Rios-Alvarado II considered for March

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum has confirmed reports that a rematch of October's bloody, Fight-of-The-Year-caliber clash between junior welterweights Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado is in discussion for March on HBO.

Rios (31-0-1, 23 knockouts) became the first man to stop Alvarado (33-1, 23 KOs), doing so by seventh-round knockout at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

A 26-year-old Oxnard, Calif., resident, Rios made his 140-pound debut against Alvarado after having narrowly won  by controversial split-decision over Richard Abril in April following an 11th-round knockout of John Murray last December. 

The claim to fame for Alvarado, 32, had been his 10th-round stoppage win over Breidis Prescott, owner of a 54-second stoppage win over Amir Khan.

"It is being discussed for March, but not March 16," said Arum, referring to a date specified by earlier reports. "But it is being discussed."

Rios failed to make the 135-pound lightweight limit for both fights against Murray and Abril. Rios lost his WBA crown at the scales against Murray, and could not regain it as a result of his weight issues against Abril.

A deal was struck with the Murray camp in which Rios could weigh no greater than 10 pounds (147) more when he was checked at 9 a.m. on Saturday at his hotel. After Rios weighed 146.4 pounds on the morning of the fight, his bout with Murray was allowed to happen.

Rios had been a consideration for the winner of a Dec. 8 bout during which four-division champion Juan Manuel Marquez scored a sixth-round stoppage of welterweight rival Manny Pacquiao.

Rios was ringside for Marquez's win over Pacquiao, who entered the bout with an unbeaten mark of 2-0-1 against Marquez.

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

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