Guillermo Rigondeaux

RIGONDEAUX Some boxers can exhibit the finer points of the sport in a sparring session and former Cuban amateur star Guillermo Rigondeaux is one of them. I watched the 28-year-old junior featherweight go eight rounds (four with 108-pound title challenger Rodel Mayol and four with featherweight prospect Abraham Lopez) last week and I’ll be damned if either sparring partner landed ONE clean punch. Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time amateur world champ, is a slick southpaw with the defensive prowess of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the gutsy savvy of Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson. With his hands down by his waist, Rigondeaux made his sparring partners miss with only the slightest lean or side step. Mayol, a Filipino vet with extremely fast hands, couldn’t hit the Cuban in the ass with the proverbial handful of rice. Ultra-elusive junior flyweight champ Ivan Casamayor, who Mayol faces in a rematch on Saturday, will be easier to deal with than Rigondeaux. Lopez (8-0, 7 KOs) fared a little better as he was able to force Rigondeaux to give more ground than Mayol because of his greater size and power, however I noticed that the 21-year-old La Puente, Calif., native advanced with caution. That’s because the Cuban can crack. Roach told me Rigondeaux knocked out unbeaten lightweight prospect Jesus “Pollo” Hernandez in a sparring session a few weeks ago. Rigondeaux (2-0, 2 KOs) headlines an ESPN-televised show from Miami, Fla., next Friday. He’ll face 71-bout veteran Giovanni Andrade in a 10 rounder and I fully expect him to KO the Brazilian. Roach says Rigondeaux is so seasoned (from more than 400 amateur bouts) that he’d put the southpaw in with Rafael Marquez or Israel Vazquez this year. blog - ringtv