Does Brandon Rios have the capability to reach the top?

[boxingboy86]

Rios has limited technical ability in my opinion. And he doesn't seem to have the mental capacity to be taught how to adapt to a gameplan. I give him 18 months before he becomes a mid card fighter. Opinions?

[Rapid Counter]

I think he'd be a hell of a lot better if he didn't have the defensive skills of Rocky Balboa. He eats way to many punches in my opinion. The fact that he has a great chin has made him rely on it too much. He is still young so he has time to develop and he is exciting to watch. He will have a good career if his sorts out his terrible D.

[bojangles1987]

He'll never be elite, but I bet he'll beat a few fighters no one expects him too. I expect a Margarito type career out of him.

[Leohappy]

he should learn not to block every hit with his head. and more importantly ignore arum's mind games. the guy has been out of his mind since arum mentioned him and pac in the same sentence.

[New England]

Rios has limited technical ability in my opinion. And he doesn't seem to have the mental capacity to be taught how to adapt to a gameplan. I give him 18 months before he becomes a mid card fighter. Opinions?

he adapted some against acosta (who cleaned his clock for a couple rounds)


he's got a great trainer in robert garcia, and he is young. he had a long and successful amateur career.


that being said, his chin and his power are what make him special
that's a byproduct of the size

when he's fighting bigger men, at say 140 or 147, he's going to have a hard time keeping his style and winning and having a long career

[Bushbaby]

At 135 Rios might not loose. But if he moves to 140 & further where power like maidana's, Khan's & Mattysse's are his chin wil get cracked. Honestly I even think that if he were to fight Marquez at 135, he'd beat him. Marquez is lucky he got the money maker with pac at welterweight cause he was getting old & hit too much. Rios is easily the best lightweight out there.

[UglyPug]

bush and newengland - that's how i feel - at 135 his physical attributes make him a true force; he enjoys a size advantage, and his chin, stamina, and power are too much to overcome for even highly skilled guys like acosta (who i think is a very good technical boxer with great power in his own right). But at 140, and especially 147 (if he goes there), he will have a harder time overcoming guys with superior speed and technical skills.

But I do think he is more than just a power-****er; what separates him from katsidis is his ability to lead with a jab (has decent range), and once he burrows inside he is pretty technical. He can turn his punches over nicely on the inside and generate power - short, crisp, cracking shots.

[Pastrano]

He's shown potential and he's in good hands for sure. Couldn't be in better. His technique has improved recently, the way he koed Antillon was truly impressive. He hit him flush twice. Not that Antillon is the trickiest opponent out there, but he's not so easy to hit either. Rios can achieve a lot at 135, not sure about 140. The competition is stiffer at the moment.