Bagamat naniniwala si dating WBA lightweight champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios na kabilang si eight-division world titlist Manny Pacquiao sa pinakamahusay na kaliweteng boksingero sa buong mundo, posible aniya naman na ma-upset ito ni WBO light welterweight ruler Chris Algieri sa Nobyembre 22 sa Macau, China.
Sa panayam ni Jenna Jay ng On The Ropes Boxing Radio sa United States, inamin ni Rios na handa ang kanyang katawan na makipagsabayan kay Pacquiao sa kanilang sagupaan sa Macau noong Nobyembre 24, 2013 pero hindi handa ang kanyang kaisipan.
“I think what happened is, I just froze. I think I froze a little bit because it was my first big mega fight, and I’m fighting Manny Pacquiao. Physically I was ready and everything,” ani Rios. “Mentally, I probably wasn’t as ready as I should have been because like I said — that was my first mega fight and I’m fighting somebody like Manny Pacquiao. It did kind of get to me a little bit.”
Para kay Rios, bahagya siyang kinabahan na tamaan ng kaliwang bigwas ni Pacquiao kaya nanlamig siya sa 1st round pa lang ng sagupaan.
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“You could see it in the first round, I wasn’t doing what I usually do. I froze, I wasn’t throwing my punches,” ddin ni Rios. “It felt like every time I threw that he was gonna catch me. Not only that, but he’s a unique southpaw. He’s one of the best in the world at southpawing. I’m very happy that I lost to him. It did suck in a way but I’m glad I lost to somebody like Pacquiao.”
Nilinaw din ni Rios na hindi na masyadong malakas ang suntok ni Pacquiao pero mabilis pa rin ang Pilipino at kinatatakutan ng mga kalaban.
“He does have a little pop but honestly, I didn’t really feel it. I think what got me the most was just the name itself, just the name and the speed. That’s what really got me. His power and everything, I didn’t really feel it as much,” ani Rios. “I’ve been in there with smaller guys like Mikey Garcia, and I feel that he hits harder than Manny Pacquiao. I think Mikey Garcia is the only one that really got me good and really dazed me from a shot.”
Ngunit sa nalalapit na laban ng Pilipino na nagpalasap sa kanya ng ikalawang sunod na pagkatalo ay malaki ang paniniwala niyang tatalunin ito ng kababayang si Algieri.
“Algieri does have tremendous skills, people don’t give him credit. Yes, we know that he doesn’t hit hard, we know that he doesn’t have that power punch, that knockout punch. But he can box, that guy can box his ass off. He can move and he has defensive skills and offensive skills,” dagdag ni Rios. “I like underdogs, so I’m going for Algieri for this fight. We know it’s not gonna be a knockout but I think he’s just gonna box him, stay on the outside and use his reach.”
