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What a week it has been for Brandon Rios and especially Diego Chaves.
The uncertainty surrounding the potential Fight of the Year candidate being able to come off had to have taken its mental toll on both fighters. Rios had the easier part of the two – simply wondering who we will be fighting this weekend.
Chaves’ journey has physically and mentally been far more taxing. The Argentine brawler was stuck at home while U.S. Immigration courts have struggled to sort out hundreds of thousands of visa applications backed up in their malfunctioning system. The good news came on Wednesday when Majority Senate Leader Harry Reid aided in saving the day, with Chaves picking up his visa in time for a 15-hour journey to Las Vegas.
Now that we have a fight – how will it all play out?
The scheduled 10-round bout takes place at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, and airs live on HBO. Packaged with the bout is a 140 lb. title fight between unbeaten champ Jessie Vargas and undefeated challenger Anton Novikov.
Chaves (23-1, 19KOs) is a quality welterweight, however best known for his lone loss – a spirited effort before falling prey to the relentless pressure of unbeaten American contender Keith Thurman last summer in San Antonio. He’s since rebounded with a knockout win at home, and hopes his second trip to the United States produces a far more favorable result.
Meanwhile, Rios (31-2-1, 23KOs) comes in on the heels of a two-fight losing streak following a lightweight title reign that ended with failed trips at the scales in back-to-back fights. His last win came nearly two years ago, stopping Mike Alvarado in the 7th round of their Oct. ’12 war.
A loss to Alvarado in their rematch last March was followed with a 12-round landslide loss to comebacking Manny Pacquiao last November. Rios suffered double damage in the latter defeat, having also tested positive for a banned substance during post-fight drug testing, resulting in a six-month suspension.
Both fighters boast styles that suggest fans will continue to tune in whether they win or lose. That said, they have both reached must-win status, at least if they want to continue in their careers as something other than just TV-friendly fighters without championship aspirations.
Will Chaves come in fully rejuvenated following the craziness of fight week? Will Rios find a way to salvage his suddenly free-falling career? Perhaps most important to the fans, will the scheduled 10-round welterweight clash live up to pre-fight expectations as a can’t miss Fight of the Year contender?
Read on to see how the staff at Boxingscene.com believes tonight’s action will go down. [Click Here To Read More]
The uncertainty surrounding the potential Fight of the Year candidate being able to come off had to have taken its mental toll on both fighters. Rios had the easier part of the two – simply wondering who we will be fighting this weekend.
Chaves’ journey has physically and mentally been far more taxing. The Argentine brawler was stuck at home while U.S. Immigration courts have struggled to sort out hundreds of thousands of visa applications backed up in their malfunctioning system. The good news came on Wednesday when Majority Senate Leader Harry Reid aided in saving the day, with Chaves picking up his visa in time for a 15-hour journey to Las Vegas.
Now that we have a fight – how will it all play out?
The scheduled 10-round bout takes place at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, and airs live on HBO. Packaged with the bout is a 140 lb. title fight between unbeaten champ Jessie Vargas and undefeated challenger Anton Novikov.
Chaves (23-1, 19KOs) is a quality welterweight, however best known for his lone loss – a spirited effort before falling prey to the relentless pressure of unbeaten American contender Keith Thurman last summer in San Antonio. He’s since rebounded with a knockout win at home, and hopes his second trip to the United States produces a far more favorable result.
Meanwhile, Rios (31-2-1, 23KOs) comes in on the heels of a two-fight losing streak following a lightweight title reign that ended with failed trips at the scales in back-to-back fights. His last win came nearly two years ago, stopping Mike Alvarado in the 7th round of their Oct. ’12 war.
A loss to Alvarado in their rematch last March was followed with a 12-round landslide loss to comebacking Manny Pacquiao last November. Rios suffered double damage in the latter defeat, having also tested positive for a banned substance during post-fight drug testing, resulting in a six-month suspension.
Both fighters boast styles that suggest fans will continue to tune in whether they win or lose. That said, they have both reached must-win status, at least if they want to continue in their careers as something other than just TV-friendly fighters without championship aspirations.
Will Chaves come in fully rejuvenated following the craziness of fight week? Will Rios find a way to salvage his suddenly free-falling career? Perhaps most important to the fans, will the scheduled 10-round welterweight clash live up to pre-fight expectations as a can’t miss Fight of the Year contender?
Read on to see how the staff at Boxingscene.com believes tonight’s action will go down. [Click Here To Read More]
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