By Ian S Palmer
Unbeaten Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba will be putting his WBA and WBC Junior Featherweight Championships on the line in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, December 7 when he takes on former world champion Joseph Agbeko of Ghana. The 12-round bout will be broadcast across North America by the HBO Network.
The 33-year-old Rigondeaux is a masterful boxer and technician and it’s hard to believe he’s had just 12 fights since turning professional back in 2009. The southpaw will enter the ring with a perfect record of 12-0 along with eight Kos. He won the WBO title earlier in the year with an impressive unanimous decision over Nonito Donaire. Rigondeaux learned the ropes as an amateur back in Cuba where he put together an amazing record of 400-12.
He proved against Donaire that he could very well be the best pure boxer in the sport right now as he’s got excellent skills in all aspects of the game. He’s hard to hit, is accurate with his counter punches and has enough power to stop most of his challengers. He’s deservedly ranked as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world right now. He’s an awkward guy to fight against due to his defensive abilities and fantastic lateral movement.
If there are any complaints about the champion they usually concern the fact that he doesn’t really throw enough punches per round to be considered an entertaining boxer. He does what he has to do to win rounds and he hasn’t dropped many rounds on points since turning pro.
Joseph Agbeko is a more aggressive and free-swinging fighter who brings a bit more excitement to the ring. He’s going into this contest with a fine record of 29-4 along with 22 Kos. He’s also 33 years old and is a former two-time world bantamweight king. He hasn’t been very active lately as this will be just his second fight since being beaten by Abner Mares in December 2011.
Agbeko’s a tough warrior, but he’s lost three of his past five outing by decisions. He’s got good power as his 67 per cent stoppage rate would indicate, but he hasn’t stopped anybody in his last nine fights. His last knockout came back in 2007 over Fidencio Reyes in the fourth round. This means Agbeko may have to rely on his boxing skills against the champion unless he suddenly has his power back.
Rigondeaux shouldn’t have a problem winning this fight on points as he rarely goes looking for a knockout. If one happens to come then so be it. He’s simply too good of a boxer to be beaten by Agbeko at this stage of the challenger’s career. Agbeko might have a chance if he’s able to land the perfect shot on the champion’s chin, but he’s simply too hard to catch flush. This contest will likely go the distance with Rigondeaux winning a rather comfortable unanimous decision.
