Today the Brit Forum Appreciates...........Julio Cesar Chavez Jr!!!!!

Aguacerito!:happy

Easily my second favourite current fighter behind Mijares, and probably the one you can get the most enjoyment from watching in the entire sport. Acosta has just about everything you could hope for in a fighter such is how complete he is, world class power, handspeed, shot selection, and so forth. It's a real shame that the only areas he isn't brilliant in are the ones that a guy like Rios can exploit down the stretch; stamina, and a below average chin(it's not ''glass'' or anything, and he can take a decent shot, it's just not really an inherent part of him as a fighter).

This fight though, I agree with, was it El Greeno(sorry if it isn't, I only flicked through the responses I was that eager to post on Miguel) who said that there were echoes of Cotto-Margarito? Very true, in more ways than one. There's of course the palpable comparisons between the way in which both fights transpired, the better boxer doing the out-boxing before being worn down etc(the 4 men fighting similar to their counterparts also[Acosta-Cotto, more so Rios-Margarito though]), my own personal feeling of distraught came again though. Dftaylor said it in the Cotto-Margarito II build up thread, that he could've cried for Cotto that night, something I very much agree with, and something I also felt here.

I remember I was still posting mostly in the general, and I was the Acosta-guy, the only one who'd ever watched more than one of his fights going in, and the only one that could accurately talk about him. You almost grow a personal connection with the guy, one of your favourite fighters as well as the fact you're some kind of Aguacerito ambassador for loads of Americans and Mexicans, it makes it all the harder to deal with watching him get put on a stretcher. I remember just lying there, awake, unable to get this guy from Venezuela out of my mind(no homo), it also doesn't help when you get a great sense of jubilation due to the way in which he's started the fight(or the fact you receive a horrendous avatar as a result. And I know you're reading this SportsLeader you Scouse twat:twisted.

Anyways, enough about meatsch. Yeah, the size difference was clear for all to see though wasn't it? I mean, here we have a lean-looking former 130lbs-er up against a MASSIVE, relentless lightweight who's a bit more clever than he is often given credit for, it was always gonna be arduos for Miguel.

The main problem for him was that Bam Bam made him move continuously with no time for any respite in the slightest. Sure, he was able to stop sporadically to get off a combination, but that was it, there was no end to Rios' pressuring apart from the 4th where he appeared to take the round off so he could get absolutely belted around the ring. It's what wore Acosta down even earlier than what would've been the case anyways, perpetual movement, often making him move too wide, it all just adds up really. You could see that Acosta was throwing arm punches by like the 6th round, the writing was on the wall.

That said the little moves that Rios implements are very effective. Even when he was losing rounds clearly early on, he was still doing his bit in terms of tiring his man out. Those little half-steps to enable him to get in close at a faster rate were excellent, it increased the velocity of Acosta's attempts to flee, again wearing him down more. The more frantic your movement, the quicker you fatigue, and Rios can make your movemnt a hell of a lot more frantic than it otherwise would've been.

It was my only real concern going into the fight, unfortunately it was a bloody huge concern, one in which everyone who'd watched him knew could really be to his detriment. Perhaps it was because he has a lot more difficulty in terms of physicality with certain fighters since his ascent in weight, I'd certainly be interested in seeing how he would fare if he did move back down. Though at 33, and fighting for the ''Interim'' 135lbs WBA title at the weekend I doubt there's time to see that.

As for it they had a second fight, I can't really see it going that much differently. I suppose Acosta could pace himself to a more intelligent degree and still be nimble and smart enough to sweep the early rounds again, but I've seen him tire against fighters who didn't pose half of the trouble that Rios does, added to that the fact that he has in all probability regressed as a result of that fight, and Rios as of right now is improving. I'd take Rios again, but maybe in about 11, and closer on the cards than it was first time around(if it could get closer).

Shame though, Acosta's one of the nicest guys in the game, and Rios really isn't. Though I've always been a Rios fan, I remember, again when I was still frequenting the general, I was touting Rios while everyone was touting Anthony Peterson, at least I got one right there.:yep I've always seen more in Rios than just an unintelligent plodder, he has got some nuances about him, though does have an overrated capacity for punishment.

 

The beauty of marquez is that whilst he is an intelligent accurate counter punch hes more than happy to go to war. I disagree that Diaz or kats gave him fits as i always see marquez as comfortable in a brawl although he does love to go down to give his opponent more of a chance.

Think a focussed, motivated mitchell does ok against rios but only just makes it into the second half of the fight. JMM stops him late. Murray doesnt make it 5.

 

My belief is that Rios' chin is a level above (whatever that means) the chin of Kats. I would agree that apart from the 3rd, JMM was largely in control against Kats but Diaz gave him what I would describe as 'fits' with his pressure and Rios' pressure would be even more relentless and the other thing we know about Rios is that he hits a lot harder than the other two. My theory is more of a hunch, but if Rios and Marquez ever meet up, particularly after Pac III, I would fancy Rios to win via a stoppage.

 

Rios gets way too much man love on the Brit forum. I know he's exciting and all and a bit of a bad ass, but he's not the second coming. What makes him better than Alfredo Angulo really?

 

Yes, as you and I have agreed on before, he's more a mini-Angulo (to a tee) than a mini-Margarito.

He's a massive 135lber though, and bar JMM (if he ever returns) it's a fractured division where the last wave (Baby Bull, Kats, Casa) are done, at the weight and as fighters (Katsidis probably has only a couple of decent contender type fights in him before he's completely done IMO, Casa is just a corpse) and Rios has a couple of good wins on the trot now.

Acosta Vs Uchiyama at 130 would sort that division out. The winner of that Vs Gamboa is an incredible dream! Would be ace.

Rios just looks the most dangerous of the current crop of '135lbers' IMO. :good

And the Cintron fight still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Although I think if he had a rematch Angulo would decimate him. Angulo Vs Lara is the fight to make (as I can't see Canelos handlers going anywhere near the matchup) or, for excitement, Angulo Vs P-Dub. The Mexican has gotta' do something though, he was looking monsterous against lower level opposition as of that (Alcine was never all that despite the strap IMO)

 

Angulo is slow as **** though, perhaps a little slower than Rios for handspeed which is maybe the only difference. He's got to be careful he doesn't ship an early big shot against Kirkland, despite Kirkland being a comical figure now he will still have a dig and fighters like Angulo always get touched against lefties.

 

What inspired this latest subject? :think

Was it the recent poor man's version of Rios-Acosta? (Linares-DeMarco :yep)

 

Kirkland is an accumulative puncher IMO. Or maybe he did have a real big dig but his legs are gone (too much getting bummed in prison probably) and I think Angulo would deal with him. Early.

And then HBO will push for the Angulo-Ishida superfight ;-):nut

 

Dont you have any love for Ishida?!

 

The guy is a laughing stock at work because Kirklands chin is so shocking. If anyone mouths off we say summat along the lines of 'don't make me do an Ishida on ya' and throw poofy slaps making a quick-fire combo 'psst' sound.

I'm sure he's decent enough, obviously durable as well. But I think more badly of Kirkland than I do on Ishida. He evidently punches like a girl, just watch and listen

 

The Japanese Hearns :happy