• Light-welterweight

Roach pushing Khan towards Rios grudge match

ESPN staff
December 8, 2011
Freddie Roach has reason to dislike Brandon Rios © Getty Images
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Amir Khan's plans to push on into the welterweight division after Saturday's fight with Lamont Peterson might be put on hold to complete a personal mission for Freddie Roach.

Khan has long spoken of his intention to defeat Peterson in Washington DC on December 10, before moving up to 147lbs to launch an assault on Floyd Mayweather. That welterweight plan was expected to kick into gear at the start of 2012.

However, Roach has history with Brandon Rios, who beat John Murray last weekend and then saw his WBA lightweight crown stripped for failing to make weight. Rios is now expected to move into Khan's current light-welterweight domain.

That opens the prospect for Khan to fight a man who once combined with Antonio Margarito to make a mocking video of Roach's Parkinson's disease. And Roach admits he would take great satisfaction from seeing Rios beaten.

"Amir Khan will expose Brandon Rios at 140," Roach told BoxingTalk.com. "I definitely want to see that fight. I want Amir to stay at 140 and beat Rios just for me.

"Brandon Rios made fun of me before with my Parkinson's, and even though it was funny, I feel I was disrespected.

"Brandon is an exchange fighter. He doesn't even know how to throw a feint, he has no game plan and you can tell. Amir Khan would destroy Brandon Rios. We'll take that fight."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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