Timothy Bradley took another step toward a blockbuster rubber match with Manny Pacquiao by knocking out Brandon Rios on Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Bradley landed a massive left hook to Rios’ midsection in the ninth round that dropped the 29-year-old to his knees. He followed it with a barrage of body shots that left Rios helplessly kneeling in his corner, where the fight was called.
“He hit me with perfect body shot up the middle, and an equally perfect shot up the side,” Rios said. “The better man won. It is what it is. I went down and I couldn’t continue.”
Bradley (33-1-1, 12 KOs) retained his World Boxing Organization welterweight title and impressed the crowd with his first finish since 2011.
To the chagrin of a pro-Rios crowd, Bradley dominated throughout the bout — on the inside with huge shots to the body, and on the outside with quick combinations on his way to a ninth-round technical knockout victory.
Bradley out-landed Rios 254-81, and landed 174 power punches compared with Rios’ 67.
Bradley was expected to win — he was listed as a minus-500 betting favorite (risk $5 to win $1) — but in his first fight under the tutelage his new trainer Teddy Atlas, Bradley looked like a different fighter.
“I’ve never had a training camp this extensive and this detailed in my career,” Bradley said. “He implemented everything from taping and reviewing my sparring, to not allowing music or cellphones in the gym. Everything was completely focused.”
Known as being more of a finesse boxer, Bradley threw power punches and looked for the finish.
By fight’s end the chants of “Rios” changed to “Bradley” as the 32-year-old veteran won the crowd over with an offensive attack.
Rios (33-3-1, 24 KOs) faded down the stretch. It could have been due to the tough weight cut — he nearly missed weight Friday — or because of the damage to his body.
“I hurt him early with a body shot, and I saw that it hurt him,” Bradley said. “I was like, ‘All right, he’s soft in the body, so I’m going to focus on his head and get him later with it.’”
Bradley hadn’t finished an opponent since 2011, and 13 of his past 14 wins had gone the distance.
“Our game plan was to take a brick at a time, and if you take a brick at a time eventually the house will fall down,” Atlas said.
Following the fight Rios announced that after 36 professional fights, he is officially retiring.
“I had a wonderful career, but I think it’s time for me to hang up the gloves,” Rios said. “There’s no reason for me to get in here and take a beating for no reason. I love the sport so much that it’s hard for me to turn away from it, but it’s time.”
By retaining his belt, Bradley must now face No. 1 mandatory challenger Sadam Ali (22-0, 13 KOs) within 90 days.
But that isn’t the fight Bradley and his team have in mind. They are focused on a third bout with Pacquiao after the two traded decision victories, but they don’t hold the cards.
“Manny has requested to have the video of this fight sent to him,” promoter and CEO of Top Rank Boxing Bob Arum said. “Pacquiao will now review the tape of this fight, the tape of Terence (Crawford’s) fight and Amir Khan’s fight, and he will make a decision.”
Two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko (5-1; 2 KO) dominated Romulo Koasicha (25-5; 15 KO) before knocking him out in the 10th round to retain his WBO featherweight title in the undercard.
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