BOB
ARUM: It’s really nice to do a boxing show where all you hear are accolades. Most of
the time there are one or two guys complaining but this show is just tremendous.
The media can’t wait to see Alvarado against Rios. Even before the first punch
has been thrown, people are touting it as the ‘fight of the year.’ I think it
could end up as the fight of the year. Mike Alvarado is a tremendous fighter who
always brings it to the ring. He’s thrilled fans and now he gets this
opportunity on HBO Boxing After Dark stage against Brandon Rios. [Saturday,
October 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT]
HENRY
DELGADO: I
expect an action-filled fight. They have the same styles. Neither one of them
will be taking a step back. It’s going to be non-stop.
MIKE
ALVARADO: Camp is going well and I expect a good boxing performance. It’s going to be a
very entertaining fight for the people. I am going to get in there and do what I
do and that’s fight 'til the finish. I know it’s going to be a great, thrilling,
non-stop, action fight. And I can’t wait.
You
have moved camp out of Denver, which is a little unusual…
MIKE
ALVARADO: Just to get my mind clear of everything. I wanted no distractions at all. I
wanted to get my training down to a ‘T’. This is the biggest fight of my career
coming up.
Are
you happy you weren’t in Denver for the debate?
MIKE
ALVARADO: Yes, I am happy I was away from all the hoopla of the debate. I heard all about
it from my friends. It was crazy.
Can
you tell us what the trek has been like for you to get to this
point?
MIKE
ALVARADO: It’s been a long, rocky road but I am happy where I am right now and excited for
this fight. I am ready for this fight. I am blessed that Top Rank and HBO and my
team are all here to help me push through it. I am ready to reach that next
level now. I have been training so hard for this fight. I have been away from my
family to make this fight a great performance. I can’t wait for October
13.
How
does it make you feel when people say how excited they are to see this fight?
MIKE
ALVARADO: I don’t really hear or pay attention to what the other people say. I just try to
stick to my game plan. It will make me train harder because people are expected
to see a high level fight. I am looking forward to it and I know I need t put on
a good performance. I am going to do the best I can to win this fight, to put on
a great show and be victorious on that night.
Do
you feel you are a slugger and that your boxing is underrated?
MIKE
ALVARADO: My boxing is definitely underrated. I am not just a slugger, I can also box 'til
the end. I have learned a lot about myself in that ring. The fight (against
Prescott) never took a toll on me. It was a good war with Prescott and has only
made me that much stronger. I have the skills and I am ready to do
this.
Will
Rios history of trouble making weight affect your preparation?
MIKE
ALVARADO: I am thinking in my mind that Brandon is training the best that he can. He
hasn’t made weight in his past couple fights but now he is moving up in weight
and fighting somebody bigger and stronger. I am sure his nutrition is good and
he is having a great camp. That makes me more humble and more focused to be
ready.
You
are 32 now, do you feel an urgency?
MIKE
ALVARADO: I don’t care about my age. I know I am at the level now. Right now, this is
where I am meant to be. I feel young in the game and am ready to
perform.
Do
you feel rusty since you have fought only twice this year compared to 5 times
the year before?
MIKE
ALVARADO: No. I don’t feel rusty at all. After my last fight we didn’t want to do anything
to risk this next fight. We were looking for something big after the last fight
and we are blessed that we got this fight. It is only my second fight of the
year but it is worth it. I will not be rusty – I will be ready for it. Maybe it
would have been nice to have another fight between then and now but it is what
it is. I will just do what I do, put everything in to it and
win.
How
do you mentally get through it when it is such a tough fight?
MIKE
ALVARADO: I have always been good in pressure situations. I love to win and put on a good
show. It’s something I’ve always been good at.
Do
you do anything different to prepare for this fight, which may be your toughest
fight yet?
MIKE
ALVARADO: I know that this is going to be a tough fight and I know I am prepared for it
and confident. I look forward to a good fight. I maintain my focus on my
training. I stay strong.
HENRY
DELGADO: I think Mike makes the fights tougher than they are. He is a gladiator. He is a
warrior. And he has a lot of skills that we haven’t even seen yet. For this
fight, we have a different kind of game plan going. We are going to try and
stick to our game plan but like I said, the warrior always comes out. He’s going
to be in position to dominate the whole fight. We have some surprises
coming.
What
makes you believe that Brandon is tailor-made for you?
MIKE
ALVARADO: My boxing skills are underrated. I am going to keep him at bay. He is going to
be right there in front of me so I can do anything I want with him. I can fight
his fight. I can bang with him. I can do whatever I want with him. It will be my
fight. I will control the pace.
Do
you think you’ll be able to push him around?
MIKE
ALVARADO: I don’t plan to. I’ll try my best to do it but I don’t know. I can see myself
throwing him around being the stronger fighter, but then again I may not want to
waste my time – I may just want to keep him outside. We’ll see. We have a lot of
options.
You
were an undefeated two-time high school wrestling State Champion. How has your background as a wrestler
helped you in boxing – i.e. making weight and training?
MIKE
ALVARADO: It has helped me as far as my discipline, which I learned at a young age. As far
as making weight, I have been on a scale since I was 5 years old to make weight.
So the discipline in that area has always been there. Learned the ins-and-outs
of it so it has always been there.
MIKE
ALVARADO: Wrestling taught me how to push
myself when the going got tough. I learned how to mentally and physically
control all areas.
You
traded the high altitude training of Denver for training in California. Do you
miss it?
MIKE
ALVARADO: Traditionally I would go home to the elevation before going back to the fight.
Your blood cells get smaller when you go to the higher elevation. I never tested
it. I always came from training in high elevation down to lower at the fight. I
am fighting in it and training in it. My endurance is good right now. In my
heart I know this fight is going to go toe-to-toe. I think it has its
advantages, training at a high elevation, but at the end of the day, you still
have to get in there and fight.
Have
you ever sparred with Rios?
MIKE ALVARADO: No, I never sparred with
him. I met him through a couple of professional events. My trainer knows who he
was from the amateurs.
HENRY
DELGADO: Don’t
miss this fight. It is going to be ‘Must See TV.’ Mike is going to bring the
arsenal and Rios better be ready.
MIKE
ALVARADO: I am ready for this fight and make sure everybody tunes in. I’m not going to put
on a bad performance. Never have. It’s going to be an explosive, entertaining
fight.
CAMERON
DUNKIN: This is a fight that Brandon really asked for and it was a fight that I was real
hesitant to take, of course. I wanted to get him a couple of other fights and I
talked to trainer Robert Garcia about that. When it presented itself, Brandon
was so excited and I didn’t want to disappoint him so we went to work on this
fight and boy, everyone is very excited about it.
ROBERT
GARCIA: As everyone knows Brandon was a big lightweight and hasn’t fought at lightweight
in about a year. The last two fights he couldn’t make weight – he was fighting
at about 140. People don’t realize that Brandon was so big and so strong that he
will be comfortable at 140.
BRANDON
RIOS: Training camp has been excellent. I am 100% holed up. I am confident. I am
focused. This is one of the best training camps since I fought Peterson. I am
ready to show the world and everybody what I can do at 140 now. 135 was good for
me but now I am ready for 140.
How
tough of a fight do you expect this to be?
BRANDON
RIOS: This is going to be a tough fight. Alvarado is a tough jr. welterweight. Our
styles are similar. He likes to come forward and I like to come forward. I don’t
like to play a chess game. I like to go in and handle business and he likes to
do that too. It’s going to be one helluva fight. The fans are going to love it
and I’m going to come out victorious in this one.
What
do you think about people mentioning this could be “Fight of the
Year”?
BRANDON
RIOS: I don’t really focus on that stuff. If it happens, it happens. We can’t talk
about that right now because we haven’t fought yet. It’s pretty cool that people
are saying that. That it could hit the "Gatti list" – that would be
awesome.
Do
you think it will be a tough fight?
BRANDON
RIOS: Yes I do, because if he fights the way he has been fighting it is going to be
one helluva fight. It is going to be one of those fights that is like a
Gatti-Ward. I am going to go out and fight like I always do. If he changes, it
won’t be like that. But if he comes to fight it going to be a great
fight.
Will
you try to tame Brandon or let him fight a war?
ROBERT
GARCIA: We all know how Brandon fights. I’ll have to remind him of the little things -- like keep your hands up, keep your
chin down. That’s my job during the minute break and during the fight. During
the fight, Brandon is focused on my voice only and he follows instructions. The
word is Brandon has won with no defense, but his last five or six fights he has
won and not been tired at all – so we have to get in there and throw a lot of
punches and get on the inside and work – that’s his defense. People think he has
no defense but I disagree. In his last five fights he fought great fighters and
his best defense was his offense.
Do
you feel your power will transfer to 140?
BRANDON
RIOS: I was 140 making 135 comfortably. I always had the power. I could have fought at
140 and had the power. Now I will be fighting at 140 and hitting like a 147
pounder. That power is going to follow me wherever I go. The power never leaves
a fighter. I will be ready 100% and the power will be there right with
me.
How
do you feel about not making weight?
BRANDON
RIOS: I didn’t let my fans down. I don’t feel anything like that. If you can see the
videos, I was trying to make weight. It would be a different story if I didn’t
try to make weight and I came in heavy and looked heavy but I did try to make my
weight. In my last two fights I knew it was starting to get hard. I felt good in
the fights but the weight was starting to get harder. I put that behind me and
now I am ready for a new division.
What
kind of fight do you see against Alvarado?
BRANDON
RIOS: The fight I see is we both come forward and I strike him and it is a bloody
massacre of a fight. It’s going to be one of those fights that people are going
to be on their feet the whole time. I told Robert since I started boxing I have
been waiting for that type of fight and I hope this is that
fight.
Do
you feel ready to take a punch from a bit 140-pounder such as
Alvarado?
BRANDON
RIOS: I am ready to take a punch from a heavyweight-pounder. I don’t do it just to do
it. I love my job. I love to fight. I love hitting people in the face and I love
getting hit. If a heavyweight punches I will still love it and still have smile
on my face. There is no difference from a lightweight to a junior welterweight
to a welterweight to a heavyweight. It makes no difference to
me.
Alvarado
said his boxing skills are underrated. Do you buy that he won’t make it a
war?
BRANDON
RIOS: I’ll be ready for whatever he brings to the table. If he doesn’t want to fight –
that’s good for me. If he wants to fight, it’s better for me. I’m not worried
about what he brings. I have to worry about what I do when I go in there and
fight. We are very confident. In this training camp we were very focused. We
haven’t done much media. I want to prove a point in this fight and shut him
up.
What
are you expecting in this fight that you haven’t seen before? Alvarado’s manager
says he makes fights harder than they should be and that he has great boxing
skills that have never been seen and that they have some
surprises…
ROBERT
GARCIA:
It shows me that he doesn’t even know what he’s saying. I’ve only seen him fight
the same way. Now they are going to show different skills? If I have a fighter
with so many skills…I have no idea what he’s talking about. We are prepared for
a war. If he wants to change his style to a boxer, well, good luck to
him.
BOB
ARUM: On
Tuesday at Fortune Gym in Los Angeles, the four fighters will host a Media
Workout. Mike Alvarado will be
there at Noon as well as Toshiaka at 12:30 p.m., who arrives in Los Angeles
tonight (Oct. 4). At 1:00 p.m. Brandon Rios will be there and at 1:30 p.m.
Nonito Donaire will be there. On
Thursday, rather than hold a press conference where everyone makes speeches, we
are going to have roundtables where the press can go from fighter to fighter to
interview these principles and I think that’s going to be a lot more fruitful
than the droning that goes on in these press conferences. Friday will be the
weigh-in and Saturday, UNDER THE STARS, at The Home Depot. Tickets are going
unbelievably well. This may be the biggest attendance maybe in many years, for
boxing at The Home Depot. We have sold nearly 5000 seats as of now and they are
moving very well. We hope to have between 6-7000 seats sold the night of the
fight. You give people quality and they respond. One of the things we’ve done is
keep the prices reasonable. The $150 tickets are sold. There are a
couple $100’s remaining and the rest - $75 and $35. We priced it right for the
fans for them to see great fights.
BRANDON
RIOS: Everybody out there in the LA area - come to the fight. If not, watch it on HBO.
The haters – keep hating. I am going out there to make a statement – a
knockout.
****************************
The Super Powers of the junior featherweight and the junior
welterweight divisions will go mano
a mano, in a sensational night of championship boxing. Top-Five pound for pound fighter and
four-division world champion NONITO
“Filipino Flash” DONAIRE vs. WBC Diamond Belt super bantamweight champion TOSHIAKI NISHIOKA, and undefeated former world
lightweight champion BRANDON “Bam Bam”
RIOS vs. undefeated No. 1
junior welterweight contender “Mile
High” MIKE ALVARADO.
Promoted by Top Rank®,
in association with Teiken Promotions and Tecate, the Donaire vs. Nishioka /
Rios vs. Alvarado championship doubleheader will take place Saturday, October 13 under the stars at The Home Depot Center in Carson,
Calif. Both fights will be
televised Live on HBO®, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West
Coast.)
These four gladiators boast a combined record of 131-5-4 (86 KOs) -- a
winning percentage of 94% with 2/3 of those victories coming by way of
knockout.
Remaining Tickets for The Home Depot Center’s
Donaire-Nishioka / Rios-Alvarado
championship event, priced at $150 (sold out), $75 and $35, can be purchased
online at AXS.com or by
phone at 888-929-7849 as well as The Home Depot Center Box Office (open Monday
through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Suites are available by calling 1-877-604-8777. For information of group discounts,
please call 1-877-234-8425.
WBO/IBF
junior featherweight champion Donaire (29-1, 18 KOs), a native of General Santos
City, Philippines, now living in the Bay Area of San Leandro, Calif., enters
this fight riding an 11-year, 28-bout winning streak.
Nishioka
(39-4-3, 24 KOs), of Hyogo, Japan, boast an eight-year, 16-bout winning streak
in his own right, including eight world title fights.
Rios (30-0-1, 21 KOs), the former 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 10 of his previous 12 fights by knockout.
Alvarado (33-0, 23
KOs) of Denver, has won 10 of
his last 13 bouts by stoppage en route to a career-high No. 1 world rating.