2012
I agree. I’m not saying he’s a resurrected fighter, but he isn’t shot either. He’s still a top tier fighter and has a legitimate chance at doing some good things still. And Cotto is enjoying now something he didn’t have when he was younger: legitimate trainers. I guess everybody has their own opinions, but I don’t really understand some of the Cotto putdowns. I remember many saying that Cotto was going to get whooped again against Margarito, saying that the “Margarito ghosts” would hunt him, that Cotto would always be taylor mayde for Margarito… and now, after he whooped him, it’s “he beat a dead guy” or “he didn’t beat him enough”… Well, I guess that’s common in any sport.
Apprentice - January 26, 2012
Wow, so that was Margarito fighting well? I hate to see what Margarito looks like when he fights like shit.
erod - January 27, 2012
is cotto the elite fighter he once was? no..is he shot? no..miguel looked great against margs and fought the fight he was supposed to. if brandon has a problem with that then fine..but dont hate that he beat your boy. i didnt see where cotto was hurt at all in the fight and cotto win or lose always has that dejected look on his face regardless if hes winning in the fight or not..cotto won virtually every round and i might see where u can give margs one round or two but in no way shape or form was cotto ever in trouble in the fight..
Vicmatic1 - January 27, 2012
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