As amateur boxers both Ríos and Victor Ortíz fought out of the same boxing gym in Garden City, Kansas, at the Garden City Boxing Club where they were both trained by Manuel Ríos.Brandon Rios Wants Victor Ortiz. Bleacher Report (October 20, 2010). Retrieved on 2013-11-25.Kim, Steve (September 14, 2010) Boxing Flurries on Zab Judah, Brandon Rios, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Matt Remillard and More. Doghouseboxing.com. Retrieved on November 25, 2013. For a short time Brandon's father trained Ortíz when they both still lived in Kansas. Ortíz would later move to Oxnard to train under Robert García, Ríos also left Kansas after being invited by García to train in Oxnard.Seckbach, Elie (October 5, 2010) . boxing.fanhouse.com In 2009 after an incident involving Brandon, Victor and Victor's younger brother Temo, their relationship became strained.Gabin, Ernest (December 17, 2010) Robert Garcia Sets the Record Straight on Victor Ortiz – Boxing News. Boxingscene.com. Retrieved on 2013-11-25. A fight between Ríos and Ortíz has been proposed at a catch weight of 138 lbs or even at 140 lbs, with Ríos stating on numerous occasions that he's gotten the better of Ortíz many times during sparring when they were growing up.Brandon Rios: Victor Ortiz is a Motherf**king Crybaby! – Boxing News. Boxingscene.com (October 4, 2010). Retrieved on 2013-11-25.
