In the biggest fight of his young life, Michel Rivera laid an egg.
Facing Frank Martin gave the Dominican native an opportunity to prove that he was one of the best 135-pounders on the planet. Rivera talked a good game and couldn’t envision a world where he came up short. Not only to Martin but to anyone.
On December 17th, at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada, Martin fought a near-flawless fight. He pushed Rivera back, landed whenever he wanted, and showed off some of his well-known power.
Rivera’s wide decision stung even more once it was revealed that he failed an immediate drug test. A six-month suspension was handed to the 25-year-old. Rivera’s punishment wasn’t something he enjoyed but it gave him plenty of time to think.
After mulling over his future, Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs) revealed that he plans on moving up in weight. With that said, just because he plans on testing himself five pounds north, it doesn’t mean he’s completely washing his hands of the lightweight division.
“I still will fight with 135 too,” said Rivera to Thaboxingvoice. “If I can get the big fights at 140 then I’ll be at 140 but I still want to fight some names at 135.”
Apparently, Rivera already has a date and opponent lined up for his ring return. He didn’t mention who exactly he’ll square off against but he did acknowledge that he isn’t facing a soft touch. Regardless of who he actually lines up against, Rivera has gigantic plans for himself.
A goal of his is to eventually hold a world title. The 140-pound landscape is as shark-filled as it gets but Rivera is swimming confidently through its waters. With a ton of names to choose from, Rivera’s eyes lit up when Subriel Matias was mentioned as a possible future opponent.
The IBF trinket holder has brutal knockout power, stopping virtually every opponent he’s faced. Still, Rivera isn’t worried about the bombs Matias will undoubtedly hurl in his direction if they face off. The 25-year-old has a major goal and is willing to do whatever it takes to get there, including walking through fire against Matias.
“I like this fight. He’s a world champion. I have to be a world champion.”