Brandon Rios stops Mike Alvarado at the end of the third round to win their trilogy
One-sided three-round stoppage secures success
Monday 26 January 2015 11:55, UK
Brandon Rios secured trilogy success over Mike Alvarado with a short-lived but explosive win.
The former lightweight world champion made it look easier than in either of their previous two encounters, winning by technical knockout at the end of the third round.
Alvarado's corner called it off after seeing the man called 'Mile High' brought down to earth with a knockdown in the third and an incessant barrage of blows from the opening bell.
Rios, who took Manny Pacquiao to the distance just over a year ago, moves to 33-2-1 and said he felt like "a new man" after completely dominating an opponent who he beat in October 2012 but lost to on points in March 2013.
A packed crowd in Broomfield, Colarado, saw both fighters go at it again, although this time Rios led the way.
A straight right landed early on and soon both fighters were in close in an opening round that not only lived up to expectations, but also had an air of the Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Casillo clash of a decade ago.
The difference was the fight's one-sided nature and the moment Rios landed an uppercut that jolted Alvarado's head back, it suddenly looked like their third meeting would have an abrupt end.
The second round saw Alvarado's nose and face blooded as he took three and four-punch combinations with his defence prised wide open.
Rios stepped it up even more in the third, landing the uppercut at least four times. The only time he was kept at bay was when he was caught with a low blow. Alvarado's (34-3) illegal left was arguably his only punch that landed.
And Rios closed the round with the sort of all-out assault that had seen the pair land over 3,000 punches between them in 24 rounds, but this time even the fourth round was a step too far for Alvarado.
