(Final) Donaire VS Rigondeaux-Who do you favor to win?

Donaire can´t land clean in guys that put safety first.....Rigo by UD or even by TKO, he is the better counter-puncher and has the better defense.

 

Warming to a Rigo decision victory, possibly split but clear

 

I noticed Rigo wasn't looking at Donaire eyes in the staredown. Not sure what to say to that.

 

I believe Rigo to be overrated. Rigo struggled with a basic fighter like Cordoba (who went life and death with Dunne, ultimately getting KO'd). Yes Rigo has a great amateur background but this is the pros. Leon Spinks was a gold medalist and Qawi barely had any amateur fights but look at what happened when they met as pros.

Donaire has proven me wrong many times. It is the same thing with Hopkins, he has proved the doubters wrong time and time again. At some point, you just have to be a believer. I'm a believer in Donaire. After all, Donaire's resume is impressive, he has vastly more experience than Rigo, he is bigger, has more power and I believe he is way more durable. I honestly don't see this fight being close. I expect a mid rounds KO for Donaire (or possibly late round TKO).

 

I have Donaire in a close decision, a close fight where i think Donaire wins the majority of the first half of the fight until Rigondeaux goes on the backfoot and the action really plummets with both then splitting a more even amount of rounds won, some rounds being very much upto debate.

Also, im trying to keep it out of my mind, but i can see a nasty cut that Donaire will be on the bad end of, which could play a factor to change the course of the fight, maybe ending it. Really hoping it doesn't happen, but Rigondeaux jumps in deep with those bodyshots, and Donaire stands his ground when he's looking to counter with the left.

 

Both fighters will be very tenative. Donaire even more so given that he has the advantage in reach and height and knows that forcing Rigo to be aggressive will be detrimental for Rigo.

This could be a very boring fight.

If Rigo neglects to be aggressive, Donaire may become frusterated and look to be exciting and get put down in the process.

If Donaire is smart, and sticks to his gameplan of being on the outside and potshotting Rigo, he should win a very competitive fight; however, Rigo's defense will make this very difficult.

It's a hard fight to predict. It's probably 50/50, but I give the edge to Donaire based on his experience at the higher level. Additionally, Rigo has not fully developed his right hook, which makes him mostly a one handed fighter.

 

It means he's scared.

 

Head says Donaire, heart says Rigo.

I can see this going a bunch of different ways. The safest bet for Donaire is to move forward with a jab for as much of every round as possible. He doesn't need to land the jab, he just needs to throw it. This will keep Rigo on the defensive and constantly feinting and resetting. He DOES. NOT. THROW unless he's given some sort of opportunity. When Rigo comes in, Donaire should back off and then come forward again. This approach could bank important rounds for Donaire and then one of two things will happen: Absolutely nothing, and Donare will win wide on points (think Klitschkop-Haye) or he'll catch Rigo coming in with a counter and buzz him or drop him, causing Rigo to become aggressive to make up the points difference. This would allow Donaire to counter even more or box off the back foot, whichever he wants.

Basically Donaire's strategy should be to bank rounds with minimal effort and look for a big counter. Make the southpaw lead.

Rigondeaux should move right when Donaire comes in, away from Donaire's right hand. By moving right (or even straight back) at the last second Rigo will make Donaire reach and lunge with the right hand. (Watch Donaire do this constantly against Darchinyan.) Donaire will literally throw himself completely off balance trying to land that straight right. If Rigo can make Donaire reach like this, and lets him get away with it for a few rounds, he can begin to capitalize on it by slipping the punch and ripping the uppercut to the body, then tying up or slipping out to the left and resetting. The straight left will also be there if he can beat Donaire to the punch, which he will.

"But what about the left hook super-death-punch!?!?!" say all the *******s. Well, that punch will be taken out of play if Rigo pivots to his right effectively while keeping low and/or extending his right arm to steer Donaire away. He can also smother the punch by rushing straight in when Donaire throws it and banging the body with both hands. He can roll it and come back with the straight left down the middle. Rigo needs to bait Donaire into throwing that punch by selling his feints, and there is no better feinter than Rigondeaux. The only way Donaire catches him with a left hook counter is if Rigondeaux is in a desperate situation and is forced to come forward throwing combos, which he most likely won't do. Even then, it's a gamble for Donaire.

Once Rigondeaux has taken Donaire's power shots out of play, he'll have to make an adjustment. If he's ahead, that means he'll dance around the ring and potshot with one shot at a time, then get out (looking for a big counter the whole time). If he's behind, expect to see him come forward with aggressive head movement and a lot of feints (nothing like Darchinyan or Montiel though) and look to drill Donaire back to the ropes and unload on him, then get out, reset, and do it again. I don't think you'll see a sustained barrage by Rigo because he'll be wary of Donaires power the entire time.

It's going to come down to who can counter the counterpuncher. My guess is Rigo will have more success, because he has vastly superior footwork and possibly an edge in quickness, combined with the fact that countering is basically his entire game. However, Donaire is good enough and powerful enough to land his own counters, even though his game is based on aggression. If Donaire can hurt Rigo, the game will change and Rigo will go into survival mode until Donaire gives him a good opening. So for Donaire, hurt Rigo and then bank rounds and continue looking to hurt him. For Rigo, set traps for Donaire, throw him off balance, capitalize on his mistakes, and always keep safety first and foremost because it only takes one shot from this guy.

I'm going with Rigo. I seriously hope he doesn't come out swinging to try and prove anything, because it would be a huge gamble.

 

i like both fighters but i think donaire will beat rigo. Donaire by late round KO.

 

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im really baffled as to who is going to win. I have no prediction at all:-(

 

Donaire by decision.

 

Rigondeaux is a lot smaller than Donaire. Just look at the official weight in.

 

donaire by KO but cheering for rigo to pull off the upset

 

Little action most of the way through as they each try to get the other to lead. Tense fight though, as they both carry real power and place their punches so well, so all it takes in one clean shot to really liven things up. I'm calling Donaire to drop the bomb just right somewhere around the 8th or 9th.

 

Boy, when was the last time I made a wrong pick?