Saw a stupid, arrogant fighter versus a smart, disciplined fighter

It's clear that the planning and excuse making on the part of the Phillipino Flash has a lot to do with getting exposed. The amazing thing about that fight was that Donaire constantly thought he could outdo Rigondeux even though Rigo clearly exposed the weakness of constantly looking for a KO punch. Het met his match with speed and skill but arrogantly refused to understand that the man hitting him back was a beast.

The problem with Rigondeux is that he's chinny. The boxing clinic he gave to Donaire was possible because Donaire failed to put 2 and 2 together to make 4. Pressing the action, not looking for openings, was the way he was going to win. Donaire has a far better chin than Rigondeux and if he pressed the action and took the punishment in order to get inside then he might've been able to win and probably would've killed Rigondeux.

As far as boxing skill is concerned, what I saw was two fighters mirroring each other except one was quicker and smarter because he was smaller and took the fight seriously.

The lesson here is to prepare for your **** and do what it takes to win. Every time Rigondeux got caught he managed to give as good as he got excepting round ten where Donaire actually implemented the strategy that was necessary for his success. Roy Jones Jr. kept saying that Rigo's power kept him honest, and that tactic resulted in splitting open Donaire's cheek near his eye, but it also rocked Rigo hard. Learning to move quickly in and out around punches, predicting their velocity and direction is as much an important skill as feinting and counter-punching.

We saw this *****-footing with Donaire before with Mathebula. Fighters who can't change up their tactics to force their will on the fight will ultimately lose the fight.

Also, I really like Rigondeux. The way he fights is not boring at all, but it can be exposed by good inside work and his chin.

I think a rematch would be interesting because both fighters would approach it with intent to actually win. Donaire would be forced to get off his high horse.

A comment on Robert Garcia and Freddy Roach. I don't know how much I believe anymore in the let fighters be themselves approach to training. Beristein is an example where I constantly see him changing Marquez's tactics to win a fight rather than just rely on improving what they already have.

 

Donaire has an amazing chin as evidenced by the fact that he was taking cannon fire from Rigondeux and didn't hit the ground. Donaire took more successive punches than Rigo and dealt with them better until Rigo splattered his eyelid. He still didn't go down.

Rigo is a beast but he gets woozy and takes a quick nap every once in a while. Nobody is perfect. Donaire is neither as disciplined or as fast as Rigo.

Pacquiao got rocked because he was too aggressive. Marquez stacked bullets on his arms for the fight and Pac couldn't stop pushing and got punished. Had he shown a bit more discipline it might've been a repeat of Pac-Marq 2 except a far clearer victory for Pac.

Conversely, Donaire ***** footed around with Rigo who battered him. He didn't once changeup his gameplan or cut off Rigo because he was too arrogant.

Counterpunchers don't always win. There is no dynamite to the rock-paper-scissors dynamic of boxing. If you want to win then you take what works and adapt to the situation so you can eventually force your will on your opponent. Donaire simply failed to do this.

This is why we call her boxing. Because people beat each other to death with mats on their hands. Counter punchers can get KTFO just as inside fighters and aggressive fighters can get KTFO. That's the way it works.

Or maybe he would've implemented a strategy that didn't rely on him mimicking a slightly faster pot shotter to his detriment.

Boxing is about hurting the other person more than they hurt you while hopefully looking good when you do it. I saw a lazy Donaire in there and I'm simply calling him out.