Comments Thread For: “Fighting Words” - The Guillermo Rigondeaux Blame Game

[juandabomb]

freddy roach trainer of the year is b.s. imo..dave pick "sugah" hill is ok but who else does this guy train. in your list of trainers looks like bias towards Robert Garcia

[Mr. David]

freddy roach trainer of the year is b.s. imo..dave pick "sugah" hill is ok but who else does this guy train. in your list of trainers looks like bias towards Robert Garcia

Robert wasn't on the ballot. Don't know why, as I didn't attend the sole BWAA meeting last year in which nominees were put forth and then narrowed down.

-David

[opotemo]

Very well written article,
I love watching Rigo fight but I can understand HBO's reluctance to have him headline again as he doesn't pull in the viewing numbers and they are a business. It's a shame but it what it is, being poorly promoted surely doesn't help either. The Agbeko fight was doomed for failure being put up against the Showtime card and poorly publicized by Arum and HBO. His co-promoter Caribe don't seem to be doing really anything for him (they don't even have a proper website).
He needs to fight his next few fights in Miami, they say the Cubans don't support their fighters but I guarantee if he was properly promoted he could easily fill somewhere like the Bank United Center especially if you put someone like a Verdejo on the card to get the Puerto Ricans in. He wouldn't really need a massive following to do this.
Rigo himself is also to blame, he should do more to keep himself in the public eye and also shouldn't be expecting the big paydays - fight 3 times this year for 200-300k and the big money will come down the line.

[drivenboxing15]

You have got to be kidding me.
Why would Arum be trying to destroy his own fighter?
Arum chose Agbeko because it was one of the few options that he had to fight. He also told Rigondeaux before the fight that he needed to put on a show for HBO. That he needed to go in and be a more aggressive fighter. Stubborn like he is, Rigo chose not to obey the suggestions of his promoter opting to put on the boring show he did.
This is why now Arum is firing angrily at Guillermo. Classless I completely agree, but he's angry because he told Guillermo what he needed to do in order to get back on HBO who were already reluctant to put him on their network and he stubbornly chose not too.

What else do you want Rigo to do!? He threw over 800 punches, that is way more than most fighters throw! It was a bad fight becasue Rigo is too damn good and causes fighters like Agbeko to go into a shell. Rigo is the champ because of what he has been doing so like he said "why change anything".

[-PBP-]

He seems dead-set against it. Probably cant blame him, either. You're right, Rigo might be better off, but it sets a precedent. The fear is that once you take that approach, you might be pressured to do it again. Guillermo is in a very bad situation. His contractual fight minimum is very high, from what I understand, but his style is drawing flies. It's a shame, but it is what it is. It's going to be very interesting to see how the rest of his career pans out.

Its a risk but I just think it needs to be done. The relationship with him and Top Rank is sour and it will only hurt his career if he stays. They are going to put him on the shelf to avoid paying him and the only way he will be able to get out of his contract will be through litigation which would sit him out for this entire year. Either that or they make the Lomachenko fight and rob Rigo which is easy to do given his style. Arum is known to rob fighters that are about to leave his company.

I think its best to just fulfill his 1 last fight, take whatever they give him and seek services from another promoter.

[CubanGuyNYC]

You have got to be kidding me.
Why would Arum be trying to destroy his own fighter?
Arum chose Agbeko because it was one of the few options that he had to fight. He also told Rigondeaux before the fight that he needed to put on a show for HBO. That he needed to go in and be a more aggressive fighter. Stubborn like he is, Rigo chose not to obey the suggestions of his promoter opting to put on the boring show he did.
This is why now Arum is firing angrily at Guillermo. Classless I completely agree, but he's angry because he told Guillermo what he needed to do in order to get back on HBO who were already reluctant to put him on their network and he stubbornly chose not too.

Immediately after the Donaire fight, Arum, on camera and in front of Rigo, essentially said the same things. This, after a masterful performance, which in my opinion was not boring at all. Bob wants Rigo to be something he's not. I don't understand how such an experienced promoter didn't understand his product before signing him. That's bad enough, but then he went ahead and re-signed him! Then he wants to bad-mouth Guillermo for being himself. I don't get it. Why even wait for the contract to be over? Release Rigo now if he's such a chore to promote. Sheesh....

[opotemo]

You have got to be kidding me.
Why would Arum be trying to destroy his own fighter?
Arum chose Agbeko because it was one of the few options that he had to fight. He also told Rigondeaux before the fight that he needed to put on a show for HBO. That he needed to go in and be a more aggressive fighter. Stubborn like he is, Rigo chose not to obey the suggestions of his promoter opting to put on the boring show he did.
This is why now Arum is firing angrily at Guillermo. Classless I completely agree, but he's angry because he told Guillermo what he needed to do in order to get back on HBO who were already reluctant to put him on their network and he stubbornly chose not too.

He gets told he needs to throw more punches and stop "running". So he stands in front of his opponent the whole fight and throws more punches, his opponent- a known aggresive volume puncher gets hit with hard shots goes into a defensive shell and stops throwing. But according to you this is Rigos fault.

[HeroBando]

Its a risk but I just think it needs to be done. The relationship with him and Top Rank is sour and it will only hurt his career if he stays. They are going to put him on the shelf to avoid paying him and the only way he will be able to get out of his contract will be through litigation which would sit him out for this entire year. Either that or they make the Lomachenko fight and rob Rigo which is easy to do given his style. Arum is known to rob fighters that are about to leave his company.

I think its best to just fulfill his 1 last fight, take whatever they give him and seek services from another promoter.

50 cent sound good?

[HeroBando]

Hyde wrote a letter to arum like a week ago and said that was Arum who wanted the Agbeko's fight even with the opposition of Rigondeaux's team. The reason, they knew agbeco would not fight and that's what happen. Arum is looking to destroy rigo after rigo did it with him protected loved Donaire. He choose Agbeco just to make Rigo looks bad and after be able to say those things about Rigo. I prefer Rigo not to be exposed. His better weapon is defense, and if he must be exposed as Arum wants he better continue with lower purses and keep his belts for so many years until retirement. Anyway he will be able to payoff his mortgage sooner than all of us with this small purses. At least he will kidnap the belts for so many years and the Arums and GB fighters will be fighting with the shadow of cowards, like Canelo, Santa Cruz, Mickey are now fighting, everybody knowing they are not the best and they are ducking the real boxers

Such bulls1t. Before Agbeko he was twice offered brawler Avalos but he didnt like the sound of 350k. Good luck getting that off hbo

[juandabomb]

Robert wasn't on the ballot. Don't know why, as I didn't attend the sole BWAA meeting last year in which nominees were put forth and then narrowed down.

-David

I am guessing because Rios lost to manny then his whole creditability as a trainer for 2013 was a wash.