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UPDATE ON THE STATE OF THE “RIGOLUTION”

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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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A Fresh Face on the Boxing Scene, Bryce Mills Faces His Toughest Test on Friday

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“He wants to test himself and find out just how good he really is,” said International Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Russell Peltz regarding super lightweight Bryce Mills. Peltz, who has dealt with a wide range of fighters throughout his lifetime in boxing, recognized the fire that burned inside Mills at a local show in Philadelphia in early 2022. At the time Mills had less than ten professional fights under his belt.

Mills hails from Liverpool in upstate New York and trains in nearby Syracuse. Currently 17-1 (6 KOs), he’s undefeated in his last 11 since losing a split decision to a Puerto Rican fighter from the Bronx who had fought much stiffer competition.

The fight in question that caught Peltz’s eye was arranged by the well-known and respected matchmaker Nick Tiberi who paired Mills in an intriguing fight against Daiyaan Butt, a tough and skilled fighter from the Philadelphia area. They fought at LIVE Casino in South Philadelphia on Feb. 24, 2022.

Although the crowd on hand that night favored Butt, Mills, although then only 20 years old, wasn’t intimidated and was the clear-cut winner at the end of their exciting, back-and-forth battle. This showed Peltz that Mills was serious about seeing just how far his ability could take him.

That’s why Peltz decided to join forces with Mills. Despite being semi-retired, Peltz is still active enough to help guide fighters through the ever-changing wild west landscape that is boxing. Since their union after Mill’s victory over Butt, Mills has been on a nine-fight winning streak heading into what Peltz believes is the toughest test of his career this Friday against Alex Martin 18-6 (6 KOs) of Chicago.

“I didn’t want him to take this fight, it’s a dangerous fight for him. Martin is a southpaw and is tricky, he’s a veteran and is experienced. His father (Mills’s father) called me and said that Bryce wanted the fight, to his credit,” says Peltz. One look at Martin’s resume and it confirms what Peltz stated. All six of Martin’s losses came against fighters with outstanding records including a former world title challenger. Martin also holds some quality wins over undefeated prospects that were at similar points in their careers to where Mills currently is in his development.

Bryce Mills looks like a fighter (he’s always in shape), acts like a fighter (testing his craft against all comers), walks the walk of a fighter, and fights with a fan-friendly pedal-to-the-metal style. That is a winning combination that could be the breath of fresh air the boxing world could surely use and on Friday night at the Wind Creek Events Center in Bethlehem, PA, live on DAZN, Mills is going to have the opportunity to put the boxing world on notice.

***

DAZN will televise the Mills-Martin fight along with a main event that features undefeated middleweight Euri Cedeno (10-0-1, 9 KO’s) against Ulices Rivera (11-1, 7 KO’s). Knockout artist Joseph Adorno (20-4-1, 17 KOs) and undefeated Reading, PA super featherweight Julian Gonzalez (15-0-1, 11 KOs) appear in separate bouts on the undercard. Tickets for the Marshall Kauffman’s Kings Promotion show are still available through Ticketmaster. Lobby doors open at 5:00 pm. First bell is at 7:00.

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High Drama in Japan as ‘Amazing Boy’ Kenshiro Teraji Overcomes Seigo Yuri Akui

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Overshadowed by countrymen Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, Kenshiro Teraji embossed his Hall of Fame credentials in Tokyo tonight with a dramatic 12th-round stoppage of Seigo Yuri Akui. At stake were two pieces of the world flyweight title. A two-time world title-holder a division below (108), Teraji (25-1, 16 KOs) was appearing in his 16th world title fight.

This Japan vs. Japan matchup will go down in Japanese boxing lore as one of the best title fights ever on Japanese soil. Through the 11 completed rounds, Akui was up 105-104 on two of the cards with Teraji up 106-103 on the third. However, judging by his appearance, Akui was more damaged. The stoppage by Japanese referee Katsuhiko Nakamura, which came at the 1:31 mark of the final round with Akui still standing, struck some as premature but the gallant Akui was well-beaten.

A second-generation prizefighter, Kenshiro Teraji, 33, came bearing the WBC 112-pound belt which he acquired this past October with an 11th round TKO of Nicaraguan veteran Cristofer Rosales. The 29-year-old Akui (21-3-1) was making the second defense of the WBA strap he won with a wide decision over previously undefeated Artem Dalakian.

Although Teraji keeps on rolling – this was his seventh straight win which began with a third-round blast-out of Masamichi Yabuki, avenging his lone defeat – things aren’t getting any easier for the so-called “Amazing Boy.” In his last three fights, which include a hard-earned majority decision over Carlos Canizales, he answered the bell for 35 rounds.

By and large, fighters in his weight class don’t age well. While Teraji is starting to slip, he has no intention of retiring any time soon. His goal, he says is to unify the title and eventually move up a notch to pursue a world title in a third weight class. The other pieces of the 112-pound title are currently the property of Mexico’s Angel Ayala who defends his IBF diadem against Yabuki later this month and LA’s Anthony Olascuaga who was in action on tonight’s undercard.

Other Bouts of Note

Olascuaga, a stablemate of Junto Nakatani, trained by 2024 TSS Trainer of the Year Rudy Hernandez, advanced to 9-1 (6) with a hard-earned unanimous decision over Hiroto Kyoguchi. The judges had it 118-110 and 117-111 (scores condemned as too wide) with the third judge having it 6-6 in rounds but scoring it 114-113 in acknowledgement of the knockdown credited to Olascuaga in round 11, the result of a short left that produced a delayed reaction.

Olascuaga was making the second defense of his WBO belt in his fifth straight trip to Japan. In his lone defeat, he was thrust against the formidable Teraji as a late sub, acquitting himself well in defeat (L TKO 9) despite having only five pro fights under his belt and having only 10 days to prepare. Kyoguchi (19-3) had previously held titles in the sport’s two smallest weight classes.

In a big upset, Puerto Rico’s Rene Santiago, thought to be well past his prime at age 32, wrested the WBO light flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Shokichi Iwata who was making the first defense of the title he won with a third-round stoppage of Spain’s previously undefeated Jairo Noriega. Tokyo’s Iwata was a consensus 9/1 favorite.

Santiago, who advanced to 14-4 (9), won by scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112. It was the second loss for Iwata who had knocked out 11 of his first 15 opponents.

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Keith Thurman Returns with a Bang; KOs Brock Jarvis in Sydney

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The combination of age and ring rust made Keith Thurman a tricky proposition against Brock Jarvis, but the 36-year-old Floridian, a former WBA and WBC world welterweight champion, had too much firepower for the overmatched Aussie, knocking out Jarvis in the third round tonight in Sydney and setting up a massive fight with Tim Tszyu.

Thurman’s career has been repeatedly interrupted with injuries. He missed all of 2023 and 2024 and this was only his second fight back since being out-pointed by Manny Pacquiao in 2019. He was slated to fight Tszyu in March of last year in Las Vegas with two 154-pound straps on the line, but pulled out with a biceps injury and was replaced by Sebastian Fundora who saddled the snakebit Tszyu with his first defeat.

Against Brock Jarvis, Thurman started slowly. The TV commentating team, which included Tszyu and Shawn Porter, had the busier Jarvis winning the first two rounds. But the savvy Thurman was simply “processing data” and found his grove in the third frame, smashing Jarvis to the canvas with a combination climaxed by a wicked uppercut. Jarvis staggered to his feet but was a cooked goose and the referee waived it off immediately when Jarvis hit the deck again after absorbing a harsh left hook. The official time was 2:19 of round three.

It was the second bad loss for Jarvis (22-2), a noted knockout puncher who had previously been stopped in the opening round by countryman Liam Paro. He hails from the Sydney suburb of Merrickville which also spawned Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech, Jarvis’s former trainer.

Thurman advanced to 37-1 with his twenty-third win inside the distance. According to Tszyu’s promoter George Rose, the match between Thurman and Tszyu will finally come to fruition on July 6, likely at the Gold Coast Convention Center in Broadbeach. That’s predicated on the assumption that Tszyu wins his next fight without complications which comes on April 6 against Minnesota’s 19-1 Joey Spencer at Newcastle, Australia.

Other Bouts of Note

Melbourne Middleweight Michael Zerafa, who also covets a match with Tim Tszyu, improved to 33-5 (21 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of Germany’s obscure Besir Ay (19-2) who was on the deck twice before the referee waived it off. This was the second fight back for Zerafa after getting pulverized by Erislandy Lara who stopped him in the second round in March of last year. Ay, 35, is recognized as the middleweight champion of Germany.

In a middleweight match slated for 10, Tim Tszyu’s longtime sparring partner Cesar Mateo bombed out Sergei Vorobev in the fifth round, ending the match with a spectacular one-punch KO. The 26-year-old Mateo (18-0-1, 11 KOs) is a native of Tijuana. Vorobev (20-3-2) is a 30-year-old Sydneysider born in Russia.

Thurman vs. Jarvis, a pay-per-view event in Australia, aired in the U.S. on a tape-delay on the PBC youtube channel.

Photo credit: Grant Trouville / No Limit Boxing

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