Carmelo Anthony
In some circles, Guillermo Rigondeaux was considered the underdog, but last night, none of that mattered.
Rigondeaux, who fought in more than 400 amateur fights and has two Olympic gold medals, ended Nonito Donaire’s 30-fight unbeaten streak and won a unanimous decision to unify the WBO and WBA super bantamweight title.
Rigondeaux, who entered the bout as the WBA super bantamweight champion, received winning scores of 114-113, 115-112 and 116-111 in the unification bout at Radio City Music Hall.
“I told you I was going to do my job and I did it,” said Rigondeaux, who is a champion in just his 12th professional bout. “I made him look bad and I looked great.”
The fight was just the second in the history of Radio City Music Hall, with the first coming 13 years ago when Roy Jones Jr. retained his light heavyweight title against David Telesco, and it went the distance.
The two fighters spent the majority of the first round feeling out one another, but Rigondeaux (12-0, eight KOs) landed several statement punches, including a left hook that staggered Donaire (31-2, 20 KOs) for the first time in the fight, but Donaire recovered quickly.
Though Donaire’s speed and power were trumpeted leading into the fight, Rigondeaux was more prepared.
“I didn’t do my job and change up during the fight,” Donaire said. “I never studied film and I should have.”
The Cuban-born fighter seemed to have a parry for every big hook Donaire threw and in the early rounds, was able to counter the majority of Donaire’s attacks and spent the majority of the time waiting to capitalize on a mistake.
“You saw it, [I was] boxing, moving, frustrating him,” Rigondeaux said. “I was like a Matador.”
The two fighters finally unleashed flurries late in the fourth round, with Donaire landing a punishing left hook, turning what started out as a game of chess into an all-out slugfest. Donaire and Rigondeaux traded several big hooks before the bell sent each fighter back to their corners.
Following that flurry, there was little offense from either fighter, with Donaire repeatedly missing with big hooks and Rigondeaux spent more time ducking and weaving than throwing punches, sending the sellout crowd into a chorus of boos.
When Rigondeaux did throw punches, he found some success, even landing a glancing power punch on Donaire in the sixth.
Donaire finally started to land power punches in the eighth and ninth rounds, catching Rigondeaux with lefts on several different occasions and winning back-to-back rounds.
Donaire landed just 23 percent of his punches (82-of-352), including 31 percent of his power punches.
“He’s an excellent fighter,” Rigondeaux said. “But you cannot win a fight with one punch.”
The 10th round provided the fight’s first two knockdowns. Donaire, possibly sensing he was behind on points, stormed out of his corner, landing a left and then was tangled up with Rigondeaux, sending the latter to the mat. Seconds later, Donaire landed another devastating left, putting down Rigondeaux again, but he popped up immediately as the crowd erupted.
After an uneventful 11th round, Rigondeaux dominated the 12th, landing a punch early that forced Donaire to protect his right eye, nearly swollen shut.
Seeing Donaire was wounded, Rigondeaux went on the offensive, relentlessly attacking Donaire to seal the win.
“In the last two rounds I got stupid,” Donaire said. “I got carried away. I wanted to take him on so bad.”