Mike Alvarado stayed mum Wednesday about his . The Denver boxer said he’s focused only on his fight next week against Brandon Rios, the third bout in a so-far bloody trilogy.
Rios, though, had plenty to say about the arrest.
“Big deal. Who doesn’t carry a gun in his car?” Rios said. “I have a gun on me right now — locked and loaded.”
A self-described troublemaker, and often a joker, Rios might have been playing up the moment for effect.
Alvarado and Rios on Wednesday talked, separately, from Alvarado’s gym near Coors Field about their Jan. 24 fight at the FirstBank Center in Broomfield.
They split the first two fights in their series — a Rios seventh-round TKO in 2012 that was named Fight of the Year by Sports Illustrated; followed by an Alvarado unanimous decision victory in 2013 that won him the World Boxing Organization junior welterweight world title.
A third fight might send the winner toward more high-profile fights. The loser, though, might step down to fading veteran status.
So perhaps Rios was sincere about pushing aside news from outside the ring.
“I’ve been in that position too before,” Rios said. “If my wife doesn’t keep me calmed down, who knows what would happen.”
Alvarado, who is due in court Friday to be formally charged for possession of a weapon by a previous offender , said he is trying to keep his attention on the ring and Rios.
“There’s no distraction at all. I’m just focused on the fight,” Alvarado said. “I’m stronger than ever.”
Alvarado is coming off two consecutive losses, in a title defense against Ruslan Provodnikov at Broomfield in 2013, then another last year to Juan Manuel Marquez at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
A victory against Rios would likely keep Alvarado’s name in the mix for a potential rematch against Provodnikov, among others — if his trouble with the law doesn’t get in the way.
“I know what kind of fight this is going to be,” Alvarado said of his bout against Rios. “I know he’ll make a few adjustments, try to change the fight up a bit. But I already laid out the blueprint of how to beat him.
“If I follow through with that, the fight will go my way.”
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickgroke
