One of the joys of being a fight writer is that you get to regularly dispel the myth that boxers are knuckle dragging thugs. While it's true, I've had contact with some fighters I'm not so crazy about, the vast majority have come across as decent men and women.
Manny Pacquiao. Mike Tyson. Oscar De La Hoya. Canelo Alvarez. The list goes on and on. Heck, even Sergey Kovalev, the reputed meanest guy around, is perfectly cool to speak with. I wasn't surprised, then, when I learned that tough guy Brandon Rios is doing his part to help kids with cancer.
Rios may be a young guy, but he's definitely a throwback. His speech is vulgar, he fights hard and he makes no secret of who he is. Yet the same Brandon Rios has stepped up to the plate to be a spokesman for, as well as a participant in, a 5K run for the "Stand for Hope" charity.
The event will be held at California's famed Rose Bowl on May 31st and aims to bring in donation money to help children with cancer. Rios doesn't have to be a part of the event, of course. There's probably a million other ways the guy can spend his time.
But he's doing it anyway. And that's worth noting, especially when you consider Rios has a reputation for being a foul mouthed slugger. You can't judge books by their cover's and you can't judge boxers by their media reputations.
Now, if only Rios could do to cancer what he did to Mike Alvarado.
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