Manny Pacquiao chooses Brandon Rios for comeback fight

Manny Pacquiao choses an American opponent for his long awaited ring return six months from now. And his name is surely, not Timothy Bradley. As Bradley is set to fight Juan Manuel Marquez on September.

In a match-up for the ages, the boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao faces young up and comer Brandon Rios, November this year.

Young, cocky, and dangerous Brandon 'Bam Bam' Rios gets the biggest fight of his life as he battles the legendary boxing superstar from the Philippines in a 12-round match pencilled for November 24, at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Macau. Both fighters already agreed to the terms of the match – to be fought at the welterweight limit of 147 lbs – although contracts have yet to be finalized.

For a while Bradley and Marquez – both of whom inflicted successive beating against the Pacman – were considered as possible opponents for the Filipino great, only for the choice to narrow down later between Rios and Mike Alvarado.

"People know what Rios brings to the table," according to Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum. "People want to see a real fight and that is what you get with Rios."

Rios is a former World Boxing Association lightweight champion who has a record of 31-1-1 with 23 KOs. He belonged to the boxing stable of former world champion Robert Garcia, the same man who trains Filipino Nonito Donaire Jr.

Like Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KOs), Rios is coming off a loss, absorbing a 12-round unanimous decision against Alvarado in an epic action-packed rematch last March that replicated their first meeting October of 2012.