Cuban Missile Crisis - Rigondeaux Upsets Donaire

By Bobby Hunter


Fighting at the famous Music City Hall in New York City. Former Cuban defector Guillermo Rigondeaux upset budding superstar Nonito Donaire over twelve rounds to unify the 122lb Title. Rigondeaux now living in Miami, Florida gave a polished performance where he displayed his speed, skill and his ability to keep to his game plan as he confused Donaire for large parts of the fight.

Donaire did have some success most notably in the tenth and a huge left hand floored the WBA champion. Rigondeaux recovered quickly and by the end of the round was firing back the better shots at the Filipino.

The fight started at a slow pace. This is usually Rigondeaux's plan. He has never been a rushed fighter who feels the need to throw loads of punches. Donaire on the other hand was expected to be able to out throw and out land the Cuban but right through the fight Donaire was far to conservative with his punches. In the first it was Rigondeaux's counter straight lefts that probably won him the round. He was faster and landing the cleaner punches. Donaire targeted the body in the second and had some mild success as Rigondeaux seemed to be moving around the ring too much trying to avoid being hit. It was a close round with very little action.

Booing from the crowd started in round 3 as the action was still slow with very little clean shots landed. The best single shots though were being landed by Rigondeaux. Donaire was moving forward towards the Cuban but he was not letting his shots go enough and this was where Rigondeaux was catching him with right hooks inside and that straight left. In the fourth Donaire began to block that counter left and with twenty seconds of the round left the best exchange of the fight happened with Donaire out landing Rigondeaux with his quick hooks. Round 5 was a write off, i scored this one 10-10 as nothing really happened in the round

Rigondeaux had a better sixth round, Donaire had no jab so Rigondeaux was timing his left hook to perfection as his fellow titlist got closer. The pace was still slow and the crowd were becoming unsettled as they expected a shoot out from two big hitters. On my card Donaire sneaked the seventh as he started more aggressive forcing Rigondeaux back, still there wasn't enough action for the fans but finally at least Donaire was trying to press the fight.

Rounds eight and nine were Rigondeaux rounds. The pressing that Donaire had in the seventh had evaporated. The pace suited Rigondeaux again as he moved around the ring landing his well timed straight left. The expected boom happened at the start of the tenth. Probably knowing he was behind Donaire exploded a combination off a break that floored the Cuban. Rigondeaux got up walked around a little and went back to the poker face and fast countering style that was winning him the fight.

Donaire's chance was now gone as Rigondeaux easily won the last 2 rounds marking Donaire's  right eye quite badly which requires the Filipino to keep a glove tucked at his eye to protect it. HBO in the states who covered the fight had Rigondeaux a wide winner but had also mentioned the ringside press had the fight much closer probably because in the rounds that nothing much happened, Donaire was the one doing the pressing.

All three judges scored for Rigondeaux giving him the WBO title to add to his WBA strap at Super-bantamweight.

As always my scorecard is below along with all the press and fans scores i was able to gather for this fight.


FIGHTSCORECOLLECTOR'S SCORECARD

Round 1.... 10-9 Rigondeaux
Round 2.... 9-10 Donaire
Round 3.... 10-9 Rigondeaux
Round 4.... 9-10 Donaire
Round 5.. 10-10 Draw
Round 6.... 10-9 Rigondeaux
Round 7.... 9-10 Donaire
Round 8.... 10-9 Rigondeaux
Round 9.... 10-9 Rigondeaux
Round 10.. 8-10 Donaire.......................................Donaire Scores A Knockdown
Round 11.. 10-9 Rigondeaux
Round 12.. 10-9 Rigondeaux

TOTAL : 115-113 GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX


Judges Scores : Julie Lederman 116-111 Rigondeaux
                        Tom Schreck 115-112 Rigondeaux
                        John Stewart 114-113 Rigondeaux

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAX WINS BY UNANIMOUS DECISION



Press and Fan Scores

Kevin Iole (Yahoo) 114-113 Rigondeaux

Ben Weisman (Boxingasylum) 115-112 Rigondeaux

Daniel Vano (Checkhouseboxing) 114-113 Rigondeaux

Phil D Jay (WorldBoxingNews) 115-112 Rigondeaux

BoxingSocialist 116-111 Rigondeaux

Ryan Bivins ( Sweetboxing) 118-109 Rigondeaux

Brian Campbell (ESPN) 115-112 Rigondeaux

ProBox-Jake 116-111 Rigondeaux

BoxingOpinions 115-114 Rigondeaux

Ramon Aranda (3 More Rounds) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Tom Gray (Ring Magazine) 114-114 Draw

Kugan Kassius ( IFilm London) 116-112 Rigondeaux

Tommy Allan (Boxingasylum) 116-111 Rigondaux

Eric Raskin (Ring Theory) 115-112 Rigondeaux

Wolfgang Schiffbauer (Fightnews) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Lyle Fitzsimmons (Boxingscene) 115-112 Rigondeaux

Mike Coppinger (Ring Magazine) 116-110 Rigondeaux

Jenna Jay (Ontheropesboxing) 117-110 Rigondeaux

Dan Rafael (ESPN) 114-113 Rigondeaux

Darren Velasco (Freelance) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Kieran Mulvaney (ESPN) 115-112 Rigondeaux

Chris Mannix (Sports Illustrated) 114-113 Rigondeaux

Cliff Roid (Boxingscene) 117-110 Rigondeaux

Roe (Checkhookboxing) 117-110 Rigondeaux

Corey Quincy (Fighthype) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Fighters Rated 119-108 Rigondeaux

ATR Tpster 116-111 Rigondeaux

Paul Daley (Topclassboxing) 115-113 Rigondeaux

Scott Smith (Fighthype UK) 117-111 Rigondeaux

Nes (Thaboxingvoice) 117-111 Rigondeaux

Fightnews 117-112 Rigondeaux

Fight Ghost 116-111 Rigondeaux

John A MacDonald (Thaboxingvoice) 116-112 Rigondeaux

Steve Kim (Maxboxing) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Alan Dawson (OnthebeakBoxing) 115-115 Draw

Gabriel Montoya (Maxboxing) 116-111 Rigondeaux

3 More Rounds 116-110 Rigondeaux

Josh McDaniel (Leaveitinthering) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Michael Marley (The Examiner) 114-113 Rigondeaux

Al Bernstein (Showtime) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Paddy Cronan (OnthegrindBoxing) 117-110 Rigondeaux

Andy Paterson ( Boxingasylum) 118-109 Rigondeaux

Boxingbet.PL 116-111 Rigondeaux

Rob Day (Ringnews24) 117-111 Rigondeaux

Danny Wright (Boxrec news) 116-112 Rigondeaux

Shaun Brown ( Boxing-Monthly) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Joseph (Twitter fan) 117-110 Rigondeaux

Colin Hyland (Twitter fan ) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Matt Verity (Twitter Fan) 114-113 *DONAIRE*

Cole Christensen (Twitter Fan) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Jack Summer (Twitter Fan) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Chito Muniz (Twitter Fan) 115-112 Rigondeaux

Pavel (Twitter fan) 116-112 Rigondeaux

Simon (Twitter fan) 117-111 Rigondeaux

William King (Twitter fan) 117-111 Rigondeaux

Jasper (twitter fan) 114-113 *DONAIRE*

Piotrek (Twitter fan) 118-109 Rigondeaux

Miguel Rodriguez (Twitter Fan) 116-111 Rigondeaux

Fake Jim Lampley (Twitter Fan) 118-109 Rigondeaux

Saddoboxig Forum - (All for Rigondeaux) 114-113, 117-110

Boxingasylum Forum - (All for Rigondeaux) 115-112 x2, 116-112 x2, 116-111, 118-109, 114-113

Fighthype Forum  117-110 Rigondeaux

Doghouseboxing Forum 118-109 Rigondeaux x2 , **115-113 DONAIRE**

TheSweetscience Forum  118-109 Rigondeaux

Ringnews24 Forum (All for Rigondeaux) 117-114, 114-113

Boxrec Forum (All for Rigondeaux) 116-111 x3, 117-110 x3, 118-109 x2, 117-111, 115-112

Eastsideboxing Forum (All for Rigondeaux) 118-109 x10, 116-111 x5, 117-110 x4, 118-110 x3
                                                                  117-111, 118-108

Boxingscene Forum (All for Rigondeaux) 118-109 x4, 115-112 x3, 117-110 x2, 115-113 x2, 116-111

Checkhookboxing Forum (All for Rigondeaux ) 116-111, 117-110, 114-113 and *114-113 DONAIRE*

Boxing Palace (All for Rigondeaux) 117-110, 116-112, 118-109