Manny Pacquiao out to prove himself by taking on Brandon Rios
Manny Pacquiao lifts his trunks after being knocked down in the third round of his WBO world welterweight fight against Juan Manuel Marquez. (Dec. 8, 2012) Credit: AP
There are some who believe Manny Pacquiao shouldn't be boxing anymore.
The Filipino congressman, who was on the receiving end of a devastating sixth-round knockout at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez last December, has lost his last two fights.
And Pacquiao recently revealed his desire to become president of the Philippines some day.
With so many non-boxing endeavors on his plate, it has left many wondering if he's lost focus on the sport. Pacquiao, 34, disputed that notion when he selected a very talented Brandon Rios from Los Angeles to be his next opponent.
The two will fight for the WBO international welterweight title Nov. 23 in Macao, China, on HBO pay-per-view.
"Many people thought my boxing career was ended after the last fight," Pacquiao said. "In the last fight I was in amazing condition. It just happened that in the sixth round that I walked into a good punch."
Pacquiao (54-5-2), an eight-division world champion, said he didn't want an easy opponent, despite the fact it will be his first fight in nearly a year. Rios (31-1-1), Pacquiao said, will bring out the best in him.
"I know he's a good fighter. He throws a lot of punches," Pacquiao said. "I chose him because I know he can give a good fight . . . I'm going to prove I can still fight and my boxing career isn't over."
As for Mexican-American Rios, 27, he admitted it was a bit of a surprise when he got the call that Pacquiao wanted to fight. Rios lost a unanimous decision to Mike Alvarado in his last fight.
"When I lost to Alvarado, I thought I had to start way back down on the ladder and work my way back up," Rios said. "But they told me I got the fight and I was very excited."
