Brandon Rios Discusses Weight Problems, Officially Moving to 140

Brandon Rios is upset with his critics in the media after he failed to make weight for the second straight fight this past weekend, and ultimately wound up winning a very, very, very controversial robbery decision over Richard Abril in Las Vegas. Here's what he said at BoxingScene.com, and it's sort of a 50-50 statement, filled with emotion:

"There are all these critics out there talking shit about me, saying stuff about me - more than half of these motherfuckers are fat and they don't even [lose weight] for their health. I was doing it to get back my title. I did try, it's not like I didn't try and that's why I'm going to 140."

This is a delicate situation in a way, but as a big fat guy who talks shit about boxing all the time, let me be the first to say I take no great offense to this or anything. In part because I know it's pure emotion -- look, maybe elsewhere it was phrased this way, but I couldn't even bring myself to use the word "unprofessional" here.

It's not like I was OK with him missing weight, but to me, the kid clearly got some awful advice and was put in a position to fail. He should not have been trying to make 135 again. On the PPV Saturday, trainer Robert Garcia took some of the blame for making a mistake in trying to get him down again.

And yes, he did try, the same as he did in December. He's absolutely not a lightweight fighter anymore. That is a fact. And Rios goes on to say pretty much that:

"It's just something where I'm fooling myself [that I can make 135]. I'm making myself look like a dumbass in front of y'all folks. It's my fault that I tried to make 135 and I don't blame anyone but myself."

This part I can respect without hesitation. Now it's on him to make 140 and to do it well and move on with his career. I will absolutely not forgive the robbery decision over Abril, but Brandon Rios didn't score the fight, and if you're the conspiracy theory type, the wheel-greasing is above his pay grade, too. Rios has a lot of image rehabbing to do, and a lot of people are flat never going to like him. I expect he'll have this sort of relationship with the media at large for his entire career.