No one knows who rigondeaux is!!!!!

[intoccabile]

Breaking down how the fight will go is nice, but irrelevant. The topic of this thread is the fact that Nonito SHOULD fight Rigondeaux in 2012, but he most likely won't.

No, realistically, the people he SHOULD fight are Mares and/or Moreno. Rigo JUST won a title, he is not more entitled than the Bantam Tourney winner or Moreno. But, if Donaire is to move up in weight classes, Rigo would be nice.

[Cubanborn87]

I agree with you brother lol its a lame excuse. Donaire vs Rigondeaux is the best fight at 122

[DannYankee]

Damn i like Donaire but if its true they said that of Rigondeaux this is some ducking bullshit

[CubanGuyNYC]

i question rigo's heart more than his skills. the reason he struggled against cordoba was he panicked when he got hurt and cordoba stood up to him eventhough he's inferior as a fighter. rigo will always be spectacular against outmatched opponents but i think he will panick again if he fights somebody who can match his skills especially gutsy fighters.

I fear you might be right. The jury's still out, though. Rigo is still green, as far as being a pro goes. Given a little more experience, he might prove himself more determined. He hasn't had the need to be, so far. Most people need to face adversity before learning how to deal with it.

[CubanGuyNYC]

well I have always thought he had good skills

my issue, and I hope this doesn't come off bad, is that for the most part the Cuban pros that come through the ranks are technical proficient but seemingly content to be just that. There doesn't seem to be any "soul" to the fighting style and while it's great to see aesthetically it's not as entertaining as one would hope

Rigo falls into that IMO. He has all the tools to be something special but seems content to know he is more skilled than you. He had Ramos deathly afraid of him yet it tool rounds to finally finish him off. That to me is a flaw that other skilled fighters will eventually exploit

Gamboa seems to be the loan exception IMO

I hate to agree with you on this point, but I cannot deny that I've observed the same thing. And, yes, Gamboa seems to be the lone exception. My theory as to why this is is pretty simple: these guys have spent entirely too much time in the amateurs. Rigo had over 400 fights, and you just know, with his tremendous talent, he walked through at least 90% of his encounters. It'll take a little time for him to come around to the professional way of doing things. If you ever watched Yuri as an amateur, you'd probably agree that he always had
a style that lent itself well to the pros.

Most of these Cuban defectors have barely launched their professional careers. They deserve some time to adjust to their new environment. While most other boxers have a limited amateur career, the amateur system is all these Cuban fighters have ever known. Some will make it, some won't. But I think that the future is definitely promising.

[Guest]

I really feel Rigo should venture to Asia and go after Nishioka.

More money than the U.S, and he will get his name in the lights.

Then if he's successful he can fight Donaire.

But even if he's not, he can count his money and give us a good fight against the best at 122.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Yordanis Despaigne would disagree with the both of you, big time. As would Yudel Jhonson and Luis Franco.

I think Rigo, Solis, Lara and Gamboa have gotten too much attention, people have forgotten about the other defectors. The "fighters".

Gamboa use to give us a show. After being clipped and knocked down several times, he began stinking the place up. Recently, though, his fights have ended too fast off of counter punches to really get an idea of where his mindframe is. I have the feeling, once given another task that doesn't end quickly (like the salido fight), he will prove your statement wrong again. Remember, he isn't that far removed from teh Barros snore and the Salido Clinch punch and clinch fest. People forget too easily.

In the end, I believe Yudel Jhonson will prove to be the hidden gem, as he is in teh same division as Lara and so no one hears of him. And Luis Franco will give people teh entertainment you don't get from the other
fighters. Despaigne is a HELL of a lot of fun to watch, but he can't deliver wins consistently - too much of a head case.

As for teh statement about Rigo being exploited by other skilled fighters, doubtful. He's a safety first fight, I can name several that have gone many places. Hell, tell me when's the last time someone exploited Floyds safety first mindframe? He's clearly head and shoulders above his opposition, and knows it, but continues to wait anyhow. The objective here is to win. Unfortunately for the fans, some fighters are content with just that, but we (fans) tend to want more. Assuming Rigos intangibles are intact and he doesn't lose his cool under pressure - with his exerience, athleticism, reflexes and overall skill - He's more likely to make people respect him in the ring far before he makes them "dis" respect him.

I don't understand the comments about Gamboa "stinking the place up." I simply disagree. I believe Yuri to be, currently, the Cuban with the best chance at being a superstar. Gamboa has the style and ability to electrify.

I see what you mean about Yudel; he could turn out to be a surprise. But your comments about Despaigne are confusing. Yordanis has lost only one fight. He really didn't look very impressive in losing to the "The Black Russian". In his next fight, Despaigne was rather embarrassing in a win against Edison Miranda. I really didn't like the way he played-up the low blows in order to get Miranda disqualified. That's supposed to be professional behavior? I think Despaigne's future as a pro is limited.

[Guest]

I don't understand the comments about Gamboa "stinking the place up." I simply disagree. I believe Yuri to be, currently, the Cuban with the best chance at being a superstar. Gamboa has the style and ability to electrify.

I see what you mean about Yudel; he could turn out to be a surprise. But your comments about Despaigne are confusing. Yordanis has lost only one fight. He really didn't look very impressive in losing to the "The Black Russian". In his next fight, Despaigne was rather embarrassing in a win against Edison Miranda. I really didn't like the way he played-up the low blows in order to get Miranda disqualified. That's supposed to be professional behavior? I think Despaigne's future as a pro is limited.

I thought the same thing about Despaigne. It was almost like I thought the poster was confusing him with someone else. LOL.

[Underboss]

Narvaez is more established than Rigondeaux, though. Rigo has nine fights and just won a title while Narvaez has over nine title defenses.

This.

I believe Nonito wants Rigo to get a few more big fights before he fights him. Rigo only has 9 fights.

[CubanGuyNYC]

I thought the same thing about Despaigne. It was almost like I thought the poster was confusing him with someone else. LOL.

I almost wrote something along those lines! lol