On December 3, Brandon Rios defends his WBA Lightweight Title against John Murray of Manchester, England. With neither fighter having many New York ties, the possible change in venue that may be impending shouldn’t affect these fighters, though Murray might have to make an even longer trip than expected. This bout is to take place underneath the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito main event.
In all candor, this is a stay-busy fight for Rios. Murray is unquestionably a talented fighter, but having suffered a knockout to Kevin Mitchell in his last bout, his worth as a title challenger is bit iffy. That doesn’t mean that this isn’t a dangerous fight for Rios, but his moments of truth are not supposed to come about in this fight. This is intended to be a showcase for one of the sport’s rising and exciting punchers.
- Date: December 3, 2011
- Site: Madison Square Garden in New York City
- Titles: WBA Lightweight Title (12 Rounds)
Vital Stats
Brandon Rios: Only 25, the 5’8” slugger is WBA champion and unbeaten at 28-0-1 (21 KOs). Turned pro at 18 in 2004 after winning the U.S. Amateur featherweight title. “Bam Bam” has a 68-inch reach and calls Oxnard, California home, where he is trained by rising Roberto Garcia.
John Murray: Holds some similarities with Rios–is only a year older at 26, also stands 5’8,” and has a comparable reach at 70 inches. He also turned pro at 18, back in 2003. Murray has a fine professional record of 31-1 (18 KOs). And like Rios, he fights from the orthodox stance.
Ring History
Brandon Rios: “Bam Bam” underwent a long buildup process, showcasing his wares around the country, before finally making an emphatic entrance into the world class. In 2010, he had 30-0 Anthony Peterson on the floor before notching a DQ win in the 7th round. Dominated tough WBA Lightweight Champion Miguel Acosta, flooring him thrice before stopping him in the 10th round to claim his first world title. Rios’ July knockout of Urbano Antillon was a pulsating encounter, before the superior firepower and durability of Rios sealed the deal in the third round.
John Murray: Had a relatively typical rise of any English domestic prospect, feasting on a long line of losing veterans, before setting his sights on fellow prospects. Was fairly dominant as British lightweight champion, before garnering European honors in a stoppage of 18-1 Gary Backlund. After 2 defenses of that crown, ran into 31-1 Kevin Mitchell and was stopped in the 8th round to send his own record to 31-1.
Questions
Brandon Rios: Does he have his mind on bigger fights? Will knowing that he is facing a fighter coming off a knockout loss make him prepare less feverishly? Or will fighting on a big stage make him try that much harder to continue building his name and reputation as a crowd pleaser?
John Murray: Troubled by the movement of Kevin Mitchell, will he find the more stationary style of Rios more to his liking? Or does his stoppage loss to Mitchell, not known as a big banger, suggest that his durability is not world-class? After absorbing a loss, will he have a “nothing to lose” attitude? Will his propensity to swell spell doom against a sharpshooting power-puncher like Rios?
Fight Analysis
This is potentially a mismatch. Murray is a gamer. He can string together nice shots and showed heart against Mitchell in soldiering through several difficult rounds. That alone is not going to amount to much against the likes of Rios. Murray is not terribly cute in the ring and Rios is always there, so expect fireworks.
The difference will be clear when the two men trade punches. Rios’ punches will be the ones doing real damage. While he figures to get hit by Murray, he has shown he can take punches at this level. Murray has not and it only gets worse here. Look for the Englishman to hang in there and hold his own in some fiery trading. After about 4 rounds, the superiority of Rios will begin to tell in spades and Murray will have no answers.
Prediction: Brandon Rios wins by 6th-round stoppage.
