Donaire vs Rigondeaux

FTA69

I've been looking forward to this for weeks now, I'm still trying to find a place to watch it on Saturday though.

For me, this fight is nearly impossible to predict. Donaire is a much bigger man and will probably be coming into the ring a lot heavier than Rigo will. However, Rigo is outlandishly skilled and a fantastic counter-puncher that should give Donaire real problems. The opening betting odds put Donaire at 10-1 on favorite so even at the likes of 2-1, Rigo is well worth a punt.

I think Donaire will have difficulty pinning Rigo down and will open himself up to heavy counters as the fight wears on. I'm going to bet on a Rigo decision but this fight could go any which way.

It should be a great night for boxing.

walshb

Rigo will have to look a whole lot better than ever before at pro. Donaire is not going to be easily out-boxed. He is a deal taller, and will be a fair few lbs heavier. He should be physically stronger. Rigo needs to get his respect. Rigo needs to hurt him. If he can't, then Donaire will really enjoy the hunt. Intriguing clash. Interesting to see PBF pick Donaire by KO.

FTA69

It is indeed a real test for Rigo and we'll finally see the depth of the man, if he beats Donaire here then the sky's the limit. He packs plenty of power for a small man and I can see him landing some tidy body shots. I've no doubt he'll have Donaire taking note in the early stages.

gene_tunney

Donaire will knock Rigondeaux out.

ThunderCat

Really looking forward to this too. Donaire is noticeably bigger but Rigo is a class act and I can't wait to see how the fight develops. I see its on Boxnation which I dont have. For those of you who do, how much is it a month? Is there a minimum term contract? Thanks.

walshb

ThunderCat wrote: »

Really looking forward to this too. Donaire is noticeably bigger but Rigo is a class act and I can't wait to see how the fight develops. I see its on Boxnation which I dont have. For those of you who do, how much is it a month? Is there a minimum term contract? Thanks.

It's 12.50 per month. No fixed contract!

ThunderCat

Cheers for the reply walshb. So essentially I can get it in for just the month. Nice one. Thought I might be tied to it for a year or something

walshb

ThunderCat wrote: »

Cheers for the reply walshb. So essentially I can get it in for just the month. Nice one. Thought I might be tied to it for a year or something

That's the beauty of it. You can pick and choose the month's schedule and make a decision.

el flaco

ThunderCat wrote: »

Cheers for the reply walshb. So essentially I can get it in for just the month. Nice one. Thought I might be tied to it for a year or something

I think there's a registration fee though? So basically you'd get it in for one month for €25.

FTA69

Apparently with Virgin there's no registration fee, so I can get the channel for £10 sterling in my gaff for the month. Fights this month include:

Donaire vs Rigo
Spike O'Sullivan vs Selkirk
Cleverly vs Krasniqi
That fat f*ck Chisora fighting someone I think
Trout vs Alvarez
Murray vs Martinez
Amir Khan vs Diaz

That is a f*cking bargain for ten notes I must say.

Henno30

As I said in the other thread it's a really difficult fight to call. So much talent on either side.

I think both guys are facing tests the like of which they've never faced before. Donaire has won some huge fights, but he's never had a guy as slick as Rigo in front of him before.

Obviously Rigo has that amazing amateur career behind him, but Donaire is a whole new level, a great pro champion with speed, athleticism, and P4P one of the most concussive shots in the game in his left hook.

The question marks over Rigo are and will be his stamina over 12 rounds, his chin, and his ability to stay active enough to win a decision. Donaire's ability to apply pressure for 12 rounds, in the face of a counter puncher who can really crack, will itself be in question.

Donaire has looked a little soft in the mid-section at 122 and Rigo is as good a body puncher as there is. More than a few people think Rigo could take Donaire's steam away with bodyshots in the first half of the fight.

As well as that, Donaire has not exactly been stellar or systematic in his breaking down of opponents in recent times, and he's often been wild and reckless in the pursuit of a big knockout shot. His own defence has looked extremely sloppy in some of these fights.

I do think Donaire is capable of adjusting for the opponent though. He was much tighter in his overall game against Nishioka than he had been previously, appreciating that Nishioka was on a different level. He can be patient when he needs to be, and Rigo is certainly likely to put that patience to the test.

It's a truly fascinating fight. It'll be extremely tactical with every clean shot landed being a big deal, and yet both guys have the power to end it at any moment as well. I can't wait for it, it'll be a massive victory for whoever comes out on top.

megadodge

Excellent analysis Henno.

It's the sort of fight where I can visualise any result occurring - maybe not Donaire outboxing Rigo every round, but almost anything else.

As for the assertion here that Donaire is "much the bigger man", I fail to see how a former flyweight who is only an inch taller is so much bigger and stronger than a natural super-bantam.

Dick phelan

Would agree no way is size much of a factor in this one as i see it one of the key questions is will Rigo have the workrate in this fight also will Donaire be able to apply and keep the pressure on at the same time keeping his defence and dicipline because being faced with such a slick counter puncher he cannot get frustrated when he finds his big shots dont land like it would on other fighters. Also i have the feeling that Rigo will be a better fighter to what we have seen before i belive he will raise his game because he knows what a massive fight this is, Donaire is the first real elite fighter he has fought, Whoever wins it puts them in the top 3 in the world in my book p4p

FTA69

I was reading an article today that said Donaire was three inches taller and generally came to the fight on the day a lot heavier than S Bantam. Looking up the stats I can see that's not the case, are they pretty much the same size so? Seems I was wrong on that one.

Whoever wins it puts them in the top 3 in the world in my book p4p

Probably the top ten anyway.

This is Rigo's make or break really, he needs a good showing here to remain in the game at a high level.

clubwelly

Yeah it's some fight really can't wait for it either. Just hope there's no dodgy decision and it's a clean winner.

Here's the HBO build up
http://youtu.be/36U3GTfMhcY

And the small bit they did on Bunce's boxing hour
http://youtu.be/RSIGKXbAI2c

Henno30

FTA69 wrote: »

I was reading an article today that said Donaire was three inches taller and generally came to the fight on the day a lot heavier than S Bantam. Looking up the stats I can see that's not the case, are they pretty much the same size so? Seems I was wrong on that one.

Nonito is an inch taller I think? Not much more than that.

Donaire is the rangier guy alright, but Rigo looks far more muscular and cut at the weight than Donaire does. As I said in the post above, Donaire looks a little soft at the weight. I remember when he first moved up there was a lot of talk from his camp about him really struggling to put on any muscle and from the looks of him I'd believe it. I think he's just one of those guys who's got that ectomorph build.

He's explosive as hell though and that makes up for it at this level. Whether he'll ever be a force at featherweight or not is another matter.

gene_tunney

I wonder what time we can expect this at....probably about 3 since its new york.

FTA69

gene_tunney wrote: »

I wonder what time we can expect this at....probably about 3 since its new york.

I'd say so, Boxnation is quoting 2am but I imagine that's just when all the ballyhoo starts off.

walshb

Regarding the size. Yes, inclined to agree with you guys that Donaire isn't much bigger. He is a wee bit softer. He will have a fair few lbs on fight night, but will they be beneficial and healthy lbs, or will they be soft lbs? I do think he's more than 1 inch taller. Stats don't always tell the true story.

ThunderCat

el flaco wrote: »

I think there's a registration fee though? So basically you'd get it in for one month for €25.

Im with sky so id say ill have to cough up the registration fee, but to be honest I dont care - Im not missing this fight.

Henno30

Great breakdown by Scott Quigg on Warren's website today:

"This is a really interesting, proper 50-50 fight and you can make a strong case for either man winning.

They're definitely the best two fighters in the division at present and I've studied both very closely to see what I can learn from them. I aspire to be as good as them and, eventually, to share a ring with them.

I've seen loads of Donaire's fights and also study clips of his training on You Tube. He's not only incredibly gifted but he also has a fantastic work ethic. He's a real all rounder. The knockout over Jorge Arce in his last fight – a savage left hook - shows how fantastically talented he is. That was special. He's obviously got chilling kayo power but he's also got excellent speed and timing. I love the way he stays so loose and relaxed in the ring.

Nonito's very exciting to watching, always looking to get his opponent out of there as quickly as possible. He's probably got a better chin than Rigondeaux though, at this level, it doesn't really matter how good your chin is. If these guys hit you clean, on the right spot, you're getting knocked out!

While I always enjoy watching his fights, Nonito does seem prone to lapses in concentration as a fight progresses, if he's unable to get the opponent out of there early. He can become a bit bored, almost unconcerned about what's coming back at him, which leads him to get tagged with sloppy counters. He can lose a bit of composure and discipline if his fight goes into the later rounds. He becomes less tight and less cute. He won't be able to be complacent like that against Rigondeaux.

I didn't see too much of Rigondeaux's fantastic amateur career but I've seen most of his recent pro fights. I actually sparred six rounds with him at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood back in 2009. I was waiting to spar a Russian when Rigondeaux knocked his Mexican sparring partner clean out with probably the best left hand I've ever seen.

They just rolled the Mexican out the ring, then Freddie Roach asked if I'd fill in and complete Guillermo's rounds for him. I'd only had maybe 14 pro fights and just 12 amateur. He'd had over almost 400 amateur bouts and was a double Olympic and double world champion!

Thankfully, I was working with (trainer) Jesse Reid over in the US who used to coach Rigondeaux. Jesse steered me through, warned me to be mindful of his pet shot, a left screw to the body. That was the shot that wiped out Willie Casey inside a round. It had plenty of whip on it! Clearly Guillermo just uses sparring for getting his tools sharp, rather than having heavy wars and that's the right way. But I wasn't made to look a mug and it gave me a lot of confidence.

Rigondeaux was very clever, I learned so much. I used to sit at the Wild Card and watch him floating around on the pads or shadow boxing. Working inside, he'd nudge your knees to open your body up, make a gap. Then he'd capitalise. It really works and I've used that since a few times myself.

Rigondeaux's basically a pot shotter. He can be very defensive and very negative. He really sticks to his game plan and does whatever is needed to win the fight without getting hit. That said, if you do tag him, he doesn't like it. His eyes light up and he comes right back at you. You definitely can't throw any lazy shots against him. He'll make you pay for every mistake.

He's not remotely bothered if the crowd are booing because there's a lack of action. He just floats around the ring and avoids trouble but that's something I really admire. He's far less exciting but I enjoy studying him just as much as I enjoy watching Donaire. Some people say he's a lazy fighter but it's more that he just does everything so effortless. He's a real master.

He likes to control the fight and have his opponent on the end of a chain, mesmerised. Too often, it appears that the opposition are passive, content to allow him to have his own way from a safe distance so that he doesn't cut loose on them.

He's a real winner. He wastes hardly anything. If he's not absolutely sure that he's going to land a shot, he'll just walk away and make the opponent re-set. If he has a failing, it's that he doesn't let his hands go as much as he could.

You can't pot shot with Rigondeaux. He'll just play with you. For Nonito to beat him, he's going to have to set a fast pace. That's going to be difficult though because Rigondeaux is at his best when the opponent comes at him. Donaire prefers an opponent who will walk into him but Rigondeaux isn't likely to do that.

Donaire is going to have to kid Rigondeaux into leading off by using loads of head movement and by subtly moving his feet six inches to either side. He needs to attack in bursts of threes and fours; throw a couple of decoys to put Rigondeaux off balance and unable to counter, then slip in his heavier shots before the Cuban can set. He has to keep Rigondeaux moving, re-adjusting, and he needs to be accurate. Whenever he misses, Rigondeaux will make him pay. Donaire has to be very wary of getting tagged as he moves in.

Rigondeaux's key to victory is probably to make it a longer fight. That's when Donaire might make mistakes. He needs to avoid rushing his counters, be patient and gradually establish his rhythm. As he gets more comfortable, he can start to let his hands go more in the later rounds and, if he does tag Nonito, he mustn't be hesitant. He's going to have to take his chances.

The winner is likely to be the one who establishes their game plan best, under the lights, on the night. Both will be under enormous pressure and will need to stay calm. Both have great qualities and both have vulnerabilities. It could really be any type of fight; short and explosive cos both can really whack, or a cagey, tactical affair. Either could win by points or knockout though Donaire is more likely to triumph by stoppage and Riogondeaux is more likely to win if it goes to the cards.

I expect it to begin cagily with Donaire forcing the fight. If he can remain cool, it should go in his favour but, if he's reckless, Rigondeaux is capable of doing to him what Juan Manuel Marquez did to Manny Pacquiao in their fourth fight. He's got the power, timing, accuracy and eye to score a spectacular knockout himself.

They could probably fight half a dozen times and win three each, they're that closely matched. If you're really pushing me, I'll edge to Nonito only because Guillermo has shown he can be hurt almost every time he's been hit clean and Donaire can really bang. But I'd certainly not want to be putting my house on it."

http://www.frankwarren.com/news/live-on-boxnation/2013/04/09/scott-quigg-previews-nonaire-rigondeaux-live-on-boxnation-this-sunday-morning.html#.UWRrlFXxxss.twitter

Henno30

Rigo looks good

DaithiMa

I think Rigo is definitely going to win this fight. Either by late stoppage or on points.
Donaire has been fighting mostly shot fighters since he beat Hernan Marquez in 2010, and I do not think he has faced anyone in his career with the skills and craft that Rigo has-his footwork is unbelievable. His body shots are sickening, and in my opinion it is going to be a long and painful night for Donaire. Will be p**sin blood for a week after this fight!
Rigo is 12/5 in some places to win-and 13/2 for a ko!! I think the bookies have got this one very wrong. Rigo no more than a 5/4 shot in my book. At the prices he is well worth a substantial wedge. Brilliant value.

walshb

Henno30 wrote: »

Rigo looks good

The guy always looks so so ripped. Unreal physique!

FTA69

Got Rigo to win at 9/4 and a smaller bet for him to win via KO at 13/2. Serious odds.

walshb

I love Quigg's analysis and breakdown!

Henno30

Press conference just finished on Top Rank tv. Cracking stare down. Went on for ages.

Dick phelan

For some reason i have a feeling Rigo will win this one watching Donaire his defence really is very average and i think Rigo has enough tricks in the bag to win this one on points

megadodge

The closer it gets, the more I fancy Rigo. He's just so smart, so cool, so hard to hit.

While there's obviously the chance that Nonito will land a big one (and that chance is there til the bitter end), I just can't see him outboxing Rigo - I can't see anybody outboxing him actually.

I'm with the previous posters who believe Rigo (from a betting perspective) is the value in this fight.

Henno30

Staredown from today's press conference. This clip is only part of it, it went on for a good 3-4 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdHjK1UliWU

It was nice of Rigo's missus to let him borrow her jacket for the day.

I'm actually starting to lean towards Rigo a bit as the fight approaches as well. It's a classic defensive master vs offensive master match-up, and the defensive master is generally that bit more likely to come out on top.

There are some notable exceptions as well of course.

Henno30

Where Rigo might find himself in a spot of bother on Saturday night.

gene_tunney

Henno30 wrote: »

Where Rigo might find himself in a spot of bother on Saturday night.

Well, he has two obvious issues. A glass jaw and an overrated defence. I believe, and have been saying for some time, that Donaire will knock him out.

Henno30

gene_tunney wrote: »

Well, he has two obvious issues. A glass jaw and an overrated defence. I believe, and have been saying for some time, that Donaire will knock him out.

I don't think his defence is overrated when he's set in defensive mode. It's when he transitions to offence that there's a hint of vulnerability.

ThunderCat

few good clips.

Rigo media workout and interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8v0DEDDYdA

Donaire media workout and interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdyFFGP_0uY
Rigo on the pads - impressive!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj10qLlewng

walshb

I won't get to see this fight till Monday. Bummer. Don't think I can avoid hearing about the result. Ah well, I don't care. I hope to enjoy it all the same!

Wild_Dogger

Henno30 wrote: »

Staredown from today's press conference. This clip is only part of it, it went on for a good 3-4 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdHjK1UliWU

It was nice of Rigo's missus to let him borrow her jacket for the day.

I'm actually starting to lean towards Rigo a bit as the fight approaches as well. It's a classic defensive master vs offensive master match-up, and the defensive master is generally that bit more likely to come out on top.

There are some notable exceptions as well of course.

The full staredown was great ..........
I love to watch the suttle body gestures and reactions which are a signature of what is travelling through the minds of the fighters.

Rigo is great to watch on a stare down. Its like he dosen't rate any opponent. He never acts the hard man, he goes into the stare like he's watching TV. Not a flinch or any attempt to intimidate, just a casual
'I don't rate you and I dont need to edge a physcological advantage' stare.


His best one was against Cordoba after the weigh in ......
He just went into the staredown with no emotion and as he turned away Cordoba tried to intimidate ... Rigo turned towards him and glanced him up and down in the ultimate dismissal !
Class act no doubt.

I'm so pumped up for this one ...... I got Rigo, or Donaire by contraversy.

Two of the best hands in boxing vs Two of the best feet in boxing.

FTA69

Willie Casey was gas as well. Casey was giving it the full routine and Rigo was looking at him like he was doing the crossword.

Henno30

Wild_Dogger wrote: »

Rigo is great to watch on a stare down. Its like he dosen't rate any opponent. He never acts the hard man, he goes into the stare like he's watching TV. Not a flinch or any attempt to intimidate, just a casual
'I don't rate you and I dont need to edge a physcological advantage' stare.

Couldn't agree more. No bravado or machismo about it either, just total confidence.

When you look at him you can immediately see the difference between guys who are the real deal and guys who are just putting it on. Some guys look like they're trying to convince themselves that they're as good as they say they are, Rigo's not trying to convince anybody.

Henno30

Weigh-in from today in full:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgmnOIP_y1k

And the full staredown from the press conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fxvVmPZ_vE

Wild_Dogger

Looking at them and the comparison in size .......
I don't know how Donaire manages to cut 122lbs with that huge mass.
He's massive for the weight class , Khan was the same going up through the lower weights. Always huge in comparison to others his weight.

Anyway Rigondeaux is within grams of Donaire at the weigh in.

Henno30

Wild_Dogger wrote: »

Looking at them and the comparison in size .......
I don't know how Donaire manages to cut 122lbs with that huge mass.
He's massive for the weight class , Khan was the same going up through the lower weights. Always huge in comparison to others his weight.

Anyway Rigondeaux is within grams of Donaire at the weigh in.

And yet Rigondeaux is cut and muscular at the weight. Donaire soft and flabby.

walshb

It's live from 0300 hrs on Boxnation. Expect them in the ring at 0400 I guess. Maybe a bit earlier.

For sky customers: https://secure.boxnation.com/boxnationweb/Subscribe.do

Henno30

Have gone back and forth on this all week, but I think Donaire is capable of getting the knockout. A lot depends on how well he takes Rigo's straight left which has intimidated all of his opponents to date.

That intimidation factor really jumps out at you when you look back over Rigo's pro fights. Guys like Rico Ramos were scared stiff against him, and tried absolutely nothing that might turn the fight in their favour.

I don't see that happening with Donaire. He's going to go for it one way or the other and if Rigo doesn't drop him with the straight left, I can see Donaire landing a counter left hook or a right uppercut that changes everything as the fight loosens up in the middle rounds.

The difficult thing about assessing this fight is the fact that a lot of the opponents either guy has faced have been overmatched and incapable of dealing with their athleticism. You just don't know if the flaws that have shown up in those fights didn't show up just because Nonito and Rigo didn't see any danger.

gene_tunney

I actually think both are a tad overrated, but I feel Donaire's power will be the decisive factor.

The winner of this fight deserves a lot of credit.

jamescd

I've put 30 quid on Donaire to win by KO. I think he'll do it.

Is boxnation the only place to watch it ? Can you subscribe for a month and watch the fight online ? Don't have sky, I'm on UPC.

le la rat

Hopefully they bring out the best in each other and its a cracker. really looking forward to this

megadodge

gene_tunney wrote: »

I actually think both are a tad overrated, but I feel Donaire's power will be the decisive factor.

The winner of this fight deserves a lot of credit.

Honestly, is there a good boxer in the world you don't think is overrated?

barney4001

i cannot see rigo losing this one

gene_tunney

megadodge wrote: »

Honestly, is there a good boxer in the world you don't think is overrated?

Yes.

megadodge

gene_tunney wrote: »

Yes.

Prove it.

Dick phelan

megadodge wrote: »

Prove it.

Well in my view anyway Trout is underrated and i think he beats Canelo also Chris John, Bradley, Pulev, Pascal are in my view all underrated fighters