5. Guillermo Rigondeaux TKO 5 Teon Kennedy – 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxjrsWa3HBs
Rigondeaux had just claimed his first world title against Rico Ramos. He was seeking to make the first defence of that WBA super-bantamweight title against a game Teon Kennedy in Las Vegas.
‘Rigo’ had finally hit the big time with this fight, this was his first appearance at a major Las Vegas venue in the form of the MGM Grand
Rigondeaux embodied precision, accuracy and aggressiveness in this fight, ‘El Chacal’ repeatedly scored with his masterful straight left. That shot alone scoring five knockdowns of Kennedy.
Kennedy was in awe after the fight and shared “He just hits you with punches that you can’t see”.
4. Guillermo Rigondeaux UD 12 Roberto Marroquin – 2012
Rigondeaux built on his recent exposure by taking on the tried and tested Robert Marroquin. Marroquin was a young, talented fighter but was clearly out of his depth being opposite a masterful operator like Rigondeaux.
He fought this fight at the renown Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. It was made to look easy by ‘El Chacal’.
Rigondeaux sent his younger foe crashing to the canvas for the first time in his career in the 5th round. Rigondeaux’s boxing skills carried him to victory the rest of the way.
Rigondeaux inflicted the second knockdown of Marroquin’s career in the 12th round, as fatigue began to set in. All three judges scored the fight wide in Rigondeaux’s favour.
3. Guillermo Rigondeaux KO 1 Sod Kokietgym -2014
Unarguably the most emphatic performance of Rigondeaux’s career. In this fight, ‘Rigo’ demonstrated just how devastating he could be with a single punch.
But also similar to Floyd Mayweather’s knockout of Victor Ortiz, The masterful Cuban was ridiculed in some quarters for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Rigondeaux was awarded the victory after the fight was called to a halt midway through the 1st round.
Kokietgym hit the canvas following a hard, accidental head-butt.
He was given time to recover, however, when he got up, the two touched gloves as respect before Rigondeaux threw an ungentlemanly ‘sucker punch’ right hook which brought the fight to an abrupt conclusion as they touched gloves with the other glove.
2. Guillermo Rigondeaux KO 6 Rico Ramos – 2012
He quickly moved into range and fired the left hand both to the body and upstairs. A straight left hand caught Ramos against the ropes and sent him down at 2:24 of the opening round.
The biggest fight of Rigondeaux’s career
Rigondeaux began looking very sharp scoring repeatedly to the body and head with his left hand. A sign of things to come as the first round entered the final minute, Rigondeaux fell the champion with a dynamite left hand on the button.
Rigondeaux pressed for the stoppage, but being it was so early in the fight. Ramos had a lot of energy left and was able to compose himself and recover.
There is an old saying in boxing; “A hurt fighter is a dangerous fighter.” Its clear that was on Rigondeaux’s mind in the middle rounds with both guys tentative and unwilling to create opportunities for the combatants to exchange the leather.
An accidental clash of heads opened a small cut on the outside of Ramos’s left eyebrow near the end of Round 4. Rigondeaux was warned in Round 6 for pulling down the back of Ramos’s head.
Immediately after the warning, Rigondeaux came forward with a barrage and landed a clean left hand to the body that sent Ramos to the mat grimacing in pain. He remained down on his back as the referee reached the count of ten.
1. Guillermo Rigondeaux UD 12 Nonito Donaire – 2013
Undoubtedly one of the biggest fights in recent memory. As Max Kellerman detailed “Two, once in a lifetime fighters” and that could not be truer.
It was the classic match-up in boxing history, the matador and the bull. Donaire was a savage knockout artist who scored some of the most violent knockouts in recent memory. The Fernando Montiel and Vic Darchinyan knockouts the ones that graphically stay in the memory.
Donaire became increasingly frustrated as the bout wore on, the smooth Cuban operator picking off his foe from a distance. Rigondeaux found his mark again and again with his right hook lead, straight left-hand combination.
Rigondeaux landed the cleaner punches all night and seemed to be en route to stacking up a wide unanimous decision victory.
In the 10th round, while Rigondeaux attempted to clinch with Donaire, he was pushed off and caught with a straight left hand from Donaire, sending him to the canvas.
Rigondeaux looked to respond and he backed up Donaire as the fight entered its final stanza. Donaire seeming very focused on covering up his badly swollen right eye and Rigondeaux had drawn blood from Donaire’s mouth. Rigondeaux secured a wide unanimous decision victory despite the knockdown.
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