How do you see this fight playing out? You have Junior Jones who beat Barrera x2 against Rigondeaux who outboxed Donaire. Would Jones' height, reach, and power pose a difficult style for a defensive counter puncher with power like Rigo? One things for sure, someone is getting stopped. I'll slightly favor Rigo.
Rigo, better feet. He'd catch Jones at some point with the left and then it's pretty much over. Rigo's feet were so fast and in his prime his timing, accuracy and technique were sublime. He'd outmanoeuvre Jones to win a UD imo, or counter punch him with a fight ending shot.
I tend to favour the pre-McKinney Jones by ko, though it's true that Rigondeaux could do the same to him. I don't on first thought fancy Rigo to outbox Jones though. It's true that Rigo has an edge in terms of footspeed, technically educated footwork and maybe fencing- like distance control; my worry is that the gap there is far from big and that Rigo, as well as being without a notable speed or timing advantage, would be at a large combined deficit in terms of height and reach. Brilliant though he is, I find his overall skill set to be a bit overstated. Very well honed offensively and defensively at what he does on top of his physical talent, but not overly expansive, and a bit cautious and one paced. More of a tendency to patiently rely on quick, accurate, hard potshots or ones and twos at a deliberate pace in between trying to hold centre ring rather than really letting his hands go with abandon and looking to aggressively slip and counter on the front foot at a higher pace and in combination to take advantage of Jones's holey defence and dodgy chin. He's a cagey enough counter puncher off the first punch with that quick, fizzing and dangerous straight left, and good at rolling/rotating under and over the top with it, but still relatively basic in that regard. It's a punch that Jones would be vulnerable to when leaning in, but likewise I think Rigo is just as vulnerable to Junior's fast, very hard, well-timed and dangerous straight right. Jones could be guilty of not using his height well all the time, but on the occasions he does here, he'd have a sizeable reach advantage and be able to do so from a distance where Rigo may struggle to beat him to the punch or counter him in an exchange of straight power punches. As quick and accurate as Rigo could be with his feinting to jab and then whipping a lead right hook in, I think he could occasionally telegraph and cuff with it, another dangerous flaw against Jones's money punch and Hearns-lite arsenal. Lastly, Rigo was put down by Cordoba and Donaire and rattled by Marroquin. I'd say his chin was a little bit stronger than Jones's, but it was still very dentable and slightly below average at the top level.
Better power than Whittaker, better defense than Pac, better feet than Hagler and I haven't watched Saldivar.
I agree. I find Rigo is very overrated on these forums. He is one dimensional and a bit of a glass cannon. Though he was bigger and it had effect, Loma showed exactly what to do to him, and other fighters from years gone would be able to do similar strategies. For my money Watanabe is a better skilled southpaw (excluding defense), and then there's Pac, Saldivar, Hagler, Elorde etc etc. Rigo also doesn't have the proven quality like those ATGs he is compared to (for some reason). Like I said, overrated a ton at the lower weights.
To actually answer the question of this thread, Rigo KO's Jones. Poison's weak chin isn't holding up to Rigo's left hand.
Bingo. I agree that Rigo's skills are vastly over-rated - perhaps a reflection of the skill level of contemporary fighters. Whoah... Absolutely.
