Alvarado's manager calls fight with Rios "a done deal"

The manager of Denver-based junior welterweight "Mile High" Mike Alvarado has informed RingTV.com that Alvarado's scheduled, HBO-televised fight with former WBA lightweight titleholder Brandon Rios "is a done deal" for Oct. 13 as Rios makes his 140-pound debut at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

Neither Rios, his manager, Cameron Dunkin, nor Top Rank CEO Bob Arum could be reached for an immediate comment. It is unclear whether or not Rios has signed.

"It's a done deal. We signed today," said Alvarado's co-manager, Henry Delgado. "We're just looking forward to one of those throwback fights. Two warriors who won't take a step back. I'm already calling it a candidate for Fight of The Year."

Alvarado (33-0, 23 knockouts) and Rios (30-0-1, 22 KOs) will be the lead-in to a broadcast whose main event is to feature WBO junior featherweight titleholder Nonito Donaire (29-1, 18 KOs) against Japan's Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KOs).

Nishioka stretched his winning streak to 16 straight fights with his last triumph by unanimous decision over two-division titleholder Rafael Marquez in October.

Rios is coming off a controversial split-decision over Richard Abril in April that followed his 11th-round knockout of John Murray in December. On the Rios-Abril undercard, Alvarado earned a hard-fought, 10-round unanimous decision over Mauricio Herrera (18-2, 7 KOs).

Prior to facing Herrera, Alvarado scored a come-from-behind, 10th-round stoppage of Breidis Prescott on the November undercard of main event during which then-WBO welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao won a majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez.

"This is going to be a great fight. It's going to be two guys giving their all," said Delgado. "I say this because I know how Brandon Rios fights, and I know how Mike fights."

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com