To be soo young, Brandon Rios

[tank17211]

Dude takes way to many punches, I can already hear him getting that slur. I know brawling is his meat and bread, but Garcia should start teaching him to roll & slip vs just covering.
If he keeps this up, I see dude in a wheelchair by 40

Luv watching him, but he needs some D

I agree. He is also classless and just flat out not a good person.

[Roman Moreno]

A lot of it depends on more on the person.

Even though Chavez defense on the inside is pretty underrated, skills period is pretty underrated, he wasn't just a face first brawler, he could fight on the back foot as well. But, I think everyone would agree that he wasn't anywhere near the level of a defensive fighter as Whitaker.

Chavez took more punishment and flushed shots in his career than I think Whitaker did. But, Whitaker is the one with a slur while Chavez really doesn't. Point is I think it depends on the person, the brain reacts differently from person to person circumstances etc etc.

[jtiger777]

self peservation??????????

[CubanGuyNYC]

Dude takes way to many punches, I can already hear him getting that slur. I know brawling is his meat and bread, but Garcia should start teaching him to roll & slip vs just covering.
If he keeps this up, I see dude in a wheelchair by 40

Luv watching him, but he needs some D

Different people take punches better or worse. I personally don't think Rios has no defense but his style does lend it'self to brawling.

I think the kid is ok, he also is a great inside fighter.

I said the same thing not too long ago. Brandon's face-first style, while exciting, doesn't lend itself to a long career...or to good health. "Bam Bam" walks into his opponent with his guard up. Once in position, he lets go and brawls very effectively. It's not a good idea to challenge Rios on the inside. His skills in that area are solid. Add to that his toughness and power and you've got a problem on your hands.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Chavez took more punishment and flushed shots in his career than I think Whitaker did. But, Whitaker is the one with a slur while Chavez really doesn't. Point is I think it depends on the person, the brain reacts differently from person to person circumstances etc etc.

You say he slurs but I think he's the kind of guy that has never had perfect speech. Some guys can take a lot of punishment and some guys can't. The problem is we don't know which category anyone fits into until we get far down the road.

I concur; it depends on the person. A defensive wizard might suffer brain damage from relatively few blows, while a brawler might never experience the ill effects of his style. Genetics certainly play a role. But, as Jay points out, no one knows what's encoded in their DNA until the damage has been done.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Good point. I personally don't consider him an elite trainer but that's just me. Look at 2 of his biggest name fighters, they both purely rely on their toughness and pressure to win fights. Not to mention Rios' weight issues, I consider that part of the trainer's fault. This thread is about Rios tho so let me not hijack :P.

I don't know about "elite," but I think Garcia's a good trainer. A guy like Brandon might simply not be suited to a more defensive style. Perhaps he doesn't have the talent, the temperament, or the desire for it. Robert's brother, Mikey, on the other hand, is a classic, textbook fighter. He's very well-balanced -- good defense, good offense.

Another thing: How long has Garcia has been working with Rios? I believe you can only do so much with an athlete. However Robert inherited Brandon is essentially how he'll remain. The trainer can make him better, but you can't expect miracles. "Bam Bam" will never be a defensive wizard now, no matter who's training him.

[VatoMulatto]

Rios will most likely not have a long career cause of his boxing style so enjoy him while he lasts. Rios is fun to watch and I'm 100% sure that he'll be in a few fights in the near future that will be consider FOTY.

[Unknown Champ]

Rios needs to bust a Gatti and Barerra and learn how to box on the outside and use better D.

[Southpawology]

rios defense is underrated, he keeps his hands up nice and high and catches alot on his gloves

[Larry the boss]

he just sounds like that...but yea he takes to many damn punches,.career wont last long like that