By Jake Donovan
Guillermo Rigondeaux is virtually unbeatable in the ring, but can't catch a break outside the ropes. The latest setback in his career progress came at the hands of the World Boxing Organization (WBO), who elected to derecognize the supremely gifted boxer as its super bantamweight champion.
The decision was announced Wednesday morning in Orlando, Florida, where the Puerto Rico-based sanctioning body is holding its annual convention.
A warning shot was issued to Rigondeaux (15-0, 10KOs) earlier this month, as previously reported by BoxingScene.com . As was the case then, the WBO cited the boxer's inability to record a single mandatory title defense in more than 30 months as champion.
Just three title defenses have come of that stretch since outpointing Nonito Donaire to win the belt - a 12-round decision win over Joseph Agbeko, and knockout wins over Sod Looknongyangoty and Hisashi Amagasa.
All three bouts were regarded as optional defenses. The 12-round win over Agbeko was regarded as the last straw by HBO and Top Rank, although Rigondeaux was unfairly held entirely accountable for his opponent's unwillingness to fight - not to mention the horrible style matchup presented to the Cuban southpaw, as if being set up for disaster.
Ironically, Donaire has since won - and lost - a featherweight title, and is now back in the super bantamweight mix.
Meanwhile, Rigondeaux - a two-time Olympic Gold medalist for Cuba - has struggled to reclaim the respect of those in power to move his career and put his fights on air. The win over Amagasa - in which Rigondeaux recovered from two knockdowns to stop the rangy puncher on the road in Japan - took place last New Year's Eve, having not fought since then.
In an appeal filed by his team, Rigondeaux - who is also recognized for the moment as the WBA 122 lb. "Super" champion - cited a desire to unify the titles but an inability to get the other champions in the ring as the reason for his recent inactivity level. It didn't explain, however, why he hasn't fought anyone at all since last December.
The WBO offered its sympathy, noting his having "petitioned the WBA to order a mandatory defense with (WBA regular champion) Scott Quigg. That they didn't, however, has no bearing on our decision."
The sanctioning body also wasn't persuaded by the argument that efforts to face the likes of unbeaten titlists Leo Santa Cruz (WBC) and Carl Frampton (IBF) were thwarted by the aforementioned titlists fighting under Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) banner, and thus refusing to negotiate unification bouts. Such fights would have served as the necessary exemption requirement needed for Rigondeaux to look beyond a mandatory title defense.
According to Caribe Promotions, a deal was in the works for Rigondeaux to return to the ring in November. Whatever opponent they had in mind, it wasn't mandatory challenger Cesar Juarez, who is facing Donaire on December 11 in Puerto Rico.
The scheduled 12-round fight was initially slated to come with a regional title at stake, while also suggested as a final elimination bout in the event that Rigondeaux were permitted to retain his title.
That dynamic now changes, with the possibility of their showdown serving as a vacant title fight, since Juarez and Donaire are the top two contenders in the WBO super bantamweight rankings.
A ruling on that topic is expected to be announced at the convention on Thursday, although the irony is mind-boggling.
Donaire lost this very title to Rigondeaux, having posted a pair of tune-up wins in his return to 122 lbs. following a vicious knockout loss in conceding his featherweight title to Nicholas Walters last October. Juarez was the mandatory challenger, but permitted to enter a fight with Donaire without the WBO even batting an eyelash.
Rigondeaux has the right to appeal the final decision as made by the WBO, which his team will likely do. Grounds for an appeal include the manner in which the previous two mandatory challengers - Juarez and Chris Avalos before him - avoided a fight with the Cuban wunderkind.
The WBO did nothing to stand in the way of Juarez accepting a fight with Donaire, while Avalos was instead steered towards a showdown with Frampton.
In the meantime, an opponent is still needed in order to avoid sitting out of the ring any longer. His team claims something is in the works - but they've reached a point where "something" needs to become an actual fighter's name.
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox