Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado punished one another for six-plus brutal rounds last October, and the two are gearing up to do it all over again on March 30, live on HBO from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Rios (31-0-1, 23 KO) stopped Alvarado (33-1, 23 KO) in the seventh round of their first encounter, when referee Pat Russell stepped in to call a halt to the bout, a debatable decision that has pros and cons on both sides.
The rematch has come about largely because of Manny Pacquiao's December loss to Juan Manuel Marquez. Rios was discussed as a spring opponent for Manny had Pacquiao won that night, but when Marquez sent shockwaves throughout the universe with his nasty KO of the Filipino, Pacquiao-Rios was off, and a second fight with "Mile High" Mike came into play.
Though the fight may not seem "necessary," it's hard to complain about getting two prime, genuine boxing warriors matching up again. It may not have the pre-fight buzz the first one did, but that's because we have seen with our own eyes what these two can do. However it goes, it should be another war.