By: Julio Garcia
Seven years ago Guillermo Rigondeaux was one of the most avoided boxers in the game. He was a boogeyman that made top fighters appear like amateurs but his fighting styles turned many fans away. That did not stop him from achieving greatness and he validated that greatness with his victory over Nonito Donaire who at the time was on a hot streak beating the biggest names in the division since 2007 when we stopped Vic Darchinyan.
Things were going good for Rigondeaux until he jumped up two divisions to take on the Vasyl Lomachenko. Rigondeaux was undersized and overmatched so when he had enough, several people were quick to write him off as bring finished in the sport.
Fast forward three years and Rigondeaux is a champion again but the division has a new boogeyman. Enter Naoya Inoue who won his first bantamweight title in 2018 but has been a terror in every division that he has fought in since 2012.
Inoue recently made his United States debut this past weekend and was spectacular which helps with Top Rank wanting to push him even further (and let’s hope they do a better job than they did with Zou Sciming). Top rank recently posted to social media who boxing fans would love to see Inoue face and Rigondeaux held nothing back in answering his former promoter.
“We all know who YOU don’t want to see him with next,” stated Rigondeaux via Twitter. “I can win every other belt at 118 before you see any of them. When you run to Super Bantamweight, I’ll defend my lineal championship…. No te olvides, que sigo siendo El Rey (don’t forget I’m still the king)!”
