To quote Hall of Fame baseball superstar Ernie Banks, “Let’s play two.” That’s exactly what undefeated former world champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios and top-rated contender “Mile High” Mike Alvarado will do when they face each other in a rematch of their 2012 Fight of the Year-nominated fight. Rios-Alvarado II will take place, Saturday, March 30 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The 12-round World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim junior welterweight championship rumble will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.
In their first fight, last October 13, a battle of undefeated gladiators, Rios and Alvarado fought toe-to-toe and non-stop for seven thrilling rounds that saw dramatic momentum shifts throughout the action-packed bout. Two of the judges had the fight scored even before referee Pat Russell stopped the fight at 1:57 of the seventh round, awarding the TKO victory to Rios. Media and fans alike compared Rios-Alvarado to the great matches of the past 50 years, including Ali-Frazier III, Corrales -Castillo I and Hagler-Hearns, based on action and entertainment value.
Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, tickets to Rios-Alvarado II will go on sale Tomorrow! Friday, February 1 at 3:00 p.m. ET / Noon PT. Priced at $250, $150, $100, and $50, not including applicable service charges, tickets are limited to eight (8) per person and will be available for purchase at all Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Mandalay Bay at (877) 632-7400 or Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.MandalayBay.com or www.Ticketmaster.com.
Fans who are interested in not only purchasing tickets to the fight but also booking a room at Mandalay Bay can earn a special offer, including a discounted room rate along with a $25 resort credit. This sweet deal is available, beginning Tomorrow! Friday, February 1 at Noon PT, and can be accessed by visiting https://resweb.passkey.com/go/erank13b.
Rios (31-0-1, 22 KOs), the former World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion, from Oxnard, Calif., is on the hunt for his second world title in as many weight divisions. He enters this fight having won 11 of his previous 13 fights by knockout. One of boxing’s most exciting fighters, Rios is known for his all-action fan-friendly fighting style. His trainer, former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion and 2012 Trainer of the Year Robert Garcia, calls it a “throwback” style with a warrior’s mentality that screams excitement.
Highlight knockout victories on Rios’ resume include Miguel Acosta, Anthony Peterson, Urbano Antillon, John Murray and of course Alvarado. Alvarado, the natural 140-pounder, entered that fight as the undefeated WBO No. 1 junior welterweight contender. Rios, by virtue of his TKO victory over Alvarado, is currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBO.
Alvarado (33-1, 23 KOs) of Denver, Colo., had won 10 of his last 13 bouts by stoppage en route to a career-high No. 1 world rating in the WBO when he battled Rios. Notable Alvarado knockout victims included Breidis Prescott, Ray Narh, Emmanuel Clottey and Cesar Bazan. In 2012 Alvarado fought in two Fight of the Year-nominated fights. Last April, Alvarado went toe-to-toe for 10 brutal and exciting rounds winning a unanimous decision over Mauricio Herrera (18-1, 7 KOs).
Herrera entered that fight world-rated No. 7 and riding a two-year, five-bout winning streak, highlighted by victories over Ruslan Provodnikov (17-0) and Mike Dallas, Jr. (17-1-1). That was followed by Rios in October. Despite losing to Rios by a technical knockout, his effort and talent are so respected he still remains highly rated, where he is ranked No. 3 by the WBO.
