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UPDATE ON THE STATE OF THE “RIGOLUTION”
He is inarguably one of the five best boxers on the planet, and like another fellow, Andre Ward, sitting near the apex of pugilist mountain, I find myself wondering what GuillermoRigondeaux is up to these days.
He’s a fighter…fighters fight, right? If their health permits, and their heart is in it, they glove up, do what they do best. And that Rigo, he’s an ace.
He sports a 14-0 record, and doesn’t lose rounds, let alone fights.
But…where the heck the Cuban-born hitter, who holds the WBA and WBO 122 pound crowns?
I put the question to his manager, Gary Hyde.
What’s the latest and greatest on Rigo, Gary? Got a fight in the works?
“Nothing at this point,” Hyde told me the other day.
He explained that he’s lost Rigo’s ear a little bit, and that some tasty deals have been put on his plate, but the 34-year-old hitter hasn’t bit. Frank Warren in the UK made an offer and RocNation wanted to build around the little but talented pug, Hyde informed me. He told me that Roc offered his kid $1.8 million for three fights in 12 months. Didn’t bite…
Frank Warren wanted to pay $1.8 for three bouts in year one of a contract, plus three bouts at $700,000 per in the second year of a deal. Again, no OK from Rigo. Plus, Rigo would have netted more if he fought 19-0 Irishman Carl Frampton, and the gate would have reflected some 60,000 butts in seats, quite possibly. It leaves Hyde chagrined, he admitted. He’s tried, he said, to convince the Cuban that these deals aren’t chicken feed…but the boxer still isn’t coming to the table.
Rigo, who jetted from Cuba in 2009, listens to a man named Alex Bornote, Hyde told me. The manager says that Bornote asked Hyde if Rigo’s deal with Hyde could be bought out, and the Irish helmet said thanks, but no thanks. He’s invested considerable time and money in the hitter, and isn’t inclined to jet at this time. They are at an impasse, Hyde tells me, with the manager-boxer deal on hold, in his view, because Rigo has declined two promotional contract offers.
Rigo has been promoted by an outfit called Caribe, and Caribe and Top Rank worked together, until Rigo’s last fight. Hyde’s patience with the Caribe crew has run thin, it seems, and he said he believes that the deal with Rigo and Caribe has run out.
“When Top Rank’s contract ran out (after a July bout, the third of a three-fight agreement), so did theirs,” he said.
I reached out to Bornote, and haven’t yet heard back from him. Apparently, he runs a bail band business, according to his voice mail. I also dialed Caribe, and requested a phone back, to get their side. On Wednesday late morning, I spoke to Louis Fonseca, VP of Caribe.
I told him that Hyde said he believes the Rigo-Caribe contract has run out. “That’s news to me,” Fonseca said. “Rigo is signed to Caribe, one hundred percent. It is a valid contract, he has a few years left.”
Fonseca said that in fact the offer from Warren “was not presented to us” and “is news to us.” He said that Rigo not gloving up has everything to do with fighters like Scott Quigg (a 29-0-2 Brit), Frampton and Santa Cruz (a 28-0-1 Mexican living in Cali) avoiding him, because he is a defensive master, and “they know they won’t beat him. That’s the issue.”
As for the Roc offer, Fonseca said he was made aware of it, but he didn’t think the financials were as enticing as some make them out to be. “We had conversations (with Roc). But I don’t want to get into the details,” he told me. “At the end of the day, all the parties need to be on the same page. It’s not a one way street. We are about being a team at Caribe. From day one, we’ve been investing in Rigo as a pro. We’ve supported him through good and bad. People are free to say what they want, say there is not a contract, they can say what theory they want. But Rigo has many years left to have a great career, and we are pushing to get him better fights.”
He noted that some Cuban fighters don’t get the respect they deserve, because of their styles, but said that Rigo’s talent is A plus grade, and noted how Nonito Donaire hasn’t been the same since Rigo bested him on 4-13-2013.
Caribe has some options on the table for Rigo now, Fonseca said, and he didn’t rule out Rigo fighting before the year ends. “We’re working hard to try and make things happen. But we want to work in harmony,” he said.
Hmm, harmony, that’s sometimes in short supply in this red light district of sports…Hyde has been busy trying to decipher Rigo’s actions, he told me, and sent a letter to the fighter trying to make clear that he has rights as a manager, that the fighter can’t unilaterally enter into a new promotional deal, would he be so inclined, without consulting and getting the OK from the manager who has invested heavily in his career. Hyde told me he thinks he did right by Rigo, working to get him a bigger chunk of cash from Top Rank than was originally offered. The Cuban’s purse to fight Nonito Donaire was $750,000, $475,000 for Joseph Agbeko and he grossed a cool $575,000 to fight a B boxer, Sod Kokietgym, in Macau, on 7-19-2014. Hyde has run up Rigo-related legal bills to the tune of $300,000, he alleges, so yes, he’d like to be in a position to recoup.
As of now, it looks like, Hyde is in a holding pattern, a most frustrating one, while his boxer, a most talented technician, is being most active shadow-boxing at the negotiating table. To my eye, this is another example of a guy handing over too much of his athletic prime to inactivity…but we shall have to see how this plays out…I will update this piece as is warranted.
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Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza Shine in Phoenix
Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza Shine in Phoenix
PHOENIX – Saturday was a busy night on the global boxing scene, and it’s quite likely that the howling attendees in Phoenix’s Footprint Center witnessed the finest overall card of the international schedule. The many Mexican flags on display in the packed, scaled down arena signaled the event’s theme.
Co-main events featured rematches that arose from a pair of prior crowd-pleasing slugfests. Each of tonight’s headlining bouts ended at the halfway point, but that was their only similarity.
Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, now 39-2-1 (32), defended his WBO Junior Lightweight belt with a dramatic stoppage of more-than-willing Oscar Valdez, 32-3 (24). The 29-year-old champion spoke of retirement wishes, but after dominating a blazing battle in which he scored three knockdowns, his only focus was relaxing during the holidays then getting back to what sounded like long-term business.
“Valdez was extremely tough in this fight,” said Navarrete. “I knew I had to push him back and I did. You are now witnessing the second phase of my career and you can expect great things from me in 2025.”
“I don’t really know about the future,” said the crestfallen, 33-year-old Valdez. “No excuses. He did what he wanted to and I couldn’t.”
Navarrete, a three-division titlist, came up one scorecard short of a fourth belt in his previous fight last May, a split decision loss to Denys Berinchyk. This was Navarrete’s fourth Arizona appearance so he was cheered like a homeboy, but Valdez was definitely the crowd favorite, evident from the cheers that erupted as both fighters were shown arriving in glistening, low rider automobiles.
Both men came out throwing huge shots, but it was Navarrete who scored a flash knockdown in the first round, setting the tone for the rest of the fight. There was fierce action in every frame, with Navarrete getting the best of most of it, but even when he was in trouble Valdez roared back and brought the crowd to their feet. He got dropped again at the very end of round four, and Navarrete sent his mouthpiece into orbit the round after that.
When Navarrette drove Valdez into the ropes during round six it looked like referee Raul Caiz, Jr was about to intervene, but before he could decide, Navarrete finished matters himself with a perfect left to the ribs that crumpled Valdez into a KO at 2:42.
“He talked about getting ready to retire soon so I told him we had to fight again right now,” said Valdez prior to the rematch. There were numerous “be careful what you wish for” type predictions of doom and he entered the ring at around a two to one underdog, understanding the contest’s make or break stakes. “Boxing penalizes you if you have a lot of losses,” observed Valdez. “It’s not like other sports where you can lose and do better next season. In boxing, most people don’t want to see you again after a couple of losses.”
What Valdez might decide remains to be seen, but even in defeat he proved to be a warrior worth watching.
Co-Feature
After their epic, razor-close encounter almost exactly a year ago, it was obvious Rafael Espinoza, and fellow 30-year-old Robeisy Ramirez should meet again for the WBO featherweight title belt Espinoza earned by an upset majority decision. Espinoza turned the trick again this time around, inside the distance, but it was more anti-climactic than anything like toe-to-toe.
The 6’1” Espinoza, now 26-0 (22), was the aggressor from the opening frame, but 5’6” Ramirez, 14-3 (9) employed his short stature well to stay out of immediate danger and countered to the body for a slight edge. The Cuban challenger avoided much of their previous firefight and initially controlled the tempo. The crowd jeered him for staying away but it was an effective strategy, at least at first.
Espinoza connected much better in the fifth round and looked fresher as Ramirez’s face rapidly reddened. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere in round six, Ramirez took a punch then raised a glove in surrender. Whatever the reason, even looking at Ramirez’s swollen right eye, it looked like a “No Mas” moment. Replays showed a straight right to the eye socket, but that didn’t stop the crowd from hooting their disgust after ref Chris Flores signaled the end at 0:12.
***
Richard Torrez, Jr, now 12-0 (11), displayed his Olympic silver medal pedigree in a heavyweight bout against Issac Munoz, 18-2-1 (15). Torrez, 236.6, found his punching range quickly with southpaw leads as Munoz, 252, tried to stand his ground but looked hurt by early body work that forced him into the ropes. He was gasping for breath as Torrez peppered him in the second, and Munoz went back to his corner on unsteady legs.
Munoz’s team should have thought about saving him for another day in the third as he ate big shots. Luckily, referee Raul Caiz, Jr. was wiser and had seen enough, waving it off for a TKO at 0:59.
“I don’t train for the opponent,” reflected Torrez, who isn’t far from true contender status. “Every time I train, I train for a world championship fight.”
***
Super-lightweight Lindolfo Delgado, 139.9, improved to 22-0 (16), and took another step into the world title picture against Jackson Marinez, now 22-4 (10), 139.2.
On paper this junior welterweight matchup appeared fairly even, and Marinez managed to keep it that way for almost half the scheduled ten rounds against a solid prospect but Delgado kept upping the ante until Marinez was out of chips. The assembled swarm was whistling for more action after three tentative opening frames, as Delgado loaded up but couldn’t put much offense together.
That changed in the 4th when Delgado connected with solid crosses. In the fifth, a fine combination dropped Marinez into a delayed knockdown and a wicked follow-up right to the guts finished the wobbly Marinez, who had nothing to be ashamed of, off in the arms of ref Wes Melton. Official TKO time was 2:13.
In a matter of concurrent programming, Saturday also held a lot of highly publicized college football and basketball games which likely detracted from the larger mainstream audience and media coverage this fight card deserved. That’s a shame but you can’t fault boxing, Top Rank, or any of the fighters for that because, once again, they all came through big time in Phoenix.
Photos credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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Brooklyn’s Richardson Hitchins Wins IBF 140-Pound Title in Puerto Rico
A change of champions took place as Richardson Hitchins rallied from a lethargic start to wrest the IBF super lightweight title from Australia’s Liam Paro by split decision on Saturday in Puerto Rico at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan.
Brooklyn has another world champion.
“I’m just happy to be a world champion,” Hitchins said.
Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) proved that his style of fighting could prevail over Paro (25-1, 15 KOs) who had previously knocked off another Puerto Rican champion, Subriel Matias.
Both fighters expected a different kind of encounter as Paro immediately started the fight with constant pressure and short, precise combinations. Hitchins had expected a different attack and seemed hesitant to pull the trigger.
“I couldn’t get my timing,” said Hitchins. “I thought he was going to put the pressure on me.”
Soon Hitchins ramped up his attack.
After Paro had jumped ahead with a constant strategic attack, Hitchins slipped into second gear behind a sharp right counter that found the target repeatedly.
Things began to swing in the Brooklyn fighter’s favor.
Those long arms came in handy for Hitchins who snapped off deadeye rights through Paro’s guard repeatedly. Soon the southpaw Aussie’s eye began to show signs of damage.
But Paro never quit.
Aside from using quick counters, Paro began firing lead lefts and the occasional right hook and uppercut. But seldom did he target the body. Slowly, the rounds began mounting in favor of the Brooklyn fighter.
Perhaps the best blow of the fight took place in the ninth round as Hitchins connected flush with a one-two combination. Though stunned, Paro trudged forward looking to immediately counter.
He mostly failed.
Still, Paro knew the rounds were not one-sided and he could close the distance. The Aussie fighter did well in the 11th and 12th round but could not land a significant blow. After 12 rounds one judge saw Paro the winner 117-11, while two others saw Hitchins the winner 116-112 for the new IBF titlist.
“He’s a hell of a boxer,” said Paro who loses the title in his first defense. “It’s not a loss, it’s a lesson.”
Other Bouts
A battle between Puerto Rican featherweights saw Henry Lebron (20-0) out-battle Christopher Diaz-Velez by decision after 10 action-packed rounds.
In a lightweight fight Agustin Quintana (21-2-1) gave Marc Castro (13-1) his first loss to win by split decision after 10 rounds.
Welterweight Jose Roman Vazquez (14-1) defeated Jalil Hackett (9-1) by split decision after 10 rounds.
Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom
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A Six-Pack of Undercard Action from the Top Rank Card in Phoenix
A Six-Pack of Undercard Action from the Top Rank Card in Phoenix
Top Rank promoted a 10-fight card tonight at the NBA arena in Phoenix. The undercard included welterweight standout Giovani Santillan and a bevy of young prospects.
Based on his showing tonight, Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez is a prospect on the cusp of being a contender. A high-octane fighter with ring smarts that bely his tender age, the 22-year-old Gonzalez pitched a near 8-round shutout over Argentina’s Gerardo Antonio Perez, advancing his record to 12-0 (7). Although Gonzalez was forced to go the distance after five straight wins by stoppage, Perez, an Argentine who had never been stopped and was better than his 12-6-1 record, had a granite chin.
LA junior bantamweight Steven Navarro improved to 5-0 (4 KOs) with a second-round stoppage of Gabriel Bernardi (7-2). Navarro had Bernardi, a Puerto Rican, on the canvas twice before referee Raul Caiz Jr waived it off.
In a welterweight contest slated for “10,” Giovani Santillan improved to 33-1 (18 KOs) at the expense of Fredrick Lawson who retired on his stool after only one round. It was a nice confidence-booster for Santillan who took a lot of punishment in his last fight vs. Brian Norman Jr, a fight that Santillan was expected to win. However, tonight’s win should come with an asterisk as Lawson, a Chicago-based Ghanaian, is damaged goods and ought not be permitted to fight again, notwithstanding his 30-6 record. (All six of his losses, including the last three, came inside the distance.)
In a welterweight contest slated for six rounds, 19-year-old SoCal prospect Art Berrera Jr advanced to 7-0 (5 KOs) with a second-round TKO over Juan Carlos Campos (4-2) who fights out of Sioux City, Iowa. Referee Wes Melton lost his balance as he stepped in to stop the one-sided affair with a nano-second remaining in round two and went flying into the ropes, but was seemingly unhurt.
In a major surprise, Cesar Morales, a former Mexican national amateur champion, lost his pro debut to unheralded Kevin Mosquera, a 23-year-old Ecuadorian. A flash knockdown in the opening minute of final round factored into the result. The judges had it 39-36 and 38-37 for Mosquera (3-0-1) and 38-38.
The night did not start well for Morales’ trainer Robert Garcia who had five fighters in action tonight.
In the lid-lifter, 21-year-old Las Vegas lightweight DJ Zamora, a protege of the late Roger Mayweather, improved to 15-0 (10 KOs) with a second-round stoppage of Argentine import Roman Ruben Reynoso (22-6-2). Zamora put Reynoso on the canvas in the opening round with a left to the solar plexus and knocked him down in the second round with a counter left to the chin. Reynoso made it to his feet, but had no beef when the fight was waived off. The official time was 1:56 of round two.
Bouts involving former Olympians Lindolfo Delgado and Richard Torres Jr plus two compelling world title rematches round out the 10-fight card. TSS correspondent Phil Woolever is ringside. Check back later for his post-fight reports.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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