I couldnt stand the kid and going into the fight I was hoping Acosta would beat his @ss. Actually, I was hoping this even during the fight. But, as the rounds went on, I started to gain a certain respect for the fighter. He showed a lot of mental and physical toughness. After he scored the KO, in a hard fought fight, I was still expexting him to say something immature or come off as unlikeable. He didnt. Last night he was just an honest, hard working fighter. Rios showed in his performance that he is a worthy champion, and although he may not have the skills of a Marquez, he has about as good of a chin as anyone and his heart and determination will be what makes him competitive with anyone in the division.
You are what they call a fair-weather fan, in other words , you would have lost money ahd you bet on the fight.
I still cant stand him yet I wanted him to win. He is the second guy I dislike but still somewhat root for, the other one was vargas.
I did lose money and I did bet on Acosta. I thought he was a cut above in class. No question he has the better skill, but Rios used what tools he had to nuetralize Acostas movement and accurate counterpunching. He fought very determined. I think a lot of fighters would have fallen apart after the first 4 rounds with Acosta but Rios showed grit and kept at it. Rios biggest flaw is he can only fight one way. I dont think he is one of tose guys who can box when he needs too so when he does get badly hurt eventually Im not sure he will know how to handle it.
