Tag Archives: rigondeaux

Posted on 06/18/2017

Ward Stops Kovalev With Violent Body Attack
By: Sean Crose

No one could have predicted this. No one.

For Andre Ward stopped the frightening Sergey Kovalev…with body blows in the eighth round. Truly, it was a stunning and brutal end for the light heavyweight title fight. For it was Kovalev who was long known as the terrifying ring monster. Ward, on the other hand, was seen more as the tactician. Yet ultimately the bout came down to tactical destruction. Seeing Kovalev crumpled helpless by the ropes was simply stunning for fight fans to see.

Photo Credit: HBO

It was some kind of fight.

And, sure enough, the fight seemed VERY close throughout. Kovalev’s shot were hard and he was as aggressive as they came as he stalked Ward about the ring. The night, however, ultimately belonged to Ward “I’ve never been the most talented,” Ward claimed after the bout, as he thanked Jesus. “I’ve never been the biggest.” He didn’t need to be, either. Even though it looked to this writer that he was losing almost as many rounds as he was winning, Ward’s body attack took a brutal toll on his Russian nemesis.

Kovalev claimed that Ward hit him low on several occasions. On the last occasion, however it seemed as if Kovalev was feinting injury from a submarine shot that wasn’t actually a submarine shot. Indeed, the shot seemed to land on the beltline at worst. Perhaps Ward sensed it, too, for Kovalev was clearly hurt shortly thereafter. And then the Oakland native went for the kill, ending things by tearing into the body rather than the head. It proved to be a perfect strategy, as referee Tony Weeks stepped in and stopped the bout.

It was an interesting night of boxing in other ways, as well. For Guillermo Rigondeaux knocked out Moises Flores with a shot that clearly landed after the bell closed the second round of their super bantamweight fight. Whether the shot was launched before or after the bell rang was a matter of some debate – but it was the Miami resident’s bout…at least for the time being.

In earlier fights, Dmitry Bivol stopped Cedric Agnew in a light heavyweight bout that made it clear that Agnew no longer has the skill which once troubled Sergey Kovalev a few years ago. Earlier still, Luis Arias dominated Arif Magomedov in the fifth round of a middeweight affair.

Posted on 06/15/2017

HBO PPV Preview: Rigondeaux vs. Flores, Bivol vs. Agnew, Ward vs. Kovalev
By: William Holmes

HBO Sports will present four fights on Pay Per View on Saturday night which will feature a main event rematch between the two top boxers in the light heavyweight division, Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward.

Their first bout was a close and entertaining affair that saw Ward scratch out a decision victory after being knocked down early in the bout. Ward and Kovalev genuinely dislike each other and this bout should be as entertaining as the first one.

Main Events and Roc Nation will be co-promoting this event which will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The following is a preview of three of the planned televised bouts.

Dmitry Bivol (10-0) vs. Cedric Agnew (29-2); Light Heavyweights

Prospect Dmitry Bivol is a two time Russian National Gold Medalist as an amateur at two different weights and has never tasted defeated. He lives in Russia but was born in Kyrgyzstan and has never tasted defeated.

Bivol will be four years younger than Agnew, who just turned thirty. They are both six feet tall. Agnew was a runner up in the National Golden Gloves as an amateur.

Both boxers have decent power, but Bivol appears to be the harder puncher. He has eight stoppage wins in only ten fights, while Agnew has fifteen stoppage wins and one stoppage loss.

Bivol has been very active and already fought twice in 2017 and three times in 2016. He has defeated the likes of Samuel Clarkson, Robert Berridge, and Felix Valera. Bivol has never faced someone with a losing record, which is rare for prospects as they are usually brought up slowly.

Agnew’s biggest wins have come against boxers past their primes. He has defeated the likes of Yusaf Mack, Otis Griffin, and Daniel Judah. His two losses were to Sergey Kovalev and a man that Bivol has defeated, Samuel Clarkson.

Agnew is a decent boxer with a good looking record, but he’s been fairly inactive since his loss to Kovalev. He only fought once in 2017 and did not fight at all in 2016. This is a bout that Bivol should win quite easily.

Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0) vs. Moises Flores (25-0); WBA Junior Featherweight Title

Guillermo Rigondeaux is one of boxing’s best talents and unfortunately, one of boxing’s most avoided fighters.

He’s a two time Olympic Gold Medalist and a two time Gold Medalist in the world amateur championships. He’s slick, quick, and has some incredible defense on top of pin point accuracy. But, his style is considered boring by the average fan and he struggles to bring in a large fan base.

He’s facing his mandatory challenger for his WBA Junior Featherweight title, but it doesn’t appear Flores will be a real challenge to him.

Flores does have an edge in the physicals. He’s six years younger than Rigondeaux and will have a five inch height advantage and about a one inch reach advantage. He’s also been more active than Rigondeaux, but not by much. Flores fought once in 2016 and twice in 2015. Rigondeaux fought once in 2016 and once in 2015.

Flores also doesn’t have the amateur pedigree of Rigondeaux and hasn’t faced good opposition.

Rigondeaux has defeated the likes of James Dickens, Drian Francisco, Joseph Agbeko, Nonito Doniare, Roberto Marroquin, Teon Kennedy, and Rico Ramos. He has eleven stoppage wins on his record but has been unable to entice any of the other world champions to face him in the ring.

Flores has spent most of his career fighting in Mexico against sub-par opposition. He has seventeen stoppage victories, but only two of his past five fights resulted in a TKO or KO victory. His notable wins have come against Oscar Escandon and Mario Macias.

Rigondeaux needs an entertaining victory badly if he wants to stay relevant and land a date on HBO or Showtime. Hopefully he takes some risks to go for the stoppage on Saturday, but there’s little to no doubt that will emerge victorious.

Andre Ward (31-0) vs. Sergey Kovalev (30-1-1); WBO, WBA, and IBF Light Heavyweight Titles

Their first bout was close, very close, and many boxing aficionados thought Kovalev did enough to win the decision. However, the judges disagreed and scored the bout 114-113 on all three cards for Andre Ward.

Luckily for fight fans they get to witness a rare rematch between two of a division’s best on Saturday night, between two boxers who genuinely dislike each other.

Both boxers are nearing the end of their prime. Ward is thirty three years old and Kovalev is thirty four. They are both six feet tall and Kovalev will have a slight one and a half reach advantage on Ward.

Ward is known for his slick, defensive boxing and his accurate counter punching. Kovalev is known for his devastating power. Ward only has fourteen stoppages in his career while Kovalev has twenty six of his opponents.

However, Kovalev’s last two opponents made it all twelve rounds and he was not able to stop the aged Bernard Hopkins. Kovalev’s power appears to be waning.

Ward had a considerable amount of success as an amateur and was able to win the Gold Medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Kovalev won a gold medal in the Russian Amateur Championships, but did not experience the type of success Ward experienced as an amateur.

Ward has defeated the likes of Alexander Brand, Sullivan Barrera, Edwin Rodriguez, Chad Dawson, Carl Froch, Arthur Abraham, Sakio Bika, Allan Green, Mikkel Kessler, Edison Miranda, and of course Sergey Kovalev.

Kovalev has defeated the likes of Isaac Chilemba, Jean Pascal, Bernard Hopkins, Blake Caparello, Ismayl Sillah, Nathan Cleverly, and Gabriel Campillo.

Ward is a slick, intelligent boxer who’s able to adjust his style mid match to defeat his opponent. Kovalev’s power caught him off guard in their first fight, but he was able to adjust and win a majority of the rounds in the second half of the fight. Kovalev’s power appears to be escaping him and he looked frustrated in the later rounds against Ward.

Even though their first bout was very close, a rematch favors Ward and this writer expects him to win by a more comfortable margin.

Posted on 05/10/2017

​Rigondeaux returns to face Flores on Ward vs. Kovalev Undercard
​By: Eric Lunger
​
​While the boxing world has been abuzz this week over the looming heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko, news broke in the super bantamweight division as Main Events announced that Guillermo Rigondeaux will face Moises Flores on the Ward vs. Kovalev II undercard.

Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs), the highly decorated Cuban amateur and undefeated professional, has become something of a white whale for hardcore boxing fans. He was last seen in action in Cardiff, Wales, in July of 2016, when the Miami based southpaw stopped James “Jazza” Dickens in two rounds with a blistering overhand left, breaking Dicken’s jaw.

Rigondeaux has faced difficulties in getting opponents to fight him. He has been criticized for being boring and risk-averse, yet he is such a talented boxer (Freddie Roach said he was the best defensive fighter that he’d ever seen) that few want to risk a bout against him. To be blunt, “Rigo” doesn’t pull much money in terms of broadcast revenue, and he will probably beat you.

​Stung by this type of criticism, Rigondeaux is ready to make a statement on what could be the biggest boxing stage of the summer, if not the year. “It’s going to be a chance to show HBO what they want to see,” Rigondeaux said via a Main Events press release…

“Some say I’m not exciting but it’s not my fault that once my opponents feel my power, they start running and stop throwing punches. Regardless of that, I’m going to give them what they want. I will be standing in the middle of the ring toe-to-toe and putting on a show for the fans.”

​That sounds like a fighter who knows this could be his last chance to win over those fans skeptical of his overly defensive style. For his part, Flores (25-0, 17 KOs) is excited to have the opportunity to face Rigondeaux: “I never stopped my preparations from the original date and look forward to making the Mexican fans proud when I defeat the great Rigondeaux.” A win for Flores against the Ring magazine #7 Pound-for-Pound would certainly put Flores on the map, and would be another great victory in the storied annals of Mexican boxing. Hailing from Guadalajara, Flores has had few high profile bouts in the US. The bright lights of an HBO pay-per-view will be a new experience for him, but expect nothing but professionalism from the tough Mexican fighter.

​I am excited to see Rigondeaux back in the ring, and Main Events and Roc Nation Sports are putting together a dynamite card for June 17. For the record, I love watching Rigondeaux box. His combination of defensive head movement, footwork, and blazing hand speed is, simply, mesmerizing. To see him face off against a talented and hard-nosed Mexican champion is going to be a real treat.
​

Posted on 12/29/2016

Why Carl Frampton Is Not My Fighter Of The Year
By: Sean Crose

Okay, first things first – there’s something a bit misleading about the title of this article. The truth is that I don’t have a FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, per se. Indeed, you won’t find me listing the greatest fights, fighters, knockouts, and whatever else here at Boxing Insider. Not that I mind writers bestowing such honors. To the contrary, I often find the whole exercise fascinating. Again, though, you won’t see me engaging in it here – at least not this year. Still, I don’t feel Carl Frampton is worthy of the honor anywhere – even though I like the guy.

There’s no doubt the Irishman has had a hell of a year for himself. First, he defeated Scott Quigg for various superbantmweight titles last winter. Then , in a terrific display, the 22-0 slugger went on to defeat fellow undefeated pugilist – and WBA super world featherweight champion – Leo Santa Cruz under the bright lights of Brooklyn. Furthermore, Frampton is now set to face off against Santa Cruz again, this time in Vegas, next month. And, as a cherry to place atop the sundae, Frampton also comes across as a polite and likeable guy. To be sure, there isn’t much not to like.

Still, I can’t think of Frampton without the name of one Guillermo Rigondeaux popping into my head. To be sure, Frampton and superbantamweight Rigondeaux now operate at different weight classes. That wasn’t always the case, though. Indeed, there has been interest in having the two men meet over the years. Sadly, however, team Frampton clearly wants nothing to do with the Cuban stylist. Indeed, Sky Sports quoted Frampton’s manager, Barry McGuigan, last March referring to Guillermo as “negative.” Uh-huh. “What do we gain by fighting him?” McGuigan asked.

Perhaps not much more than a loss, Barry. Rigondeaux is exceedingly skilled, after all. Still, ducking one of the world’s top talents shouldn’t be taken lightly. Yes, Rigondeaux can be boring and no he hasn’t endeared himself to a strong fan base. What’s more, Rigondeaux may cause Frampton to lose out on future pay days, should he make Frampton look bad. Make no mistake about it, avoiding Rigondeaux is understandable, especially when one is repeatedly willing to face the likes of Santa Cruz, as Frampton is. Yet there are consequences for such actions, as well. At least there should be.

There’s no doubt that Frampton is an impressive talent. It should not be forgotten, however, that he has avoided a perhaps even greater talent on his way to earning accolades.

Posted on 11/04/2016

Controlling Distance and Minimalism: Analyzing Wladimir Klitschko and Guillermo Rigondeaux
By: Sean Kim

Both Wladimir Klitschko and Guillermo Rigondeaux possess an incredible calm in the ring which manifest in the form of a patient chess match with each fight. The two give the impression to viewers that rather than conform to impulsive and instinctive contests of strengths, these two understand that objective calculation is what distinguishes good boxers from the greatest. The two calm warriors employ a similar style in the ring, not just in the form of their tactical nature, but also in the form of their stances and minimalist punch output.

Such a fighting style is what has permitted them to dominate their matches with great ease and simplicity, all the while greatly reducing any damage to themselves.

In the matchup between Wladimir Klitschko v.s. David Haye, what we were presented with was a boxing clinic by arguably one of the most patient Heavyweight Champions in boxing history. Klitschko’s neutralization of David Haye’s ferocity was not merely due to his great weight advantage (though no doubt, this was a huge factor in Klitschko’s dominance.) Klitschko’s ability to master his own emotional status throughout the incredibly long duration of 12 consecutive rounds showcased Klitschko to be an individual of great self-restraint, objectivity and cool-headed calculation.

Klitschko was able to control distance with his far reach by leaving his lead hand out to gauge distance, while simultaneously allowing his lead hand to serve as a defense against Haye’s attacks from his left as Klitschko simply moved back. Such a simple backwards maneuver yet perhaps such subtle movement is perceived as nothing special, yet one might say that the most subtle and minimal of techniques utilized by boxers are perhaps the most impressive feats accomplished in the ring.

After all, it’s easy to get caught up in overthinking one’s own strategy in the heat of the moment. This is especially since the impending danger of getting smashed in the face could disrupt one’s own thinking process! When a fighter loses his focus, he can throw wild swings despite his habitual discipline in restraining such punches, or begin to throw lazy jabs as he loses his spirits and self-awareness. However, because Klitschko was able to maintain absolute dominance and mastery of the distance between himself and Haye- all with a high level of serenity and objective analysis- Klitschko knew exactly what to do in answer to many of Haye’s offensive attempts:

Step back and keep the lead hand where it is.

This is extremely simple and because it is so, this revealed Klitschko’s highly disciplined tactical nature.

This also permited Klitschko’s lead hand to serve multiple purposes simultaneousy: fluster Haye’s concentration, establish domination of distance, gauge distance and- while keeping the lead hand where it is- serve as defense as he steps back.

This is such a simple feat to physically accomplish just by leaving the lead hand out, yet the tactical benefits are tremendous.

Unfortunately for David Haye, his greatest accomplishments within the ring were in throwing a series of jabs to the stomach and to the head of Wladimir Klitschko, all the while finding a majority of his offense being blocked or countered as he is unable to attack comfortably at an uncomfortable distance. Instead of attacking with timing and calmness, Haye lunged in with an overexertion of excitement!

Haye was clearly over anxious throughout the entirety of the fight, and one might say that Klitschko just had the huge weight advantage, yet Klitschko clearly was able to force a chess match onto the arena, while Haye was forced to simply come forward.

A come-forward style just simply does not work against the likes of Klitschko who has absolutely mastered the art of minimalism and simplicity.

Such a style permits a long-lasting bout of consistent cerebral command, while simultaneously reducing significant damage to the body and chin of the stylist in question.

Such minimalism and objective calculation pitted against a come forward style was also evident in the matchup between Guillermo Rigondaeux and Nonito Donaire.

Interestingly enough, both Klitschko and Rigondeaux keep their lead hand in front of the opponent’s face for gauging distance, mastering distance throughout the fight, controlling the rhythm and pace of the match, comfortably throwing in a rare combination here and there experimentally, and to perhaps even subconsciously distract the opponent’s strategic thinking as he concentrates on the lead hand until…

WAM!

A POWERFUL CROSS IS THROWN IN HIS FACE!

Donaire in that fight was also forced into a come forward style against Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Rigondeaux himself was phenomenal in his calm demeanor, constantly moving laterally.

Straight left crosses by Rigondeaux to Donaire’s stomach were very common as were right hooks to the head. Fascinating how Donaire- despite his boxing IQ- could not adjust to Rigondeaux’s minimal yet repetitious array of punching angles.

It goes to show that even though Donaire may have the boxing acumen to theoretically adjust to certain attacks, Rigondeaux’s power and timing must have been the deciding factor in keeping Donaire at bay. After all, Rigondeaux is known for his subtle yet profound punching power. He even TKOd Jazza Dickens with a single straight left to the chin!

This is to show that such a minimalist style as employed by Rigondeaux can be enjoyed by those who have such great power, patience and acumen simultaneously. Timing has so much to add to his power, otherwise if Rigondeaux were to use his punches in high quantity flurries, like Amir Khan or Sugar Ray Leonard, his power would not be as effective.

Therefore, from both a mental and physical angle simultaneously, each singular punch is that much more of an exclamation point in Donaire’s experience, both physically and perhaps more importantly, strategically. This must have thrown off Donaire’s sense of self-confidence and trust in his own acumen, reflexes, predictions and counters as he tried to figure out just what the hell to do with this pure boxing grandmaster standing right in front of him.

How else did Rigondeaux throw the same types of punches to Donaire with such high confidence, dominating with a minimal array of punching angles?

Whenever Donaire lost his cool and threw a flurry of punches from time to time, the boxing match’s patient momentum and pattern is still maintained when Rigondeaux can just slip and slide such flurries effortlessly. So even if Donaire was able to act with aggressive alternatives to break up the monotony, Rigondeaux was prepared always.

Rigondeaux is able to control the geometrical spatial nature of the match with both his perfectly timed power as well as his footwork’s angles. His footwork is extremely fluid and he is able to flow at will with the impulse of the moment, whereas on the other hand, all Donaire was able to do in his frustration- despite his boxing IQ- was to come forward. After all, with Rigondeaux, how could you possibly try to outbox the grandmaster of pure boxing? Therefore, Donaire by default, coming into the matchup, by way of a style matchup, could only come forward really.

But then Donaire is set off out of his comfortability at that point. He himself is a versatile boxer who can box as well as swarm. However, such a style would cause for a thinking match either way, and in a thinking match, Rigondeaux would come out on top. So for Donaire to be- by default- compelled to simply come forward, would also make for an absolute win-in-advance in favor of Rigondeaux, who has- even before the match had begun- neutralized Donaire’s best asset: his thinking process.

Such a result occurs when two fighters of completely different plateaus of skill step into the ring.

Wladimir Klitschko and Guillermo Rigondeaux both give off a presence in the ring where calm and calculation take centerfold into the arena, as opposed to a brutal contest of who is the stronger man. For two individuals to dominate their weight divisions the way they have in such calm fashion attests to the cerebral grandeur which these two possess. They are simply two of the greatest active boxers in contemporary times as well two of the most intelligent ones.

Posted on 10/25/2016

A Look at the Junior Featherweight Division
By: Eric Lunger

While the heavyweight division is still in flux with Tyson Fury’s sudden withdrawal from the Klitschko fight, and while fans and commentators are still tying themselves into pretzels over the lack of unification in the middleweight division, there is a golden generation in the junior featherweight class. But unfortunately, though perhaps predictably, all four of the major belts are held by different fighters: Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KO’s) WBA; Nonito Donaire (37-3, 24 KO’s) WBO; Jonathan Guzman (22-0, 22 KO’s) IBF; and Hozumi Hasegawa (36-5, 16 KO’s) WBC.

Let’s take a look at these four stars and see where the division is headed. First off, I will make a confession: I am a huge Guillermo Rigondeaux fan. I know that some find him boring and dull, with a cautious defensive style. He is brilliant defensively, and he will pull some slips and upper body movements that will make you shake your head in disbelief. But he also has tremendous firepower in his left hand and will unleash it with unexpected ferocity. Watching Rigondeaux fight is like playing with liquid gelignite: it might explode at any moment. Unfortunately, Rigo can’t seem to get anyone into the ring with him. His last fight, this summer against James “Jazza” Dickens in Cardiff, Wales, was a disappointment. Rigondeaux and his team did a great job in the pre-fight build up, including an incredible display of athleticism during an open workout in downtown Cardiff, but the bout itself consisted of one round of Rigo measuring Dickens, and a second round in which the Cuban launched a devastating left that broke Dickens’ jaw. His corner waved the fight off.

So the question remains for Rigondeaux: whom to fight next? He only fought once in 2015. He has already beaten Donaire (in April of 2013) by unanimous decision. “Most feared and avoided in the division” is a cliché, but an apt one for Rigondeaux. Carl Frampton said as much after his Santa Cruz fight, bluntly stating that Rigo does not bring enough money to a fight to justify the risk. Rigondeaux has been picked up by Roc Nation promotions, so perhaps there is hope for fans that we might see him in the ring again soon.

Out of the four junior featherweight title-holders, Nonito Donaire is probably the best known. He has 40 professional bouts under his belt at age 33, so he has been around the block more than once. Impressive and articulate in interviews, Donaire knows where he is in terms of his career, and what he expects to get out of boxing over the next few years. He took a loss (TKO in the sixth) to Nicholas Walters in November of 2014, though in that bout he had moved up to the 126 lbs. limit, and Walters did look significantly bigger than Donaire in the ring. Since then, Nonito has been managed well, and has been put into position for an exciting fight on November 5 against Jesse Magdaleno (23-0, 17 KO’s), on the Lomachenko-Walters undercard. I am excited to see how Donaire handles Magdaleno’s speed and power. It should be a compelling bout.

Jonathan Guzman won the IBF belt (which Frampton vacated) by defeating Shingo Wake (20-4-2, 12 KO’s) in Osaka, Japan in July of this year. Guzman, from the Dominican Republic, has heavy hands and an attractive, fan-friendly style. He is aggressive without being reckless, comes forward consistently, and possesses excellent hand speed. Guzman handled Wake without any real trouble, though a head clash in the second round open a bad cut under Wake’s right eye. The damage was a factor in the rest of the fight and in the 11th round stoppage. Guzman is tentatively scheduled to defend his belt against Yukinori Oguni (18-1, 7 KO’s) in Japan on December 31st.

Finally, there is Hozumi Hasegawa of Japan. He is an interesting fighter with a long, professional record. Hasegawa won the WBC strap by defeating Hugo Ruiz (36-3, 32 KO’s) last month in Osaka. Hasegawa briefly held the WBC featherweight title, losing it to Jhonny Gonzalez in 2011, but he reigned as the WBC bantamweight champion from 2005 until 2010, making a remarkable 10 successful defenses in that period. For all that, Hasegawa has never fought outside of Japan. A southpaw, Hasegawa fights from range, using a pawing right jab to slap down his opponent’s lead, while looking to land his looping overhand left.

In the Ruiz fight, Hasegawa was better but not dominant. He scored a lot of straight overhand lefts from his southpaw stance, but Ruiz often presented a stationary target. Hasegawa out-pointed Ruiz, but the Japanese fighter was clearly hittable. He is certainly willing to trade and to take a punch in order to land one. The ninth round showcased some incredible action, with Ruiz managing to pin Hasegawa against the ropes and delivering a sustained attack. But, incredibly, the thirty-five year old Hasegawa found the strength to rally, launched his own flurry off the ropes, and blasted Ruiz back into the center of the ring. Ruiz’s corner did not allow their man to come out for the 10th, as Ruiz had sustained significant damage. Do yourself a favor and watch the ninth round again (preferably with Japanese commentary for atmosphere); you won’t be disappointed.

Clearly, Hasegawa is in his later years, career and boxing-wise, with Donaire not that far behind. But Guzman and Rigondeaux are in their prime, and either fighter could make a viable bid to unify the division. What would it take to get Guzman and Rigondeaux together in the ring? In the current atmosphere of fighters tending to avoid risky fights, it will take a lot. But we can dream, can’t we?

Posted on 08/03/2016

After A Brilliant Victory, Frampton Publicly Declares He’ll Keep Avoiding Rigondeaux
By: Sean Crose

Why, Carl Frampton, why?

You looked so good on Saturday night against Leo Santa Cruz! Indeed, you looked brilliant. Sure enough, I said aloud that I thought you might be able to actually beat Guillermo Rigondeaux if you two should some way, somehow, get around to actually fighting. You made it clear after beating Santa Cruz convincingly that you still wouldn’t be facing Rigo, however…you just wouldn’t. Fair enough, but make no mistake about it, this avoidance of a gifted foe will follow you around. Count on it.

For while the internet makes life easier for people, it also makes for longer memories. There will always be a tweet or post out there to remind people that you avoided the best competition available. In short, people won’t forget. Perhaps you don’t care. You indicated after the Santa Cruz fight that you’ve got a family to support, after all, and that you need to focus on money. Again, fair enough, but just remember that you’re making a lot more than the average boxing fan right now. A lot more. You’ve also got the looks and personality to have a successful career around the fight game after you retire – so long, of course, as you keep your brains about you.

Oh, and claiming you don’t want to fight Rigo because the match will be boring is lame. Honestly, it sounds like a cop out. Saying, as you did, that you “would fight anyone,” except that you “want to be involved in exciting fights,” smells, frankly, like a duck. Sure, Rigo can be boring. Really boring. Every honest person can admit as much – but he’s in your general weight realm and most think he’s better than you. Although that puts you in a sticky position, it is what it is.

Look, there’s a lot to like about you, Carl Frampton. You’re a gentleman and you’re a hell of a fighter – two things boxing always needs. There’s no doubt you’re physically brave, but it looks like you’ve got a world class case of career fear, even now, during what may well be your crowning ring achievement. And while it’s true there’s good reason for you to have that uneasiness, you’re a professional boxer and professional boxers don’t look good when they obviously avoid tough competition. That’s even true in this day and age.

Again, it’s easy to sympathize with you on this, Carl. For Rigo is indeed the ultimate high risk, low reward opponent. You’re an athlete, however, and an athlete who avoids a legitimate challenge tarnishes his legacy. And that’s something to think about.

Posted on 07/25/2016

Santa Cruz And Frampton Would Rather Punch Each Other’s Lights Out Than Face Rigo
By: Sean Crose

Sure, Saturday’s bout between Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz will probably be exciting. These are two fighters who can excite, after all. They’re both also quite popular and lucrative properties, to put it bluntly. Yet therein lies the problem to me. These guys are bringing in bucks and eyeballs while avoiding the biggest threat out there that either of them could face – Guillermo Rigondeaux. Sure, they could say that they’re in a different division than Rigo now, but everyone knows that’s crap. These two have been avoiding the slick Cuban for ages – so much so they’d rather punch each other’s lights out than be made to look foolish for twelve rounds.

Look, I understand that boxing is “prize fighting,” and that it may well have been first designed to be a part of the entertainment business as opposed to the sport’s world. That doesn’t mean it should stay that way, though. The truth is, boxing isn’t pro wrestling, it’s ultimately a sport (whether it was originally designed to be one or not), and competition should be first and foremost on everyone’s mind. Indeed, the reality is that the New York Yankees might bring a lot more eyeballs to the World Series than, say, the Tampa Bay Rays…but baseball fans would be outraged if the top division teams didn’t get to play in the big one at the end of the season. Where is that sense of fairness among those of us who love the sweet science?

Well, it’s there when we want it to be, it seems, but only when we want it to be. We call bullshit when Canelo calls GGG into the ring, then gives up his title rather than face the man. We make Stevenson a virtual nonentity for not getting it on with Kovalev. We do not, however, charge Santa Cruz and Frampton of ducking Rigo. We simply nod our heads, laugh, and say Rigo is too boring to watch anyway. Fair enough, but we then need to remember that boxing is the entity we ourselves allow it to be. We either wish it to be about who is the best or we don’t.

What we need to remember, however, is that there’s consequences to our choices. When we pick an entertainment business over true competition, we avoid having to watch Rigo potentially bore the hell out of us in a twelve round snoozer. Yet we also get the Canelo-GGG scenario, and Danny Garcia facing less than challenging opposition. It’s a tradeoff, plain and simple.

And, for all our griping, it appears to be one we fight fans are willing to accept.

Posted on 07/17/2016

Rigondeaux’s Left Leaves Dickens a Broken Man
By: Oz Ozkaya

The WBA World Super-Bantamweight clash between champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, and challenger Jamie ‘Jazza’ Dickens, certainly didn’t fail to produce the world class touch that many had paid to see. Sadly, in the short two rounds that were witnessed, it was only Rigondeaux who produced that small glimmer of class. After a steady start, Rigondeaux quickly got his eye in and dealt a fatal left-handed hook shot that broke the jaw of Jamie Dickens.

Leading up to this fight, Rigondeaux, or as he is better known ‘Rigo’, had been caught up in a Visa complication which ultimately led to the cancellation of the previously arranged fight with Dickens, back in March. However, with everything during the build-up running much smoother this time; the fight was all that was left to complete.

Rigondeaux and Dickens, as you could suspect, both talked about defeating one another in their own spectacularly envisaged ways pre-fight. But with Rigondeaux appearing extremely focused through all the press that he had done, in addition to the public pad work sessions where he showed off how quick and skillful he is, it was widely thought that he was going to make light work of Dickens and claim yet another scalp to add to his perfect record of 16-0.

In all fairness his opponent cannot really be criticised for last night, after all, despite receiving a few lightning quick combinations from Rigondeaux in the first, of which he countered twice respectably, he never really got the chance to get going. Once he was back in the corner at the end of the second after Rigondeaux’s venomous overhead left, it was unanimously decided among the Dickens team that it was game over. The heart of Dickens wanted to fight on, but sadly for him the heads in his corner knew it was too big a risk to continue.

Speaking after the fight, a dejected Dickens tells of the motions when Rigondeaux’s left connected.

“Yeh, I knew straight away it was broken. I felt the crack when he landed. I felt it hanging off but I thought that I could carry on. I thought if it was meant to be I could get him but I knew that if he connected again, it was just going to come right off.

“We all made the call at the end of the (second) round. It was sensible really. Paul and Mick (Stevenson) said they had to pull me out, that I couldn’t go back out like that. I wanted to think I could get him but realistically it wasn’t worth it.”

It is unknown at this point as to how bad the damage on his jaw is, but one thing is for certain; The sound that the overhand left Rigondeaux delivered could probably have been heard all the way back in Miami, Florida. It was crisp, clear-cut, powerful… and thrown at the speed of light. Dickens was wobbled and appeared confused from damage, but, somehow managed to survive the onslaught.

After the fight speaking to Box Nation (Who hosted the fight on U.K television), Rigondeaux said that he wanted to stay in the U.K and fight again but only if Frank Warren would like him to. Frank Warren (Queensbury Promotions) was, of course, grinning from to cheek at the mere notion of that idea, Rigondeaux and he then subsequently shook hands in the post-ringside interview.

“I’m not the best, but I’m the most complete,” Rigondeaux said. “I ripped his jaw out. All those guys that want their jaws ripped out, I’m here!”. He then went on to say: ”Not 100 of those guys add up to 1 of me. I want hard fights. People make it boring [against me] once they feel my power.”

The future for Rigondeaux remains to be seen, at 35, this may be his last push to secure some big main event clashes. Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg were two of the fighters named post match, and Rigo appeared un-phased about who could potentially be put in front of him, the only question on his mind; when and where?.

An interesting night of Boxing in Cardiff for sure. The British & Commonwealth Super Welterweight Championship match between Luke Williams and Gary Corcoran producing arguably the best fight of the evening, in what actually turned out to be more of a highly energetic street fight than a boxing match. Williams landing some crushing blows to Corcoran in the early rounds, more memorably a swiftly executed hook managed to open up a large gash above the left eye of Corcoran. His corner then left with the job of keeping patched up thereafter.

Going into the final rounds it was all very ‘from me to you’ with the ever-changing shift in momentum. Despite somehow managing to remain composed from an earlier knockdown (which wasn’t classed as a knocked down as he miraculously bounced off the ropes and landed back on his feet) Corcoran was trying absolutely everything he could to try and slay Williams. But, the opposite happened and after withstanding a lot of tidy jab-by-jab work and meaty body shots, Williams pulled out a stunning KO from his almost empty locker.

Posted on 07/15/2016

Guillermo Rigondeaux To Defend WBA World Super-Bantamweight Title In Wales
By: Oz Ozkaya

The mysterious nature of Guillermo Rigondeaux (16-0) would intrigue even Sherlock Holmes, but Saturday night will be the 17th professional fight he would have competed in after boasting an unrivalled record of 475 victories in 487 contests as an amateur. Some would argue that he is one of the greatest boxers of all time. Others would say that he has been ruined by leeches and ghouls that have previously run his brand.

Unfortunately, in recent years, Rigo (as he is better known) has not had the greatest of luck when it has come down to agents, managers and promoters. The fight he participates in on Saturday was originally scheduled to have taken place back on March 12th, however, due to Visa complications that couldn’t be resolved the fight was cancelled and nobody knew what was to happen next.

Thankfully, Frank Warren, the promoter of Queensberry Promotions, has been able to rearrange the showdown at another venue and the now world title fight should go ahead tomorrow night instead. His opponent, a completely inexperienced one when it comes to the world level, is up-and-coming British fighter Jamie ‘Jazza’ Dickens. Dickens has never fought an opponent anywhere near the rank of Rigondeaux, but with the utmost of confidence, and with an impressive professional record (22-1), Dickens will be heading into this fight knowing that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. He knows he will have to give absolutely everything if he is to come anywhere near defeating Rigondeaux.

For the original bout, the world title wasn’t contractually agreed to have been on the line, and this was mainly because Rigondeaux had been stripped of it for failing to make a defence through a certain period of time. Since then, the WBA have recently reinstated him as their champion and so the fight now has a been given world title glorification, but having said this it is beyond doubt that Rigondeaux will be envisaging the next step ahead after this bout. Carl Frampton and Moses Flores two of the undefeated names in the division that the world would love to see try and outbox Rigondeaux.

During the final press conference in Cardiff, Rigondeaux stated: “I would like to show my respect and gratitude to Dickens for having the courage to take this fight. Dickens is the only [junior featherweight] in the world that has the guts to step in the ring with me. All of the others like to talk and talk but they don’t have the courage to actually fight. They know where to find me. I’m here and I’m ready to face anyone in the world. I’m quicker than FedEx and better than UPS.”

Dickens on the contrary, with that ever so familiar cheeky but confident Liverpudlian charm that’s very reminiscent of fellow Merseyside boys Tony Bellew and Liam Smith, presented the cameras of Boxing Nation TV with some startling confidence of his own. He went on to say: “I’ll listen to my coaches and get my hand raised at the end of the night. I’m going to box out of my skin, I know there’s more in me—that’s why I took this fight. If there’s anyone to bring it out of me I know it’s him.”

Realistically, if Dickens can manage to withstand the speed and skill of Rigondeaux for twelve rounds then that in itself should be a realistic aim for Saturday night. With Rigondeaux looking in fine fettle during public pre-fight pad and sparring sessions, it’s exciting to know that he will be bringing his A-game along with him come Saturday at Cardiff’s Ice Arena.

Posted on 06/15/2016

What’s next for Vasyl Lomachenko?
By: Jordan Seward

Vasyl Lomachenko created history last Saturday in Madison Square Garden by becoming a two-weight world champion in just his seventh professional fight.

The Ukrainian, who had an illustrious amateur career before he turned pro, delivered a brutal fifth-round knockout of Rocky Martinez to strip away and claim his WBO super-featherweight belt.

Lomachenko (6-1) has now won world titles at featherweight and super-featherweight. The Ukrainian gold medallist won his first world title when he handed Gary Russell Jr (27-1) his first and only career defeat, with a majority decision victory to claim the vacant WBO world featherweight title. Although this was his second bite at the cherry.

Orlando Salido (43-13-4) was due to make his first defence of the WBO world featherweight belt against Lomachenko in the Ukrainian’s second professional fight but Salido came in over weight and was subsequently stripped of the belt. The much bigger Salido slugged his way to a split decision victory and is the only blemish on Lomachenko’s professional record to date.

The transition from amateur boxing to professional boxing can be a difficult one, but the Ukrainian was undoubtedly ready to make the leap way before he actually did. Before turning pro, the double Olympic champion achieved just about everything that can be as an amateur and boasts an incredible record of (396-1), the only loss coming to Albert Selimov. This sort of amateur pedigree stands a fighter in very good stead to progress on to the professional ranks and Lomachenko is testament to that.

Lomachenko nurtured in the amateur ranks and bought over his speed, skill and power to the professional game seamlessly, it was there for all to see, but questions hung over his head after the defeat to Salido. Many suggested he wasn’t ready to fight at world level and needed more time as a professional before fighting for a world title. How wrong they were. If it wasn’t for Salido coming in over the 126lb limit the story could’ve been different. Not that it mattered as he claimed the very same belt a fight later and hit back at his critics by beating a 24-fight veteran in Gary Russell Jr and winning a world title in just his third professional fight.

And now, at just 28-years-old and seven fights in, it seems Lomachenko is destined to replicate the success he had in the amateurs in the professional game. The Ukrainian is already unquestionably one of the biggest rising stars of modern boxing and has proved he is the real deal in the professional ranks. The only thing left to ponder, is who’s up next for Lomachenko?

It all depends on what weight division he wants to operate in, there’s huge fights out there for him at featherweight and super-featherweight. A unification fight with the IBF world super-featherweight champion Jose Pedraza (22-0) makes sense and would certainly appeal to an American audience. Guillermo Rigondeaux (16-0) is a name being bandied about as he returns to the ring after eight months out against James Dickens (22-1) on the 16th July.

The Cuban shares two Olympic gold medals with Lomachenko and has stated in the past he would fight the Ukrainian at 126lbs. It would be interesting to see who would come out on top of this super fight with the speed and power of Lomachenko and the defensive control and swagger of Rigondeaux.

Even a fight at lightweight is a possibility. Dejan Zlaticanin (22-0) has fought in America in his last two fights and has just won the WBC world lightweight title and could be a potential next opponent for the skilful Lomachenko. If he hasn’t already cemented his position among the world’s top pound for pound fighters, becoming a three-weight world champion in just eight fights surely would.