There has been speculation recently that the Cuban sensation Guillermo Rigondeaux (14-0 KO’s 9) is planning a move up in weight to face the top fighters at 126lbs. Despite the rumors, Rigondeaux, who currently holds the WBO and WBA junior featherweight titles, will remain at 122lbs.
According to Boxingscene.com’s Mike Coppinger, Rigondeaux’s manager Gary Hyde stated, “Guillermo Rigondeaux will not be moving up to 126lbs under my watch.”
Nevertheless, there remains plenty of competition left in the Jr. featherweight division.
Leo Santa Cruz (28-0-1 KO’s 16), who is one of the two remaining title holders at 122lbs, remains as a significant matchup for the two time gold medalist. Santa Cruz, who holds the WBC title, has been adamant about facing Rigondeaux, but his manager, Al Haymon, refuses to work toward making the fight a reality. Some have suggested that Haymon may not have faith in Santa Cruz, others believe the risk of facing a superior boxer like Rigondeaux isn’t worth the reward for a fan-favorite like Santa Cruz.
If the Santa Cruz fight doesn’t pan out, Carl Frampton (19-0 KO’s 13) would naturally be the secondary option. Frampton successfully defended his IBF title belt with a UD victory over Kiko Martinez in his last outing. His plans on facing Rigondeaux in the immediate future remain uncertain.
Whether Rigondeaux will have the opportunity to unify all the title belts in 2015 is unclear.
