HBO Boxing will present “Road to Rios/Alvarado II,” an all-new special examining the upcoming junior welterweight rematch between Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado. The two ring warriors engaged in an epic battle in October of 2012 that was one of the year’s top slugfests and most talked about encounters. The highly anticipated rematch will take place on Saturday, March 30 and be televised on HBO Boxing After Dark.
[Also see: Official Rios vs. Alvarado II fight preview and prediction]
The “Road to Rios/Alvarado II” special, which will premiere on HBO on Saturday, March 16 at 12:15 a.m. ET/PT or immediately following the live presentation of World Championship Boxing, will feature a look back at their thrilling October contest as well as all new content including a portrait of both men’s journey from hardscrabble neighborhoods to the highest level of the boxing world.
On October 13, 2012, Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios (31-0-1, 23 KOs) stopped Mike Alvarado (33-1, 23 KOs) in the seventh round of the hotly contested fight. The two sluggers went toe-to-toe in a non-stop, action-packed bout. Having suffered his first professional loss on that warm night in southern California, Alvarado hopes to avenge the loss under the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Still undefeated, Rios is looking to pick up where he left off to show the boxing world that he is the man to beat at 140-pounds.
The 15-minute special will also be available on the HBO ON DEMAND® and HBO GO® platforms, and there will be many replay dates on HBO and HBO2 in the coming weeks before the fight.
I’m a bit surprised that they’re doing a special for Rios vs. Alvarado II, even though it’s just a quick look. Still, as they must figure, any chance to show some of those highlights from the first bout is a good one, and it should help drum up more interest in their rematch.
