People do not understand how much fur matters in a fight.
I had a very furry gentle Lab/Collie mix and he got attacked by Shepard mix. Got seized by the throat at a dog park and the dog had his way with him for a long period of time before we could break them apart. Once apart my dog only had two tiny cuts as the fur kept the pit from getting penetration.
It is the same with Lions and why they are called the King over Tigers who are bigger and more ferocious. Defense matters and that huge main matters in a fight against someone who will fight back..