MONTHLY PUNCH
RIGONDEUX VS Sod Kokietgym
By Erman Housein
In most sports it would be unthinkable for one of its most talented competitors at the very peak of their career to face a position where they could potentially lose the opportunity to perform on a major television network. But boxing, as we all know too well is not like most sports and this is the exact situation facing undefeated WBA (Super) and WBO Super Bantamweight Champion Guillermo Rigondeaux.
The Cuban two-time Olympic gold medallist will compete on July 19th at the Venetian Resort in Macao in what will be the last fight of his existing contract with promoter Bob Arum and the Top Rank chief has stated that if Rigondeaux does not impress enough in his performance to
ensure HBO network chiefs are turned back on to the fighter he will not be re-signing the man known as “El Chacal” (the Jackal) to a new deal.
Rigondeaux’s scheduled opponent, veteran fighter Sod Kokietgym of Thailand himself undefeated since 2006 and a former world title challenger is not the marquee name the majority of boxing fans hoped to see Rigondeaux mixing it with at this stage of his career, especially given the current crop of talent in and around the 122-126lbs divisions. But Arum who has long been critical of Rigondeaux, perceiving his fighting style as lacking the necessary entertainment value to engage TV audiences gave some insight in to the reasoning but the current choice of opponent and venue in a recent interview with Boxing Scene,
“My problem with Rignondeaux is that HBO won’t put him on the air. So if HBO won’t put him on the air, then I only have one market for him realistically and that’s in Asia”.
Even after Rigondeaux’s greatest night as a professional to date a unanimous decision victory over one of the sports outstanding fighters of the last decade Nonito Donaire, Arum was quick to launch a verbal attack on his fighter claiming he made the bout “unwatchable” by opting not to stand and trade. In contrast boxing purists marvelled at the technical showing delivered against Doniare praising Rigondeaux's fluid lateral and backward movement, the speed and timing of his counter punching and how he managed to nullify the strengths of Donaire and make him look ordinary at times. However, frustratingly when it comes down to the business side of the sport it appears these qualities in a performance can count for very little and a man heralded as one of the greatest amateur fighters of all time, may struggle to secure major fights moving forward and ultimately miss out on facing the likes of Leo Santa Cruz in what would be a unification bout or a move up to Featherweight to face another former amateur great Vasyl Lomachenko or even a rematch again Donaire.
PREVIEW: JUNE