Rundown: Rigondeaux Tops Donaire, Diaz Returns
Photo: Chris Farina/Top Rank
The name of the game is “hit and don’t get hit” and that’s exactly what WBA champion Guillermo Rigondeaux did to earn a 12 round unanimous decision Saturday night at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist boxed circles around the 2-1 favorite Nonito Donaire and battered the Filipino with big left hands when he even attempted any type of offense. It was pretty much a one-sided schooling until the tenth when Donaire found his mark and landed a huge left hand that sent the Cuban stumbling to the canvas. The southpaw recovered quickly and closed the show with an all out assault on Donaire’s left eye which was nearly swollen shut after 12.
In the end, scores were 114-113, 115-112, and 116-111 by judges who obviously gave Donaire more credit for simply being the aggressor … even if it wasn’t at all effective.
“The people that know boxing saw that it was a very good fight, there was quality and I made him look the way he looked, which was bad, and I looked great ” Rigondeaux said “I was Boxing and moving and he was frustrated… with one shot you just don’t win a fight.”
“The last two rounds, I got stupid. I didn’t feel his power until that last round. I wanted to take him out so bad and I fell in love with that. I only have respect for Rigondeaux, for the beautiful boxing that he gave me ” Said Donaire “To be honest with you, for the last three fights, I’m not taking anything away from Rigondeaux, but I needed surgery on my shoulder. I tore my ligaments for about three years…no excuses he played a beautiful boxing game and it was my mistake for not changing up.”
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Also on Saturday night, Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz returned to the ring after nearly 3 years off to score a 6th round stoppage of Pipino Cuevas Jr at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi TX. An accumulation of punches prompted referee Mark Calo-oy to step in and halt the action at the 55 second mark with Cuevas on his feet arguing the stoppage.
“Every round I was punishing him” Said Diaz “I started landing some good body shots which slowed him down even more… If the referee feels he was taking too many punches, well he has to do his job [and stop the fight]