Timothy Bradley Jr. vs. Brandon Rios: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info
WBO welterweight champion Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley Jr. (32-1-1, 12 KO) is a fighter's fighter.
He's chiseled out of granite, skilled, tough and flawed. The combination makes him one of the most compelling fighters to watch in the sport of boxing. Fans will get their latest opportunity to watch Desert Storm in action when he defends his title against the equally intriguing Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios (33-2-1, 24 KO) Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Rios doesn't have the champion's physique or his boxing acumen. But Bam Bam is just as tough, and he packs the punch that is absent from Bradley's game. This could be the formula for a memorable fight.
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When: Saturday, Nov. 7, at 9:30 p.m. ET
Where: Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas
TV: HBO
Live Stream: BoxNation
Last Time Out
Bradley Survives Vargas
June 15, 2015, in Carson, California
For 11 rounds, Bradley gave Jessie Vargas a boxing lesson; however, in typical Bradley fashion, he got a little too comfortable, fell off his game plan and started trying to trade shots on the inside.
Late in the 12th round, Vargas caught Bradley with a mammoth right hand that would have floored most men. As we've seen in previous Bradley fights, he isn't most men. Bradley wobbled backward into the ropes—somehow maintaining his balance—and tried to survive Vargas' last-ditch effort to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.
There were only about 12 seconds remaining in the fight when Vargas began to close in for what he hoped would be the finish. The 10-second-warning sound went off, and referee Pat Russell inexplicably mistook it for the final bell.
He jumped in to call an end to the bout, thinking that time had elapsed in the final round. Vargas and Bradley thought he was stopping the fight and awarding the former a TKO victory. When the dust settled, the fight was ruled to have gone the distance, and Bradley's work through 11-plus rounds was more than enough to secure the win and to take Vargas' interim WBO Welterweight Championship.
In the past, we've witnessed Bradley's indomitable spirit, but we've also come to expect some measure of controversy with many of his fights. His unwillingness to stick to his boxing is usually at the root of the problem.
Throughout his career, Bradley has been guided by trainer Joel Diaz, but prior to the fight with Rios, the 32-year-old from Cathedral City, California, made a surprising switch. After more than a decade with Diaz in his corner, Bradley fired his trainer and hired Teddy Atlas.
Per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, Bradley said the switch was not because of anything Diaz had done wrong.
"Good things come to an end. It's not a bad thing," Bradley said. "I'm looking for change. A lot of guys change trainers. It's nothing bad about Joel. Sometimes you just need a change."
InstantBoxing.com has this classic black-and-white photo of Bradley, per Lina Baker, with the champion's basic but poignant objective:
For once, Bradley isn't going into a fight talking about getting a stoppage. Perhaps that's an indication he has finally accepted that he's not a big-time slugger. Maybe he's willing to embrace the fact that he's one of the best pure boxers in the sport.
Rios Punishes Listless Alvarado
Jan. 24, 2015, in Broomfield, Colorado
The third battle between Rios and rival "Mile High" Mike Alvarado was supposed to be a good fight. It wasn't. Rios had won the first fight back in 2012. It was an epic battle that many considered the Fight of the Year.
Rios and Alvarado would rematch in March 2013. The latter put on the performance of his career, mixing in boxing with slugging en route to a unanimous-decision win. He would not bring the same effort or spirit into the third fight.
From the opening bell, the more prepared and rejuvenated Rios pounded Alvarado until the latter quit on his stool between the third and fourth rounds. It was an anticlimactic end to what could have been a legendary trilogy of fights.
What was lost in Alvarado's poor showing was Rios' rededication to the sport. In previous fights, he had struggled with weight and perhaps not taken his overall conditioning as seriously as he needed to. Against Alvarado in January and against Diego Chaves in August 2014, Rios looked as good as he ever has in the ring.
He was svelte. His punches were more accurate, and his stamina was also improved. He'll need to be at his best to take down Bradley.
What's at Stake
Per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, Rios talked about the possibility of losing this all-important clash with Bradley:
"If I lose, this could be it for my career. I'm not going to fight for $30,000, or fight on TruTV, Telefutura, Fox, whatever … they won't pay me what I want. … All I've ever done is boxing, so it's a scary thing to think about. My wife and I talked about this two months ago. She asked what would happen if I lose. I was thinking, thinking, thinking … honestly, I don't even know what I'd do. I'm scared. I can't think about it.
"
A win for Rios would get him his third world title, and that would secure another big-money fight in 2016. When you've reached the level that Rios has in the sport, it's difficult to ponder starting over or not being considered a major cable-network draw.
To escape the ranks of the mediocre pugilist, Rios must at least put on a strong performance against Bradley.
Desert Storm is also firmly in the running for a major fight in 2016. As the reigning champion, he clearly has the inside track. He's also generally a bit more highly thought of over Rios.
Losing to Rios would be a major drawback in his career. Beyond losing the title and a shot at a bigger payday in 2016, Bradley would have to answer legitimate questions about the erosion of his skills after multiple in-ring wars.
Prediction
Bradley has me convinced he'll use his speed, quickness and boxing ability to execute a game plan. Quite honestly, if he does that, he can make this fight look rather easy. A motivated Rios will keep coming for the entire 12 rounds, but the speed and skill advantages are drastically in Bradley's favor.
Barring another macho approach from Bradley, he wins this fight by unanimous decision.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.
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