The regiment and discpline required to become a professional boxer far surpasses most conventional martial arts, so I would tend to agree that boxers are in a separate class. Not only are they superb athletes, but their skill level is honed to near perfection. Anyone who's ever boxed in a gym will attest to that.
Under certain circumstances, MMA guys would have a chance. In an NHB, controlled match, perhaps the boxer may lack repetoire due to the rules. However, in the streets, a boxer has his skills and natural savvy and I wouldn't bet against a professional boxer fighting with no rules.
Many MMA guys are constantly shouting at boxers because that's where they'd like to be. They want to prove their worth. The fact that boxers decline to confront most MMA guys is not about fear, but professionalism. Boxers and boxing, for the most part is a professional sport that doesn't cater to just anyone wanting a match. Matches have to be earned through the ranks of boxing.
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The sage experiences without abstraction,
And accomplishes without action;
He accepts the ebb and flow of things,
Nurtures them, but does not own them,
And lives, but does not dwell.
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