5. Brandon Rios vs. Victor Ortiz
Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
Childhood friends turned bitter enemies, both telling stories of betrayal.
It sounds more like a plot to a Hollywood film then a true story between two kids from Garden City, Kansas.
It shows shades of Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas, but with a better background with two fighters who actually hate each other.
Brandon Rios, the brawler with no filter, is the type of fighter who will take two punches just to hit you with one.
Victor Ortiz, is the pretty boy boxer who has all the skills, but could never fully put it all together.
The fight has lost a bit of luster since Ortiz split with long-time trainer and brother of Rios’ trainer, Danny Garcia.
With Ortiz infamously and abruptly leaving Robert Garcia’s camp to go with Danny the background stories run deep. The press conference alone could sell tickets.
There is no doubt that Ortiz is the more skillful boxer, but Rios beats him in two important categories, his heart and will.
That’s what makes this fight most exciting.
