Rios is a 2-fisted transformer

Unbeaten Oxnard fighter goes from a jail cell to a world championship in just two years.

By Robert Morales, Staff Writer
SGVT
07/07/2011

Brandon Rios stood outside Fortune Boxing Gym on Tuesday. He appeared relaxed and loose, the picture of contentment.

And why not? He went from wearing jail jumpsuits in Kansas just two years ago to a lightweight world championship belt in February, courtesy of his 10th-round stoppage of Miguel Acosta of Venezuela at The Palms Casino in Las Vegas.

Oxnard's Rios, who Saturday will make his first defense against Urbano Antillon (28-2, 20 KOs) of Maywood at Home Depot Center (on Showtime), told this newspaper ahead of the Acosta fight that meeting and marrying his wife went a long way in turning around his life, which had been filled with too many short stints in jail.

Rios reiterated that Tuesday. But that wasn't his first thought in the moments following his stoppage of Acosta.

"I was happy because I made my dad's dream come true," said Rios, who decked Acosta three times. "Ever since I was a little kid, I always told my dad (Manuel) I was going to become a world champion. I told my dad all the time. Everybody didn't believe me, but my dad. My dad was the only one that believed me.

"When I became world champion, when I knocked out Acosta, that's what mostly got me."

Rios isn't the only one feeling proud as a peacock about his metamorphosis. His Hall of Fame promoter, Bob Arum, is equally stoked that Rios has gone from the outhouse to the penthouse.

"We tend to forget how young these guys are and a lot of
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it has to do with maturity," said Arum, who was wearing dressy shorts inside of the oven that is most boxing gyms. "When they're young kids and they're very hyper, usually, sometimes they're uncontrollable.

"Once they get older, the smarter ones, the fortunate ones, develop maturity and they realize that they can't conduct their lives in that irresponsible way. ... So while he's as ferocious as he ever was in the ring, he's a lot more grounded now than he was before."

Street fights were what got Rios in the most trouble. One resulted in a two-month stint in the slammer. His trainer, Robert Garcia, had difficulty keeping Rios in Oxnard, where Rios had moved from Kansas to train with Garcia. But when things got to a point where Garcia wasn't sure if they would turn around, he and Rios' manager Cameron Dunkin stepped in.

"We brought him in and took over his career," Garcia said. "And I told myself and Cameron Dunkin, `Let's keep giving him a chance, let's keep going, because he's got a great heart and tremendous talent.' We didn't give up and now we're in good position."

To Rios, the victory over a champion like Acosta was the ultimate climax completing his turn-around.

"In the Miguel Acosta fight, I think I showed the world that I have a lot of heart and that I love boxing a lot and that I love the business," said Rios, 25. "After the first couple of rounds, the way Acosta was doing his job, I kept to my game plan and I overcame it and I knocked him out.

"I think I impressed a lot of people."

As Garcia said, Rios is now in good position. At 27-0-1 and 20 knockouts, he is an outstanding fighter who has the opportunity to make an indelible mark on boxing.

"There are just so many things out there that Bob Arum could do (for Rios)," Garcia said. "I've talked to Cameron Dunkin and there are just so many things. Especially in his weight division, then moving up to 140 in the future, there are so many fights out there that are possible and that I know Bob Arum can make happen.

"Brandon knows how important this is. He knows the importance of winning this fight and what can come after that."

Rios could cash in quite nicely. But Arum cautioned that because of the way Rios fights - toe-to-toe - his window may not be open as long as others.

"He's always going to be in a tough fight, which means that his career will be shorter rather than longer because there's a limit to what you can keep absorbing," Arum said. "I believe that he can earn a lot of money, which is the name of the game."

He won't have to use any of it for bail, either.