By Dan Ambrose: WBA World super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (9-0, 7 KO’s) will be putting his skills on display in front of what will likely be his biggest audience as a pro in his title defense tonight against an ambitious #14 WBA Teon Kennedy (17-1-2, 7 KO’s) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kennedy, 25, is taking a big step up in competition in this fight, but he feels he’s got the type of game plan that will succeed against Rigondeaux.

Kennedy plans on using a massive amount of pressure to get the better of Rigondeaux. It’s a plan that could work in theory if Kennedy doesn’t get taken out with one of Rigondeaux’s trademark body shots before hand. There is some weakness there in Rigondeaux’s game, because he doesn’t seem capable of throwing a lot of punches.

It’s only a matter of time before he faces a guy that can handle his power and throw enough shots to beat him by a decision. The problem is Rigondeaux is such an excellent body puncher and counter puncher that it’s difficult for anyone to be able to take his shots. He has a way of hitting his opponents a split second after they’re committed to a punch, and it leaves them in bad shape, often on the canvas clutching their midsections. However, Rigondeaux is beatable, but I have serious doubts about whether Kennedy has the skills to do it.

If Kennedy is committed to throwing a lot of punches tonight, he’s going to be leaving a million openings for Rigondeaux to land one of his powerful counter punches to the body or head, and it’s going to be tough for Kennedy to survive long with Rigondeaux landing those shots.