Why New Ironsides is the better American counterpart to HMS Warrior

What would have happened if HMS Warrior fought USS Monitor?

USS Monitor was too small and low in the water for the open-ocean role. USS New Ironsides was the more useful American counterpart, although Warrior was much larger and designed for worldwide service.

USS Monitor's low freeboard made an open-ocean meeting with HMS Warrior dangerous before either ship fired. Warrior was faster, more manoeuvrable in deep water, and carried more guns. USS New Ironsides offers a better comparison because she was a conventional ironclad frigate built to defend the United States and operate from its own coast. The different missions help explain why the American ship displaced roughly 4,000 tons while the Royal Navy design displaced roughly 9,000. The useful comparison is between ships designed for different operating areas, rather than a duel chosen because Monitor and Warrior are the best-known early ironclads.