Wilfredo Gomez vs Guillermo Rigondeaux At 122

Great post but you're ignoring the ground rules of discussion here. One fighter is just a current champion while the other is a legendary ATG who fought 30-40 years ago. Therefore, the only appropriate responses are "[ATG] would DESTROY [current fighter]!! Who has [current fighter] fought??" or some similar response where all of current fighter's strengths and talents go out the window as soon as he finds himself in the ring with an immortal.

 

I've come to realize that I seem to value defensively skilled and (especially) mobile fighters more than most people on this board in head to head matchups...it is what it is. You're completely wrong about me "nut hugging" anyone though of any race. Grow up.

I also disagree with this bs about how we can only judge fighters if we see them in against ATGs. That's hogwash for people who don't actually understand boxing well enough to evaluate fighters on their own and for people who insist on living in a boxing fantasy world in which everything was better in the past. Would I be more confident in my assessment of Rigondeaux if I saw him go back in time and beat Zarate or Pintor? Of course. Is it possible that Rigondeaux isn't quite as extraordinary as he seems? Sure. But in the meanwhile, his skill set, talents, and smarts are obvious to anyone who understands boxing and reasonable people can disagree as to how effectively he would be able to use them against other greats. The argument that because Rigondeaux never fought a man of Gomez's caliber he certainly would not be able to beat Gomez is very poor logic.

 

BTW, you've moved the goal posts a bit but that's cool. My main, original point was to criticize this "backfoot fighter has to take two steps for every one of his opponents" bit that I've seen posted on this site before. Simply not true as an absolute rule.

My followup point was that guys like Rigondeaux and Mayweather, who have excellent upper body defensive skills and don't need to run around the ring to defend themselves, can defend themselves against against aggressive opponents in ways that are at least as exhausting for the opponents. Not saying that this would be the case against Gomez, but I don't see how its debatable.

 

What goal posts do you think I've moved?

 

He hits hard enough to break the jaws and eyes of guys who are 15-20 lbs heavier on fight night. He hits hard enough to shake Teon Kennedy everytime he landed with his left hand. Not quite the crushing KO power of Prince Nassem or Pac-man but definately not going to walk through it and give more than you take.

He's got the type of power that I would best describe as discouraging. He hits with the type of power from a stand still that it makes guys hesitant to try to really walk him down. It's why so many of his fights have these flat-footed chess matches of feinting blocking and parrying and Rigo inevitably seems to be two moves ahead of his opponents.

 

I wouldn't say he was necessarily harder hitting than Mayweather or Pea.

 

All I can say about Rigo's power is this

http://i.imgur.com/mEMOlze.jpg

He did that to a guy who was 6 inches taller and 20 lbs heavier on fight night.

Even in while totally out working and outclassing nearly all of their opponents neither one of them ever left a guy that much bigger than him that beaten up.

His power is undeniably bone-crushing.:scaredas:

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Whitaker+hurtado&client=ms-android-orange-gb&prmd=minv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijtdTwhYnLAhXK0xoKHQvkALAQ_AUICCgC&biw=360&bih=559&dpr=3#imgrc=b1NVPMYyqqNX_M%3A


https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mayweather+gatti&client=ms-android-orange-gb&prmd=vni&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiU4u6chonLAhVL6xoKHQhxBEMQ_AUICSgD&biw=360&bih=559#imgrc=LGbkLlkqkioCSM%3A

 

Not even close. Ignoring the horrible ref in the Hurtado fight who let him take an absolute pasting after he was clearly no longer able to defend himself. Hurtado was still at least recognisable. But that should have been stopped FAR sooner than it was.

Gatti did what Gatti does best, which is get the **** beaten out of him.

Still neither one of these guys looked even close to as bad as Amigasa did. The only fight I remember getting stopped because Sloth from the Goonies Face.

For comparison

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/goonies/images/e/e6/Sloth.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110803231321

http://i.imgur.com/mEMOlze.jpg

 

The ultimate point is I can't see Rigo discouraging Gomez.

 

Fair enough, but I respectfully disagree. A good day to you sir.:hi:

 

How things have changed. We've seen now how Rigo reacts when he fights another fighter with fast feet and in and out movements. Gomez @ 122 was one of the smoothest movers along with his power. He would have toyed with Rigo before dispatching him.

 

This isn’t peak Gomez; Gomez against Pintor had already fell in love with his power and become quite one dimensional.

Maybe watch him in his prime.

 

Funny, when you clearly hadn’t watched much of Gomez before this thread.

 

So you think Gomez' footwork was on par with Rigondeaux's? Which fights would you recommend I watch to see evidence of this?

I bet I'd seen much more of Gomez than most of the "Bazooka would murder that nobody Rigondeaux!!" posters had seen of Rigondeaux...