Nonito Donaire Vs Guillermo Rigondeaux: Who Wins?

[Daddy T]

voted for donaire not completely confident in that though

[CubanGuyNYC]

voted for donaire not completely confident in that though

I don't think too many people on either side are confident. This is a close call.

[ElBossHogg™]

Its gonna be fun watching rigo trying to keep donaire off him for as long as he can just to get poped/

[thuggery]

I usually say Rigo, but if I say his whole name I say it "Ri-gone-dee-oww".

But whenever I heard the HBO promo for the fight, they guy says it differently.

[Prime 407]

Its gonna be fun watching rigo trying to keep donaire off him for as long as he can just to get poped/

Fans are easily fooled by a guy who looks the part but has never actually done anything. Rigo will be crushed and never the same after this fight.

[BendOver]

Its gonna be fun watching rigo trying to keep donaire off him for as long as he can just to get poped/

If he does it hitting him hard, he will be ok, beside Rigondeaux hits real hard, let c how Donaire reacts when he feels the power of my countryman...

[CubanGuyNYC]

Fans are easily fooled by a guy who looks the part but has never actually done anything. Rigo will be crushed and never the same after this fight.

Nah. Rigo's too good defensively to "never be the same." If he loses, he loses, but Guille isn't taking outrageous punishment.

[!! Shawn]

While this is definitely a great, rare matchup between top fighters in a division, I feel like this won't be a great action fight at all. Rigondeaux will stink out the joint. If he tries to come forward and attack Nonito, then he's playing into Donaire's game as Donaire is a counter-puncher by nature. Factor in Nito's power, and Rigondeaux could be flat on his back staring up at the Radio City Music Hall lights being carried off on a stretcher if he gets too aggressive. If Donaire does KO Rigo, I think it'll be from a counter left hook over a lazy Rigondeaux southpaw jab.

Rigo's best bet is to stick and move away. Let Donaire come to him and counter off any openings Donaire leaves in his aggression. The thing is, Donaire is pretty smart himself, and will use feints and false openings to trap Rigo into opening up. This to me is where the beauty of the fight lies: who can set the other up better, who can capitalize on the openings created, who can set up the better traps, who's gonna be able to get their power smashes through.

All in all though, I think Rigo's amateur instincts will kick in and he'll fight like he did after the knockdown against Cordoba, potshotting and moving away. This'll happen especially after he feels Donaire's power, and he will unless he fights ultra-defensive from the get-go. It could be Donaire vs. Narvaez all over again.

I got Donaire in a non-controversial UD over Rigondeaux.

Everyone talks "Donaires power, Donaires power"... In his last 5 fights he has KOed 1 guy... Arce... TKO of Nishioka... Where is this magical power?

He can crack, great... he hasn't shown the ability to stop guys at 122 like he did at the lower weights.

[-PBP-]

Can't wait to get through this damn week. I've been silent on this topic for a while because I didn't want to get caught up in all the back and forth ****.

I voted Rigo. I think he's going to pull it out. Won't be easy by any means though.

[Rolph Spicer]

Nice breakdown. I see Donaire as the aggressor in this fight. I think the match will be more along the lines of your second paragraph. The Cordoba fight seems like ages ago. Rigo has developed some as a pro, otherwise the two Marroquin shots would've caused him to panic. I believe this fight is going to be tactical but active, a speed chess match. Nonito has proven he's willing to pursue and take chances, and I think Guillermo has traveled too long to give a less-than-honorable account of himself. This is going to be good.

True, the Cordoba fight was a while ago and Rigondeaux's gotten more seasoned since then. I'm of the thinking that "everyone has a plan until they get hit", and we haven't seen yet if Rigondeaux will be able to keep his presence of mind in the heat of battle against an elite fighter on a big professional stage like this. I just think that if he gets hurt he'll revert back to his amateur style and instincts, which is what he's known pretty much his whole boxing life.

Nothing wrong with that, but I highly doubt the judges will look favorably on someone who's potshotting and seemingly unwilling to engage. If he was the bigger draw he could get away with it, but Nonito's the A-side here so he'll have to make a good impression on the judges. But yeah, def gonna be good.