Maybe the Most Fascinating Thing About Bradley-Rios Is…

Hall of Famer Jim Lampley has called so many of their bouts, as both Tim Bradley and Brandon Rios have been HBO staples for a goodly number of years.

He knows what they bring to the table, skills-wise; so, what about their Saturday clash most excites the blow by blow man?

“I’m most interested in the dynamic between Bradley and new trainer Teddy Atlas,” said Lampley, who will present a new edition of his “The Fight Game” next week, on Wednesday night. “We wonder, how will Bradley handle it, what will Teddy’s speech be…Love him or hate him, as a fan, Teddy Atlas is a fascinating character.”

Amen…

Lampley is on my same page when he says he thinks Bradley has to be the favorite in this one. “I think Rios out-grew his punching power at lightweight. Knocking out Alvarado proves nothing, he trained maybe two days for that fight. And Rios didn’t bother Pacquiao at all, and didn’t KO Alvarado in their second fight.”

Rios might be an “old” 29; he brings a 33-2-1 mark to the ring, with 24 KOs. He’s had four bouts at 147, losing to Manny and beating Diego Chaves and then a depleted Alvarado. He’s resurgent mentally, his trainer Robert Garcia says,  so maybe that will speak volumes come fight night.

Bradley, 32, is 32-1-1, with just 12 KOs, but he might be the harder hitter at 147. He tapped Atlas to tutor him, dumping long-time helper Joel Diaz, and says Teddy has taught him so much in so short a time. Atlas wants him to not get caught with a late-inning grand slam swing like the one Jessie Vargas nearly stopped him with in round twelve of his last fight, a UD12 win in June.

Readers, how do you see this one playing out? What does Teddy bring to the table? Won’t it be nice to see him in a corner? Talk to me…

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