TOUGH TALK AS EXCITEMENT BUILDS UP FOR DONAIRE-RIGONDEAUX CLASH
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 08 Apr 2013
Excitement is building up for the unification title clash between WBO/Ring Magazine and WBC Diamond Belt super bantamweight champion and 2012 ?Fighter of the Year? Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire (31-1, 20 KO?s) and former Cuban two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8KOs) which takes place at the historic Radio City Music Hall on Saturday (Sunday in Manila.) as tough talk from both fighters revved up high interest in the fight.
Rigondeaux is reportedly getting a little upset after Donaire told the Manila Standard that the former Olympian talks too much and he planned to ?shut his mouth and knock him out.?
At the same time boxingscene.com claimed Rigondeaux also took exception to a recent interview with ESPN in which Donaire said fighters like former WBC bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel was a tougher opponent than Rigondeaux and highlighted the fact that while Rigondeaux was very experienced as an amateur, he didn?t have enough experience in the pro ranks.
Donaire also mentioned WBC super bantamweight champion Abner Mares who has moved up to featherweight and still hopes to face Donaire somewhere down the road as a tougher opponent than Rigindeaux.
The four-division world champion who is No. 4 in Ring Magazine?s pound for pound rankings told ESPN ?He (Rigondeaux) has a lot of amateur experience, but amateur experience is different from professional fights. I think Montiel is a much tougher fight. There are a lot of guys out there. I think [Abner] Mares is a tougher fight, but again it's depends on how he comes into the fight. I can't say how he will be, but only inside that ring we'll find out."
Rigondeaux believes Donaire is underestimating him. Boxingscene.com quoted the WBA champion who said "This [fight] is a golden opportunity for my career. I'll be facing the best at 122 pounds, and he's earned [that position]. [But] If he think I'm easy, then I'm going to win. He has not fought anybody and playing a guitar and then playing a violin is not the same thing. I'm going to shut that stubborn Filipino's mouth and I will unify the titles."
Filipinos will get a chance to catch the action on Sunday at 10:15 a.m. over ABS-CBN Channel 2 with a replay on Studio 23 with a ?live? pay-per-view telecast on Sky Cable and The Filipino Channel which has a huge following especially in the Middle East.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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