Brandon Rios vs. Diego Chaves
Lou Catalano, Staff Writer
This thing is going to be an absolute shootout for as long as it lasts, which probably depends on a couple of things.
First, how hard did Brandon Rios train? Secondly, can Diego Chaves handle Rios’ power? Chaves hung in tough with Keith Thurman last July, but was finally outgunned by the monster puncher.
Rios doesn’t have a home-run pop, but he is relentless and his beard is the stuff of legend.
In a battle of wills, in what may end up being a fight of the year contender, I’m going with Rios to pull it out.
Prediction: Rios
Vincent Nolasco, Staff Writer
This a 50-50 fight between Brandon Rios and Diego Chaves. Rios is the brawler that comes forward, taking three to land one heavy blow, while Chaves is more of a boxer-puncher the better overall fighter.
Chaves likes to use his combinations to setup his attack. It’s going to be Rios bringing the fight to Chavez in the early rounds. Rios must attack Chaves’ body early and often throughout the fight to slow him down.
In the middle rounds, Chaves will be using his boxing skills along with his combinations to offset Rios’s offensive attack. Chaves will continue the momentum into the late rounds by frustrating Rios’s and making him miss.
However, Rios will continue to land some shots to the body of Chavez, earning him a knockdown. Entering the championship rounds, both fighters will look to open up more on the offense side, and thus creating a slug fest.
At the end of the night, it’s going to be a very good fight which Chaves will narrowly win by split decision.
Prediction: Chaves
Rob Anthony, Contributing Writer
In a fight of the year candidate, Brandon Rios will get a split-decision win in an all-out-war that will remind us why we love “Bam Bam” Rios and why boxing fans love Argentine fighters.
Prediction: Rios
Juan Carlos Burgos, Contributing Writer
Brandon Rios is at a career crossroads. Does he continue to fight the way he has his whole career? This fan friendly, balls-to-the-wall gladiator style? Or does he try and employ some new wrinkles.
His body, and more importantly his brain, can’t keep taking these physically taxing fights. At a certain point his body is going to break down, though we know his heart won’t.
Diego Chaves is a powerful fighter who knows Brandon won’t be hard to find. When he has stepped up his competition Chaves has either lost–versus Thurman–or not exhibited his power–versus Omar Weiss. This could lead to fools gold vs. Rios.
Rios has a sturdy beard and will often take three to give one. This fight will go a long way in telling us how much or how little Rios has left in the tank. I think he still has enough to take Chaves’ best stuff and return fire.
Chaves will not be able to walk through that fire and I see Rios getting a late round stoppage.
Prediction: Rios
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
For Brandon Rios, this is one hell of a comeback fight. After being beaten from pillar-to-post by Manny Pacquiao late last year, Rios returns against hard-hitting Diego Chaves, who fizzled late against Keith Thurman last July.
Before Chaves lost though, he was giving Thurman a hell of a fight. Being that Chaves had only fought once outside of Argentina prior to that night, I was impressed with his composure and ability to perform under the bright lights on a Showtime telecast.
He now headlines against Rios and once again he’s in tough. I think Chaves has really good athletic ability (he’s an ex-soccer player like everyone else from Argentina), boxing skills and he has the power to out bang Rios for as long as this fight lasts.
We all know Rios is there to be hit, and he almost seems to feed off of getting pummeled, but when is it too much? If this turns into target practice for Chaves, Robert Garcia needs to do his job and call it off.
Rios’ best chance is to work the body like Thurman did in hopes of tiring the Argentine
I like Chaves by KO or TKO in a fight that should provide some fireworks.
Prediction: Chaves
