 |
| Photo via Google Images |
Rios vs. Alvarado II needs not to be hyped as much as the first match. The outcome from the first encounter was pure advertisement that promised nothing, other than action packed entertainment from start to end.
HBO Boxing After Dark features rematch on Saturday night, Mar. 3, 2013 the anticipated high octane action between Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios, 31-0-1 (KO 23) and Mike Alvarado, 33-1 (KO 23) at the Mandalay Bay, Resort and Casino, Las Vegas Nevada.
In the previous encounter, Alvarado was ahead on the scorecards before the referee stopped the fight. Alvarado was the fighter who mixed it up, looking for angles and was moving around the ring. While Rios was a one dimensional fighter, that walked straight away towards Alvarado.
Rios used head movement to evade incoming punches from Alvarado.
That being said, Alvarado was able to land crisp combinations from the outside--snapping Rios's head left and right with those hooks.
However, when Rios felt those combinations from Alvarado, it made him wake up to press more forward and landed his own punches from the inside--with real bad intention. And once Alvarado got hit from those counters from Rios, Alvarado was lured to fight toe-to-toe from the inside--abandoning his side to side movement and engaged Rios in close quarter battle, which doesn't work well for him.
In Round 7, Alvarado was hurt with a big right hand through the ropes, while retreating from Rios's barrage of head blowing punches. Rios then followed up with more powerful combinations to a wobbly Alvarado and just in time the referee halted the fight.
My Prediction:
I think Alvarado will obviously learn from the mistakes he made from the previous fight. Abandoning his control from the distance and angles by circling around, was never a good idea.
In this rematch, I think Alvarado will try to fight smartly looking for more angles and controlling the distance. He will try to outbox Rios early on and build points on the scorecards like the early going of the first fight. And he will cruise for a unanimous victory that will lead to a trilogy.
Don't get mistaken that the bout will be with lesser action compared from the first bout. No, it will still be the same--action packed fight because Rios said that he was training for power and I expect him to come forward, as always forcing the action against a more systematic and smarter Alvarado.
Predictions around the web:
Tims Starks - The Queensberry Rules - Rios by TKO below Round 7.
The fight Score Collector - Rios between Round 5 and 7 TKO/KO
BadleftHook Staff:
Scott Christ - "Rios by ninth round stoppage"
Tom Craze - "Rios by decision."
Kory Kitchen - "I'm taking Rios by stoppage in 10."
Dave Oakes - "Rios by a one-sided 6th round stoppage."
Boxing.com Staff:
Adam Berlin - "When the smoke clears, Brandon Rios will have his hand raised, his points victory carved out of relentless, joyful violence.”
Cheekay Brandon - "I see another controversial decision, with Rios winning on the cards but losing by two rounds between ropes.”
Teron Briggs - "I like Rios to win a close and disputed decision."
Mike Casey - "My pick is Alvarado after about four or five brutal rounds.”
Ben Hoskin - "I see it being a war of attrition with Rios getting a decision or a late stoppage on cuts."
Norman Marcus - “I haven’t seen Alvarado too many times but I think Rios has faced the better opposition. Provided Rios makes weight without any issues, I like him by a late KO.”
Robert Mladinich - "Alvarado TKO 7."
Ezra Salkin - "I like a mid-to-late round stoppage for Alvarado.”
Ted Sares - “This one is a toss-up, but I’ll go with Rios ... "
Michael Schmidt - "Rios by stoppage, on the canvas type, in eight or nine. Sorry that one of these guys has to lose!!!!”
Peter Wood - “Rios wins by decision. But his battered face looks like he lost.”
Andrew Garewal - Boxingnews 24 - "Alvarado will be more cautious and keep Rios off him for a while, but Rios will score a KO in the later rounds. Rios via KO 9th round
No comments:
Post a Comment