2013 the year of the Jackal! Rigondeaux

By Boxing News - 04/10/2013 - Comments

rigonBy Jack Tarpey: @jackboxing24 – This coming Saturday the boxing public will be spoilt to the mouth-watering match up of 2012’s fighter of the year judged by ring TV, Nonito “the flash” Donaire vs The most accomplished amateur boxer of all time in Guillermo “the Jackal” Rigondeaux.

Rigondeaux has won 2 gold medals from Olympic boxing in 2000 and 2004 in the Bantamweight class. He is a seven time Cuban national champion with over 400 fights and just 12 losses, his last defeat was way back in 2003 to Aghasi Mammado losing 16:13 however Rigondeaux had already beat him twice before.

World renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach has even publicly stated that Rigondeaux is the greatest talent he has ever seen, but the question remains can he take his wealth of experience and skill into the professional game and can he maintain his unbeaten run since 2003? So far so good for the Jackal with just 9 professional fights he secured the WBA Bantamweight crown and now looks to unify the division by taking on a mammoth fighter Nonito Donaire in only his 12th professional fight, many predict Donaire will be just too big and too strong for the 5”4” Guillermo Rigondeaux come fight night.

Rigondeaux so far has brushed aside every opponent he has fought since turning pro after his defection from Cuba in 2009. He has gone vaguely unnoticed in his short climb to the top which has earned him a shot at the division’s top dog in Nonito Donaire, who is currently recognised by Sky Sports as the number 4 pound for pound boxer in the world.

Rigondeaux is a patient fighter with pin point accuracy, he circles his opponent keeping them off balance and then strikes his left hand like a cobra looking to paralyse its prey, his accuracy and defence are his key main attributes as he looks to use the natural weight of his opponent against him by constantly looking for and finding the perfect counter punch. He can also revert back to his blistering speed should his opponent be wise to the counter. With Rigondeaux possessing so much natural talent it is hard to envisage a Donaire victory.

Nevertheless Donaire is the bookies favourite for a reason he is practically unbeaten suffering his first and only loss at the beginning of his career which was way back in 2001. He has a high work rate combined with a dangerous left hook which he emulates from his own child hood hero Alexis Argüello and of course his record speaks volumes having already won 10 world championship fights 7 by way of knockout.

The fight looks like it will come down to who ever makes the first mistake if Donaire can be the aggressor without leaving himself open then it should be his to take, however Donaire may get careless about what’s coming back and that is where I predict the Jackal will triumph.

Come April 13th this writer believes Guillermo Rigondeaux will make the boxing world stand up and take notice.



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