Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios immediately fired a warning shot at Manny Pacquiao the first time they came face-to-face on Saturday to kick-off their Battle in Cotai promotional tour in Macau.
Known for his swagger in and out of the ring, Rios claimed that another fighter with Mexican blood will put Pacquiao to sleep, but this time, he'll make sure it would be the Filipino's last fight.
"One Mexican [Marquez] knocked him out; this Mexican will retire him...I'm going to retire him after this," Rios said in front of reporters on Saturday.
In Pacquiao's illustrious career, there are only two Mexicans that actually shattered Pacman's cloak of invincibility. Erik Morales took him down in a 12-round unanimous decision in 2005, and Juan Manuel Marquez also bested Pacquiao, handing the Filipino the most humiliating loss of his boxing days by flatting him in the sixth round of their welterweight clash in December.
Rios, who holds a 31-1-1 record, seems to be a legitimate threat to Pacquiao. His 23 knockouts certainly suggest his punching power is on par with the world's best KO artist and his chin proves to be incredibly hard to crack.
However, Pacquiao is battling to remain relevant in boxing and stay in prime position for a date in the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao is already 34 years old, and there will be always doubts about his ability to put his career back on track, especially for a fighter coming off such a devastating loss.
But for a cheerful guy like Pacquiao, getting back to the ring after a long layoff is just what he needs to restore his optimism.
"I'm happy to be back in boxing again. This is a big opportunity for us to fight here in Macau. It's very close to the Philippines, so I'm expecting more Filipinos than Mexican people are going to watch on November 24th."
"It's going to be a good fight because Rios likes to fight toe-to-toe and loves action in the ring so what we have to do is to train hard and prepare 100 percent physically and mentally, and of course we always pray to God that nobody gets hurt," Pacquiao said in the presser.
On the other hand, Rios considers his fight with Pacquiao an opportunity to not only prove his critics wrong once and for all, but to deliver a clear message in the boxing world.
"I'll be ready. I'll be in 100 percent health, 100 percent mentally and physically ready, on November 24th you're gonna see a new superstar arrive and that's gonna be me," Rios said.
Pacquiao and Rios are scheduled to meet each other inside the ring in a non-title welterweight contest on Nov. 24 (Nov. 23 in the United States) at Venetian Macao in Macau, China.
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