Brandon Rios Must Fight Mike Alvarado to Redeem Himself After Loss

Brandon Rios appeared in the biggest bout of his career on Saturday night, but he was not good enough to hang with Manny Pacquiao. As a result, his only option going forward is to set up a third fight against Mike Alvarado.

While there is usually no shame in falling to an elite competitor like Pacquiao, Rios barely put up a fight in this matchup. As Bleacher Report notes, the judges believed this was a dominant victory based on the scores.

Of course, the dominance went beyond just the scorecard. SportsCenter and Ian Darke of BT Sport provided more analysis of the bout:

Considering this was the first chance for many boxing fans to see Rios in action, it is unlikely any of them came away impressed. This means that you will not see him against many more big-name opponents any time soon.

However, one person he will have a chance to compete against is Mike Alvarado.

Rios and Alvarado have battled twice in the past with each competitor coming away with a victory. Rios earned a seventh-round knockout in the first bout, while Alvarado came through with a close, unanimous victory in the rematch.

More importantly, each battle ranked among the best fights in the year thanks to the non-stop action of two aggressive punchers.

Despite the poor effort by Rios against Pacquiao, there is no question that fans would love to watch a third bout between these two fighters. If Bam Bam is able to come through with a victory in that one, he would once again be among the top contenders in his weight class.

With top options unavailable, the only other possibilities for Rios' next fight would be a low-level opponent for him to easily defeat. While his pure skill would allow him to come back with a victory, this would not be enough to impress the boxing community.

A bout against a no-name opponent would be a step toward obscurity whether he wins or loses.

Instead, Rios must give the fans what they want to see. A third battle against Alvarado would keep him in the public eye and provide a chance to show that he is better than what was on display against Pacquiao. 

A victory would be more than enough to give him that chance for redemption. 

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