Undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion “Bam Bam” Brandon Rios and two-time world title challenger and Top-Five-rated contender Urbano Antillon spent more time talking to each other than members of the media on Tuesday, but it didn’t seem to bother anyone attending the kickoff press conference for the July 9 showdown at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and televised LIVE on SHOWTIME®, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.)Just moments after being seated on the dais – and about five feet apart – at the downtown Wilshire Grand Hotel, Rios and Antillon started in on each other, and didn’t stop until Antillon was about to leave the building with Rios shouting at him to, “Get out of my life and get out of this hotel!”
Rios (27-0-1, 19 KOs) said after the contentious and emotionally charged press conference that Antillon (28-2, 20 KOs) got personal and he didn’t like it one bit. “I’m a clown and I joke around a lot but this guy really gets under my skin and it’s not going to affect me in the ring,” he said. “If anything, it’s going to help me. He’s opening his big (expletive) mouth and talking about my wife. You don’t mention my family. I didn’t talk about his family.
“He made it personal. He named my wife and brought my family into it. And now he’s going to pay.”
Both Southern California fighters – Rios is from the north of L.A. in Oxnard and Antillon just a bit to the south in Maywood -- had to be separated at the podium after their faceoff photos, which led Top Rank President and CEO Bob Arum to say, “Remember, you don’t get paid to fight outside of the ring. I’m getting out of here but just remember I only pay for fights inside the ring.”
The co-main event will feature former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion Kermit Cintron and Carlos Molina in a 10-round junior middleweight fight.
Rios and Antillon were supposed to have met 13 months ago before a Rios injury halted the fight.
Also introduced at the press conference was three-time University of Notre Dame champion Mike Lee and Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta, an unbeaten lightweight from the Philippines who will make his promotional debut with Top Rank on July 9.
“I don’t Like Anything About You!” – Brandon Rios
“On July 9, Maywood Is Going to Be Champion.” – Urbano Antillon
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