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This weekend’s big fight has had hardcore fans waiting in earnest ever since it was announced and tonight at New York’s famed Radio City Music Hall, Nonito Donaire and Guillermo Rigondeaux will attempt to unify the WBO and WBA super bantamweight titles.
Donaire, 31-1 (20), and Rigondeaux, 11-0 (8), are polar opposites in many respects. Hailing originally from Talibon, Philippines, 30 year old California based Donaire turned pro at 18, losing his second fight, and had to wait six years until a world title shot opportunity came up.
And, the “The Filipino Flash” had to go down in weight to do so, facing the terror of the flyweight division in 2007, undefeated KO artist Vic Darchinyan for the Australian transplant’s IBF and IBO belts.
Universally expected to lose, Donaire produced a shocker by not only puncturing Darchinyan’s aura of invincibility but by stopping “The Raging Bull” in the fifth round.
Since then, Donaire has won all 13 of his fights, capturing world titles at bantamweight and super bantam as well as an Interim crown at super flyweight.
In contrast, 32 year old southpaw Rigondeaux came into the pro game at 28 years of age, after an amazing career on the Cuban amateur team, winning two Olympic gold medals and two Amateur World Championships.
It only took Rigondeaux 18 months to hit the world stage, producing a split decision victory over Ricardo Cordoba in 2010 to capture the Interim WBA super bantam strap.
In 2012, “The Jackal” got his hands on the full WBA title by knocking out Rico Ramos in the sixth. Since that time, Rigondeaux has made two masterful defenses and after only 11 pro bouts, is poised to face one of the sport’s top pound for pound fighters.
The differences don’t stop there; right-handed Donaire fights in a very unorthodox fashion, using his lanky height to supplement a hands-down defense that helps launch powerful counterpunches from odd angles that many opponents never see coming.
Lefty Rigondeau uses his more compact frame to employ a shoulder roll based defense, punishing opponents for every mistake committed, often going to the body at the end of fluid combinations.
Both fighters are quick of hand and foot, can punch with authority and are very hard to hit cleanly.
How can this not turn out to be a great fight?
The early rounds could be slow as the boxers will almost certainly take the time to study the other but things should heat up by the midway point in the bout with the final frames providing a showcase for the man who can take control.
If Donaire can keep Rigondeaux on the outside and successfully pick off the Cuban on the way in, the Filipino should prevail but if Rigondeaux can make it either a close quarters affair or persuade Donaire to take the unfamiliar role of an initiator instead of mainly counterpunching, the former amateur star will stand atop the super bantam division.
