Beating Brandon Rios

[miron_lang]

Brandon Rios brings some real advantages to the ring with him. I think his three biggest are his fighting spirit, his physical strength and his size. He seems to be one of the gifted weight cutters in the sport and often has a significant size advantage on fight night.

I went back and watched the Peterson and Acosta fights looking for ways to overcome those advantages (assuming of course one isn't physically stronger) and here's what I've come up with. (in no order)

1. One must jab Rios HARD. A flicking or rangefinding jab just doesn't discourage him at all. The jab must be thought about as a straight left rather than a jab. This punch can stop the Rios forward, forward, forward mindset that makes him feel like a runaway train. Rios doesn't do nearly as well on the retreat.

2. One must not continually retreat as a tactic-Barney Ross once said he'd retreat no more than two steps before he'd make a stand. Why? Because he thought it gave the foe too much confidence if one was continually retreating. One has to step to the side and counter Rios or worse case stand and trade occasionally. One must slow the Rios momentum. One other way of doing this is to get close, grab and then walk Rios backwards.

3. Go to the body-This takes serious nerve because body punching requires being in range. The idea here is just to keep Rios honest, not to knock him out this way. Hard jab, step inside, go to the body and then clinch.

4. The left hook- Rios doesn't seem to see this punch very well. A hook off the jab could be effective against him.

Where am I wrong, what did I miss and does Antillon actually have the toolbox to do any of this?

Humberto Sotto can do all that.

[marbleheadmaui]

Brandon Rios brings some real advantages to the ring with him. I think his three biggest are his fighting spirit, his physical strength and his size. He seems to be one of the gifted weight cutters in the sport and often has a significant size advantage on fight night.

I went back and watched the Peterson and Acosta fights looking for ways to overcome those advantages (assuming of course one isn't physically stronger) and here's what I've come up with. (in no order)

1. One must jab Rios HARD. A flicking or rangefinding jab just doesn't discourage him at all. The jab must be thought about as a straight left rather than a jab. This punch can stop the Rios forward, forward, forward mindset that makes him feel like a runaway train. Rios doesn't do nearly as well on the retreat.

2. One must not continually retreat as a tactic-Barney Ross once said he'd retreat no more than two steps before he'd make a stand. Why? Because he thought it gave the foe too much confidence if one was continually retreating. One has to step to the side and counter Rios or worse case stand and trade occasionally. One must slow the Rios momentum. One other way of doing this is to get close, grab and then walk Rios backwards.

3. Go to the body-This takes serious nerve because body punching requires being in range. The idea here is just to keep Rios honest, not to knock him out this way. Hard jab, step inside, go to the body and then clinch.

4. The left hook- Rios doesn't seem to see this punch very well. A hook off the jab could be effective against him.

Where am I wrong, what did I miss and does Antillon actually have the toolbox to do any of this?

Humberto Sotto can do all that.

Hmmmm, gotta go watch Soto footage. I can't get him in my mind. Thanks!

[maidana]

Maidana would take care of Rios in 5!

[marbleheadmaui]

Maidana would take care of Rios in 5!

Well yeah but they aren't in the same division. Maidana has the size advantage it takes.

[Pavlik]

Maidana would take care of Rios in 5!

Well yeah but they aren't in the same division. Maidana has the size advantage it takes.

i dunno about size advantage. maidana weighed 149 lbs fight night vs khan, whereas rios consistently is around 156 lbs. fight night.

[marbleheadmaui]

Maidana would take care of Rios in 5!

Well yeah but they aren't in the same division. Maidana has the size advantage it takes.

i dunno about size advantage. maidana weighed 149 lbs fight night vs khan, whereas rios consistently is around 156 lbs. fight night.

Rios came in at 151 against Peterson, but a good point anyway!

[JazMerkin]

Fight night weights don't really tell you who is bigger. Maidana may choose to only put on a certain amount of weight as putting on 15-20lbs makes him feel too bulky & even slower. It also may be that he trains better.

I will say I think Rios is getting very underrated here. He's far more savvy than he's getting credit for. He uses his jab exactly how an inside fighter should, it's a weapon on the way in, not just an irritant to buy time. I think he'd cause trouble for plenty of the 140lbers even if he wouldn't be quite the same force.

[Pavlik]

Maidana would take care of Rios in 5!

Well yeah but they aren't in the same division. Maidana has the size advantage it takes.

i dunno about size advantage. maidana weighed 149 lbs fight night vs khan, whereas rios consistently is around 156 lbs. fight night.

Rios came in at 151 against Peterson, but a good point anyway!

thanks for the correction so I guess he's a good sized junior welter, instead of the good sized welter that drains himself that I thought he is.