Imagine a Rios vs Duran fight, that would have been a brilliant fight

This. Let's not go overboard with the Rios hype train. Yes, Bam-Bam is as sturdy as they come and he's an excellent infighter but Duran was noticeably better in both areas. Not to mention a bigger puncher, much more athletic AND much better conditioned. Rios' stubborness would get him to the mid-rounds but the ref would stop it soon after.

 

This would be Duran vs Moore all over again but likely ending earlier because of Duran being closer to his prime weight against Rios (135/140) than he was againt Moore (154).

 

Rios would hardly lay a glove on him. Duran stops him inside of 10 in a horribly one-sided fight. Massive, just completely ridiculous gulf in class. Not to say it wouldn't be fun, because as long as his opponents didn't fight simply to survive, Duran was always entertaining, but it would be a massacre. Rios is really good at one thing, Duran was great at just about everything.

 

The notion that Rios is "ridiculously skilled on the inside" would be rapidly put to bed if this fight happened.

 

This is the misconception with iron chins. Duran is more accurate,throws more, throws HARDER, and throws a wider variety of punches as well as having much better inside fighting skills as compare to Mike A.

People make the chin of Froch and make the chin of Rios out to be some sort of iron cement. It is iron because of the guys they had fought thus far.
Carl Froch have a 'good-very good chin' it will crack horrendously against a Prime Spinks or a Bob Foster. It will be under great danger against a Prime Nigel Benn or Roy Jones Jr.
Rios have a good chin, it will crack horrendously against Duran or any 140-147 ATG big puncher.

Iron Chins is almost as big of a myth as glass jaw.

 

You must be high as a mother ****in' tree trunk.:-( Duran would body Rios if they ever had the chance to mix it up. Rios is a good fighter...tough as nails but Duran is head and shoulders above anything Rios could ever be in this game.

 

Duran by murder in the 1st degree

 

Round 1

Rios: This guy looks pretty small and pudgy... and what's with that whack ass Charles Manson look?, this should be easy enough

Rounds 3-4

Rios: What the ****...

Rounds 6-7

Rios: Someone get this lunatic off of me! aarrggghhh ajuihiufhduadiaduhfpaf

 

Duran KO 1. Nothing spectacular at all mate.

 

Rios is as tough as they come, and he can reel shots off if you let him. But Duran would have fun with him. Duran would not stand there and let Rios try to force punches on him, he would be making him miss, even on the inside.

Duran - Intelligent Pressure.
Rios - Pressure.

Then we get in to comparing the levels of the boxers.

Duran >>>>>>>>>>>> Rios

Rios relies on his chin. Duran didn't. Had much more in his arsenal, completely different skill levels.

 

I think you've got a point here, Felix, I really do. Though a man of your unlimited intellect undoubtedly has his reasons when looking at the fighter you represent. I think it's pretty much common knowledge that any fighter against the right opponent and the right circumstances can be KO'ed clean or stopped. I think most people realize that below heavyweight, rating chin (and everything else, really) is all relative to weight class(es). That said, there are a rare few fighters that happened to be ATG's who faced the elite opposition of their time and through hell or high water, were never stopped at any point in their careers under any circumstances. Not when they were green, pre-prime, prime, peak, post-prime or even shot to hell in some instances. That is remarkable and worth noting, I think. I think there's a place for Iron Jaws and that they exist in boxing. It's the complete and polar opposite of mocking professional fighters and should be discussed.

Here's a choice list of some of boxing's Iron Jawed Warriors, those never, ever humbled in the prize ring by way of stoppage:

Kid Gavilan (143 bouts))
Billy Graham (126 bouts)
Duilio Loi (126 bouts)
Carlos Monzon (100 bouts)
Charley Burley (98 bouts)
Barney Ross (81 bouts)
Eder Jofre (78 bouts)
Marvin Hagler (67 bouts)

There are obviously a few known missing entries such as George Chuvalo who was stopped very early in fights by both Joe Frazier and George Foreman; Jake LaMotta and Gene Fullmer, who were both knocked out for the first time thanks to the power generated by Ray Robinson; Or even Robinson himself: Only having a Heat Stroke in the corner fighting for the LHW Title @ 158 lbs prevented him from making the above list with 200 FIGHTS. :deal

 

???

 

You have Ali and Louis over Duran in a pound for pound sense? I probably wouldn't have duran in the top 5, but I wouldn't argue too much if someone made a good case for it.

 

Late round tko for Duran. Rios is getting a ref stoppage but he is not getting knock out cold. He will die with his shield.

 

duran is sooooooo overrated. Lost to EVERY single elite fighter he faced, even was brutally K.O'd.