Cuban Jedi-Master Guillermo Rigondeaux: too good/boring for television?

[Emanuel Berg]

You decide!

Hisashi Amagasa fought hard, but also good! To be a
virtually unknown fighter, lacking even a Wikipedia
page (in this day and age! - perhaps he has a Japanese
one tho), anyway I'm sure he is very happy with his
performance. Still, I wonder how many weeks his
headache will last...

I don't know if it is a coincidence or not but this is
the second back-to-back fight with Rigo in Asia: the
one before this one was to Sod Kokietgym of Thailand
(the fight itself in the "China Las Vegas", Macao) -
but this kid (the Japanese, Amagasa) - he was much,
much tougher.

If Rigo's next fight isn't on HBO/Showtime it is a
joke, or rather, HBO/Showtime are. Not that I care
that much as long as I get to see the fights. But of
course I prefer HBO to the Japanese commentators (and
especially HBO's 24/7s when you get to see the
fighters in camp).

Go Rigo and Amagasa!

[Juan Anonly]

Post by Emanuel Berg
You decide!
http://youtu.be/DIIJDXFMyrQ

Video removed.

Post by Emanuel Berg
If Rigo's next fight isn't on HBO/Showtime it is a
joke, or rather, HBO/Showtime are.

Seems I read that HBO had some kind of complaint with Rigondeaux. I've
forgotten what. I like boxing but I sure to weary of the networks and
promotion wars.

[Emanuel Berg]

Post by Juan Anonly

Post by Emanuel Berg
If Rigo's next fight isn't on HBO/Showtime it is a
joke, or rather, HBO/Showtime are.

Seems I read that HBO had some kind of complaint
with Rigondeaux. I've forgotten what. I like boxing
but I sure to weary of the networks and promotion
wars.

There should be a lot of his fights on the web: go
fish.

The complaint was he was too good so he made
over-hyped guys in terms of skills but charismatic and
good-for-business, e.g. Nonito Donaire, look like
amateurs. But not amateurs in the Cuban sense, of
course...

Offensively Rigo is a lot like Mayweather with single
straight punches that very often land. But he is more
exciting than Mayweather because he has KO power, and
he is a southpaw (Mayweather has good power as well,
but seldom knocks anyone down these days).

Defensively Rigo is not as slick as Mayweather but
instead he backpedals for long stretches, or they feel
like that anyway, while the other guy cannot hit him,
and is hesitant to even throw because of the power
counterpunching he has already been familiarized with.
This is what the TV people can't stand, because to
some, this isn't exiting enough.

Like Mayweather Rigo is super-athletic, with two
Olympic Golds, 2000 and 2004 (!).

Unlike Mayweather, Rigo is vulnerable because of his
amateur emphasis before defecting from Cuba. In the
amateurs, and especially in Cuba, punches are thrown
to score points. And the champions are in countless of
amateur fights where they hit and don't get hit, hit
and don't get hit. When they get hit, it is not that
bad with the amateur style (again especially in Cuba)
and headgears and adrenaline and youth and excellent
genes... But in the pro ranks, with the reflexes just
a little slower with age, so the slip or tilt or roll
and certainly not the headgear won't take that small
extra percentage out of the punch - BANG! you're on
your back before you know it.

And this makes him even more fun to watch. Even
completely outboxed Donaire put him on him on the mat.
When he got up, he bowed to the referee, as if he had
committed a foul. In his mind and with his training,
probably exactly how he perceived it.

[Emanuel Berg]

Post by Juan Anonly

Post by Emanuel Berg
You decide!
http://youtu.be/DIIJDXFMyrQ

Video removed.

This link should work - there is an amateur
commentator as well put above the original Japanese,
he is a bit too much into Rigo cheerleading but he
isn't bad:

But the reason I write this is when I watched it the
first time I must have been shadow boxing or something
because I didn't note the damage to Amagasa's face.
That poor kid! Now I feel really guily about that
stupid joke about his headache. But it doesn't matter
how I feel. Let's pray Amagasa is all right!