Rigo Got This: Final Thoughts

So excited about this one. Rigo got this by KO IMO. I just think that despite not having many 12 round fights under his belt, and despite him having slight chin issues (remember the weight he fights at, KO weight), he's got this.

What ya'll think, ya'll? Who got this in your mind and why?

Whatever happens it will be one hell of a fight, sheer entertainment, and a purest's dream. I know it. No stinker here, nu uh.

Excited.

Looking forward to it davide. All about rigo's durability... Hope he doesn't get tagged and takes it into the late rounds and we could have a great fight. I believe that could happen but if I were a betting man its donaire inside the distance

Great thoughts Milky.

Endurance is key to this, and concentration. Both men will probably be cagey in the opening rounds, but by the middle I expect to see some stunning technical ability. From both men.

Still backing Donaire for this, but as I've said from the off, I don't think it'll be the straight-forward cruise job some are expecting. Rigondeaux is a special talent and if he had a few more twelve-rounders and tough fights under his belt, he'd be about evens to upset Nonito at 122, in my eyes.

That said, I still think it's got the potential to be an absolutely fantastic fight. If Rigondeaux can avoid getting caught cold early on and get that silky-smooth jab going (Donaire's open to a good jab, even now) then he could well give Donaire his toughest night so far at Super-Bantam.

Donaire's such a big-time performer that I can't quite see Rigo pulling the upset, but I still think it's a must-see.

Biggest fear is that we get an early blow out which robs us of a modern classic and the inevitable rematch

It really is. The one thing that really excites me is the fact that if you had to grade their attributes: attack, defense, power, speed and so on, defense would be the weakest IMO. Bot are A class fighters but both are able to be hit, at times. Makes this one EVEN MORE EXCITING!

TRUSS, Rowley, Seanus, the boys! How you got this, I want to bet a grand on this, help me bet? (okay, a few quid, not a grand).

Dave667 makes a great point. Really hope that doesn't happen.

davidemore wrote:Dave667 makes a great point. Really hope that doesn't happen.

Stick it in your diary, boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hahahaa! it is.

Also, what happens to the loser after this? Do they go on or get forgotten? Does it depend on how they do?

Rigo all the way. Early to mid round KO. Mark my words.

Of course it could be over in the first if Nonny tags him. Looking forard to it big time.

Been invited to a friends to watch it there. He's a boxing guru if there ever was one.

Great jab this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzIOI5Bhez0

davidemore wrote:hahahaa! it is.

Also, what happens to the loser after this? Do they go on or get forgotten? Does it depend on how they do?

Undoubtedly, the loser will be labelled a massive hype job and consigned to the dustbin...by any number of internet forum users (not this one mind, we're far too level headed for that sort of nonsense)

Certainly are, what these two men have achieved is world class, and their skills are undeniable. The loser loses to the better man, that's all.

I am of the opinion that once Rigo gets tagged, any game plan he has will go out of the window. I believe it will be competetive for about 4 rounds (with Rigo probably 3-1 up and possibly getting complacent) then Donaire will catch him, and from then on it'll be one-way traffic with at least 2 visits to the canvas.

So that means Rigo will win, going on my past predictions...

azania wrote:Rigo all the way. Early to mid round KO. Mark my words.

Of course it could be over in the first if Nonny tags him. Looking forard to it big time.

Been invited to a friends to watch it there. He's a boxing guru if there ever was one.

You're watching with Gordy? Say hi from us all

DAVE667 wrote:

davidemore wrote:hahahaa! it is.

Also, what happens to the loser after this? Do they go on or get forgotten? Does it depend on how they do?

Undoubtedly, the loser will be labelled a massive hype job and consigned to the dustbin...by any number of internet forum users (not this one mind, we're far too level headed for that sort of nonsense)

Even if a boxer loses via blatant robbery some use that as a stick to beat him with. Not here though.

milkyboy wrote:

azania wrote:Rigo all the way. Early to mid round KO. Mark my words.

Of course it could be over in the first if Nonny tags him. Looking forard to it big time.

Been invited to a friends to watch it there. He's a boxing guru if there ever was one.

You're watching with Gordy? Say hi from us all

And waingro. D4 can't make it as he's helping Pac prepare his political campaign.

DAVE667 wrote:

davidemore wrote:Dave667 makes a great point. Really hope that doesn't happen.

Stick it in your diary, boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's in my diary. Davide and davide only, thought dave667 had made a good point

azania wrote:

milkyboy wrote:

azania wrote:Rigo all the way. Early to mid round KO. Mark my words.

Of course it could be over in the first if Nonny tags him. Looking forard to it big time.

Been invited to a friends to watch it there. He's a boxing guru if there ever was one.

You're watching with Gordy? Say hi from us all

And waingro. D4 can't make it as he's helping Pac prepare his political campaign.

Does PAC need a fluffer for his political campaign?

DAVE667 wrote:Biggest fear is that we get an early blow out which robs us of a modern classic and the inevitable rematch

What about Khan and Garcia.....Khan fans would have you believe he deserves a rematch!!!

Donaire early KO, he's just too good for the hyped up and brittle Rigondeaux.

Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:Biggest fear is that we get an early blow out which robs us of a modern classic and the inevitable rematch

What about Khan and Garcia.....Khan fans would have you believe he deserves a rematch!!!

Well, both of those people should have a sit down and a biscuit and think it through. What we have now is a situation where Khan loses to Garcia fair and square, has a soft comeback fight then we hear that there's going to be a LWW tournament (two semi finals that Khan doesn't participate in) and the eventual winner gets the "prize" of facing Amir Khan.

Nah, much better to ignore that lovely bit of business and risk it all by having Garcia throw left hands at his head all night long.

As the fight draws closer I have to put my obvious biases aside.

The Flash was Fighter of the Year 2012 with four stunning victories. If i was forced to bet I'd choose Donaire inside the distance between 5 and 8.

Rigo's chin seems brittle and Donaire's left hook is Off the Richter - Rigo is a southpaw with a low lead. Dangerous. If it lands it's over.

What i don't want to see is a 2 round blow out, or Rigo being written off as a nobody just because he get's sparked by arguably the best pound for pound fighter around.

What boxing needs is a great fight which goes into the second half.

Fingers crossed Rigo can avoid everything big and get the win.

If this goes to points he doesn't need 10 - 8 against.

Lessor fighters that Rigo have last far longer against Donaire. Why shouldn't he go the full 12?

I guess because he's been wobbled by less fighters than donaire, davide.

Mackem, if he gets stiffed early by the shot everyone thinks is going to nail him, you 'll gave to ask why a guy of his calibre hasn't adapted. It's not like he doesn't know what's coming. Of course knowing it and avoiding it are two different things... And he's not going yo change the habits of a lifetime. He'll have a plan and my guess is it will work for a time, its concentration and fatigue. So I don't expect an early blow out... But I've been wrong before!

davidemore wrote:Lessor fighters that Rigo have last far longer against Donaire. Why shouldn't he go the full 12?

Being better doesn't mean more durable.

I know, but there is no evidence Rigo can't go 12. In his last fight he took control in the latter 6 rounds.

I can't remember which thread I wrote on but I do remember saying at some point last year that I didn't buy into Rigondeaux as the fighter some people were speaking off.

Some were saying he was a P4P top ten fighter, and whilst I'm sure there was a hint of optimism in that belief I do know many believe he is certainly capable of such lofty heights.

I'm going to stick to my theory that he is not as good as many seem to believe and go for a Donaire win.

I was very late in jumping on the Nonito bandwagon but once I had seen him a couple of times I am engrossed by him.

I actually think Rigondeux did have the tools to make an excellent pro fighter but I think he turned pro far to late and that for me is the big difference.

Everytime I have seen him he seems to have aspects of his amateur career still lingering. The hands are low far to often and the chin is often up just waiting to be found on the way out of his attack. I also think he can be guilty of getting lazy and switching off at times....something he can not afford to do against an operator of Donaires quality.

Both do have a suspect defence but Nonito seems to ride being hit that little better.

Another aspect is the length of time both have been operating at the highest level and more importantly the activity level of both...other areas which Nonito holds the upper hand in.

I like Rigondeux dont get me wrong. He is entertaining and holds fantastic power but whilst he has a great skillset I think there are some glaring flaws in his game....ones which had he turned pro earlier may not be there now.

The last 6 fights of Donaire have shown he is capable of fighting every facet of the game...be it counter...offensive or on the back foot. He seems to be in the peak of his ability and I think he knows that this fight could really push him into that superstar status.

He does everything Rigondeux can do but for me he can do it better and doesn't have as many weaknesses. Experience will be key in this fight as will chin....

Nonito to truly arrive with a stunning stoppage between 5 & 8!!

Good response.

As its getting closer I'm going more and more towards Rigo making it harder. I still have Donaire winning but just not as easily as I first thought when it was announced. I'm not sold on Rigo, I don't watch amateur boxing so only have his pro career to go on, but I'm not sold on Donaire as a superbantam either

Donaire could get him out of there with a left hook at any point, but Rigo has power himself and his counter left to the body is brutal

If Rigo loses he wil log down as a hype job but untill then its Donaire's hardest test to date and will be a pivotal point of his legacy whe we look back

The fight will probably be boring and cagey but its a very big fight and is interestingly poised

Great insight.

Tell me any other 36 yr old who has dominated at 147.............

Im going for donaire in round 9 after a great contest. This is one of the most anticipated fights for a long time for me. Its a shame they aint better known as no casual fans will probably even know its happening and care less

DAVE667 wrote:

Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:Biggest fear is that we get an early blow out which robs us of a modern classic and the inevitable rematch

What about Khan and Garcia.....Khan fans would have you believe he deserves a rematch!!!

Well, both of those people should have a sit down and a biscuit and think it through. What we have now is a situation where Khan loses to Garcia fair and square, has a soft comeback fight then we hear that there's going to be a LWW tournament (two semi finals that Khan doesn't participate in) and the eventual winner gets the "prize" of facing Amir Khan.

Nah, much better to ignore that lovely bit of business and risk it all by having Garcia throw left hands at his head all night long.

Khan brings in the money. All roads lead to him.

Sadly it is true, Khan brings money, so he is the one they have to chase. Despite two of them having beaten him already. Systemic problem in boxing.

I think Donaires power combined with Rigondeaux being slightly suspect in terms of durbility could be crucial. A huge part of Danaires success lies in the strength and quality of his punch.

Weaknesses I would potentially see for Donaire in this fight would be work rate, accuracy with jab - especially in setting up his power shots against an elusive target like Rigondeaux and defence.

I think the problems Rigondeaux faces is how to deal with Donaires power and send enough traffic back to win rounds. I can see Rigondeaux using his defence and movement to frutrate Donaire and make him miss. I can also see him outjabbing Donaire. However it doesnt really look like hes solid enough to be able exchange or soak up punishment from Donaire. So I would expect he tries to win it from the outside using movement, jabbing and countering. The challenge I think he faces is can he do that for a full 12? And can he do enough to convince the judges fighting in that way. Against Mathebula, Donaire was comfortably outpunched, outlanded and outjabbed but he landed the more telling, quality shots. Fighters that have decided to open up against Donaire in the past, most recently Nishioka, have usually been taken out so I think Rigondeaux must box a very controlled, disciplined fight but also not stray past the line between fighting defensively and survival mode.

Great insight.

I just think that Rigo has more gears. When he uses his jab properly and not as a range finder like he did constantly in his last fight it's great. Hopefully he'll throw that with intent, and some uppers and combo's. If he gets his full arsenal working he is a big threat, if not, good night inside 12. Donaire wont coast with this guy like he has others, he'll want a KO.

I'm surprised that Donaire's susceptibility to the jab has gone relatively unnoticed to be honest, Manos. I touched on it earlier that he's open to taking a good few of them and Rigondeaux's got such a smooth southpaw jab that I just can't see him being vanquished in double quick time like others do.

I still think that Rigondeaux is a bit too good to let Donaire to run away with it, but Nonito has that pay off punch out of nowhere to turn the tide if he's struggling, which Rigondeaux just doesn't. I just can't see how Rigondeaux can go the full twelve without getting seriously shook up at some stage, and that's where the gap in experience is going to be crucial. I don't expect him to get through it if he ships a Donaire left bang on the chin.

Just can't wait to see it, though!

Donaire has faced and beaten countless quality fighters whereas Rigondeaux has fought the some total of the decent Cordoba.

Yeah I would agree that Donaires jab isnt one of his better assets. You would think against a southpaw mover its going to be practically irrelevant in this fight and that Rigndeaux could hold a decent advantage there. Against Narvaez who was a southpaw, Donaire could barely land a jab. I wouldnt be surprised to see him abandon using it in favour of just loading up power shots.

If Rigondeaux was resilient, I could see this being a tall order for Donaire. You would expect almost anyone in the division to be taken out by a Donaire left hook to the sweet spot. But what concers me about Rigondeaux is that it might not even take a particular hard punch from Donaire to hurt him and force him into a kind of survival mode or even end the fight.

Donaire's never really been much of a jabber. Even as far back as Darchinyan he really looked to initiate everything through a right hook (he used to be wide open when he threw it, as he was a little raw at the top level then, but he's shored it up nicely in recent times). His jab basically never made an appearance and I don't think he's going to change his spots now. If Rigondeaux's got even a quarter of the boxing brain to match his physical gifts, he should be well aware that Nonito will be looking for that shot to get the exchanges rolling, so he should be ready for it.

A lot gets made of Rigondeaux's low guard, but Donaire's isn't exactly out of a textbook either and he does leave that window open for a good, hard jab upstairs. He's got away with it because of his speed in the past, but he's facing a speed merchant in Rigondeaux himself this time out. Maybe Donaire's a touch quicker with his hands (certainly with his feet!) but the Cuban is at least in the same ballpark, unlike most of Donaire's other victims.

While he may well still lose, I do think Rigondeaux will acquit himself well enough to prove that the 'hype' is justified.

Will be a very interesting battle to be fair, one that i am very much looking forward to!

Im predicting a Rigondeaux win via a UD or LKO.

I just think that although he is untested and "new" to the Pro game, he probably has the technique and foot speed (probably the best in the game) to really trouble Donaire.

If he uses this to his advantage and manages to make Donaire miss his power shots, then i can see some brutal counters going Donaires way via the body and face.

Jab Jab Jab..........i really do think we may be in for a suprise here.

However, like ive said previously, if Donaire gets just ONE shot on Rigo, its lights out. He does not hold a shot too well (like Khan in comparison) and with Donaire proving his power over the past years, i can see it ending early as well.

A lot on the line here and could go either way, but my gut is telling me that Rigo will dish out a boxing lesson to Donaire.

I just feel it.

Donaire KO 1

If Rigondeaux can even compete against Donaire i'll be amazed, his power, skill and most notably footwork are first class, 3rd round KO.

Rigo inside 6. BOOM!

Has Donaire ever been down let alone hurt in his career?

Just watched the weigh in, Rigo's upper body looks massive for his frame, both easily made the limit and looked great.

Can't wait for this!

Imperial Ghosty wrote:Has Donaire ever been down let alone hurt in his career?

Don't think Donaire has ever been down, he has been hurt but not visibly wobbled I don't think

The way I see it...

Rigo's jab from what I have seen is very poor indeed, he paws at the gloves with it and he is very open when he throws punches.

This has got Donaire by KO written all over it, he is extremely fast and has one of the best punches (the left hook) pound for pound in the entire sport. Rigo has massive lapses in concentration and he is going to pay for it in this fight. Donaire has also developed his right hand as well, he KOed nishioka with it and put Arce on queer street as well. Don't think its just the left hook that Rigo has to worry about.

Donaire is no slouch on footwork either and his is memorizing at times. After the weight in it looks like Donaires upper body is more ripped than usual as well. He is a great boxer and when the chips are down, he always delivers.

ShahenshahG wrote:Donaire KO 1

Haha, I'm praying for it mate, putting £30 on it, get £52.50 back on Betfair.

(Not on ROund 1 just on a KO)

Just don't think Rigondeaux can take a shot, took half a decnet one against Cordoba and was put down, took an alright left hook from Marroquin and was all over the place, Donaire lands and I just don't see Rigo lasting, legs will go to jelly and then one more punch and it's game over.

Is he good enough to keep someone liek Donaire off of him all night, I just don't think so with his durability.