Warriors of Olympus - Part I: Guillermo Rigondeaux
- By Behind The Gloves
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- 24 Nov, 2025
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Quick! Name two currently active professional boxers with more talent and skill than Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux? I'm not a gambling man but I'll bet the farm you can't do it. So don't even try. Listen, pedigree doesn't lie. Double Olympic gold medal winners don't grow on trees.
For the boxing faithful, 2025 has been a year where our cups have runneth over. We've had the drama of Wladimir Klitschko vs Anthony Joshua and Ward vs Kovalev, the controversy of the long awaited clash between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin, and the shock of Roman Gonzalez getting unexpectedly bombed out by the dynamite fisted Thai, Sor Rungvisai. Whichever way you slice it boxing is on a roll this year. And it's not over yet.
On December 9th, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, we get the biggest fight in the sport that can be made in any weight class below 135lbs. And the second the Lomachenko vs Rigondeaux bout was officially announced, you could hear the collective sound of jaws dropping across the entire boxing landscape. In fact mine dropped so hard it hit the floor, bounced back up and knocked me clean out.
A couple of swift kicks below the belt line from the wife - her version of first aid - woke me up and, apart from the searing pain in my groin, my first thought was of Loma-Rigo. The fact this fight is signed, sealed and delivered is almost too good to be true. So go ahead and slap yourself. This dream matchup is actually going to happen and if you're anything like me I'd wager you can't wait for the first bell to ring on fight night.
Moving forward I'll say this... It's a damn good time to be a follower of the "Sweet Science."
Guillermo Rigondeaux is a veteran of many battles. The vast majority of which were fought in amateur rings. To many he remains an enigma.
Decorated. Tremendously skilled. Sleep inducing. Void of the entertainment factor.
The truth of the matter runs deeper than many comprehend. He is a boxer who executes his moves in the ring from an unseen calculus most fighters at or around his weight cannot understand, much less aspire to ever match. The man could feint you out of your socks and give you the gift of a bloody nose all in one move. Yet he has been cast out into the boxing wilderness by his promoter, pay-per-view giant HBO, and many fans for being too cautious, even boring. With no contests on the immediate horizon, Rigondeaux, 17-0-0, 11 KO's (1 NC) was forced to take his show on the international road, boxing in China and Japan in 2014 and 2015 as the opportunities to fight in the U.S. dried up. Persona non grata. Unwanted and unwelcome in the land of the free.
There are still a few fans who enjoy watching him patiently stalk his opposition like a black panther, before it rips the flesh from its prey's hide. It might not be to everybody's liking, but it's still undeniably boxing executed at a very high level. Rigondeaux is the rightful heir to the artistry and guile of the great Cuban fighters of yesteryear - Kid Chocolate, Kid Gavilan, and Jose Napoles - but it hasn't done him any favours outside the ropes. Too good for his own good, potential rivals looked the other way when his name was mentioned and made excuses as to why they wouldn't face him. Rigondeaux became part of the "Who Needs Him Club". Invisible. Too much risk for too little reward.
Rigondeaux is a slick, slippery southpaw boxer-puncher, a product of the Cuban amateur boxing system bequeathed to Fidel Castro by the Russians. The Cubans added their own Spanish salsa rhythms to cold soviet efficiency and their resulting amateur boxing success has been nothing short of phenomenal. He took to the sport like a fish to water. Two Olympic gold medals, two amateur World Championships, three time World Cup winner, seven consecutive Cuban national titles and a professional world title are proof of his tremendous talent, dedication, and love of a country he can never return to after defecting.
And now finally, four years after his last significant victory, over Nonito Donaire in 2013, another big opportunity - one that he himself called for - presents itself. The moment of truth awaits.
There is another. A rival seemingly without flaw and equally as accomplished. A hawk eyed warrior who wants to prove himself as the superior master of the science of boxing. Ukraine's Vasyl "Hi Tech" Lomachenko has accepted the challenge...
Article by: Roy 'Sharpshooter' Bennett
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (December 22, 2025) -- Filipino fireball JERWIN "Pretty Boy" ANCAJAS will make his U.S. debut, Saturday, February 3, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX. A protégé of Filipino icon Senator Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, and promoted by Top Rank ® , MP Promotions and Joven Sports, Ancajas (26-1-1, 18 KOs), of Cavite City, Cavite, Philippines, will be making the fourth defense of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight world title against Top-10 contender ISRAEL GONZALEZ (20-1, 8 KOs), of Cabo San Lucas, México. The Ancajas - Gonzalez world championship fight will be the co-main event to the GILBERTO "Zurdo" RAMÍREZ - HABIB "Wild Hurricane" AHMED World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight world title rumble. Both fights will be televised live and exclusively at 10:15 p.m. EST on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and stream live on the ESPN App.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zapari Boxing Promotions, remaining tickets to the Ramírez - Ahmed / Ancajas - Gonzalez world championship doubleheader event are priced at $152, $102, $62, $42, and $27, including facility fees -- the perfect fistivus holiday gift for your favorite boxing fan! They may be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com , at the American Bank Center Box Office, Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
"I have had the opportunity to be ringside for Jerwin's fights in Australia and in Macau and I see a lot of similarities to his co-promoter Manny Pacquiao," said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum . "Jerwin has a killer instinct inside the ring and he is a great finisher. Just look at his record. Jerwin has only gone the distance once in his last 14 fights!"
“Jerwin Ancajas, the IBF junior bantamweight world champion and MP Promotions’ first world title holder, is an exciting fighter who has not reached his full potential,” said Pacquiao. “I am pleased to announce that we will have the opportunity to get worldwide exposure through his upcoming fights being televised on ESPN, with the help of the legendary Bob Arum and Top Rank. We, at MP Promotions feel that this opportunity will open the floodgates for Jerwin to reach his full potential and continue to bring great honor to the Philippines. That begins on February 3 in Corpus Christi, Texas, live on ESPN, and we will be with him in every step of the way throughout his journey.”
"I am thrilled to have Mr. Arum and Top Rank promoting my career in the United States. As a Filipino boxer there is no higher honor than to have Mr. Arum and Top Rank Boxing promoting you," said Ancajas. "I also want to thank MP promotions and Joven Sports for helping get me to this point in my career and I look forward to following in the footsteps of my Idol and promoter Manny Pacquiao. I want to be a champion for a long time."
"We at Joven Sports are thrilled to be signing with Mr. Arum and Top Rank boxing. There was only one choice when we decided to go with a promoter in the United States," said Joven Jimenez, president of Joven Sports and Ancajas' co-promoter and trainer. "Mr. Arum has done so much for Filipino boxing over the years. We are honored to be promoted by him . Also I want to thank co-promoter Manny Pacquiao and MP Promotions for all they have done and we hope to have the tremendous success that our promoter Manny has had in boxing."
Ancajas captured the IBF junior bantamweight world title last year, dethroning defending undefeated champion McJoe Arroyo via a dominate 12-round unanimous decision. It was the only fight Ancajas has gone the distance in his last 14 bouts dating back to 2012. He has successfully defended the title three times -- all in 2025 and all by stoppage -- against Jose Rodriguez (32-4) in Macau; Teiru Kinoshita (25-1-1) in Brisbane, Australia, under the Manny Pacquiao - Jeff Horn world title fight; and on November 18, Jamie Conlan (19-0), in Conlan's native Belfast.
Gonzalez returns to the ring riding an eight-bout winning streak with five of those victories coming by way of knockout. The former WBC FECOMBOX super flyweight champion is currently world rated No. 9 by the IBF.
Two World Light Heavyweight Titles at Stake as Sergey Kovalev Returns to New York vs. Igor Mikhalkin
Sergey Kovalev continues his rise back to the top of the light heavyweight division when he returns to the Mecca of Boxing on Saturday, March 3rd to defend the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title versus southpaw I gor Mikhalkin , originally of Irkutsk, Russia, now fighting out of Hamburg, Germany. A skilled boxer, Mikhalkin puts his ten-bout winning streak on the line as he steps up to challenge one of the most fearsome punchers in professional boxing at New York City's Theater at Madison Square Garden.
In the co-main event, newly minted WBA World Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol of Russia makes his second defense of the title against Cuba's streaking Sullivan Barrera, the mandatory challenger. Viewed as a "toss-up" bout by boxing insiders, Bivol-Barrera matches a young, explosive champion against an experienced veteran hungry for his first world title fight. Presented by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions, the doubleheader will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Ticket information will be announced shortly.
Last month, the Big Apple welcomed Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 KOs), the two-time light heavyweight world champion, with open arms as he made his New York debut with a stoppage of Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in the second round to reclaim his WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Eager to return to the ring and to his new home, "Krusher" thrilled his large following of Russian fans last month and he expects an even bigger contingent to greet him in March. As he sits comfortably atop the light heavyweight rankings and in the top five pound-for-pound, Sergey's goal is to put on a great show for the fans in attendance and watching on HBO.
Kovalev said, "I really enjoyed fighting at Madison Square Garden in November. It feels like my home. I'm very excited to go back to MSG and to fight on HBO. Everyone should to have a great time watching my fight!"
Kovalev's manager, Egis Klimas, added, "It's still very difficult to find light heavyweights who want to fight Sergey. I'm surprised! Many thanks to Igor Mikhalkin, who is confident enough to take on The Krusher and get a big opportunity. I don't think it's a coincidence that Shabranskyy is Ukrainian and Igor is Russian. They're tough! Not afraid!"
Mikhalkin (21-1, 9 KOs), 32, a southpaw originally from Irkutsk, Russia, now resides in Hamburg, Germany. He made his professional debut in 2007 with a second-round stoppage against Stefan Stanko and went on to win his first 11 bouts with seven of those wins coming by way of knockout. The lone blemish on Mikhalin's record is a unanimous decision loss to former WBO Light Heavyweight Title contender Aleksy Kuziemski in 2010. In the eight years since, Igor amassed several belts: the IBO Light Heavyweight World Title, EBU Light Heavyweight Title and the WBO Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Title. Mikhalkin will be making his US debut against Kovalev on March 3.
When asked about his upcoming title shot against Kovalev, Mikhalkin replied, "It is a great honor for me to fight in the United States. This will undoubtedly be the biggest and hardest fight in my career. Kovalev is for me the strongest man in this weight class. But I feel ready. The fight against Kovalev comes at the perfect time. I feel stronger than ever and I want to show the American boxing audience a great fight."
Mikhalkin's promoter, Erol Ceylan, of EC Box Promotions added, "We are happy to organize this fight together with Main Events. Kovalev is a big name in the light heavyweight division. Igor has absolutely earned this fight and he has the class to defeat Kovalev. Igor has already won many great foreign victories in his career and I'm sure that he will be successful again."
In the co-main event, the young champion, Dmitry Bivol
(12-0, 10 KOs), makes his New York debut and fights in the United States and on HBO for the second time. Sullivan Barrera
(21-1, 14 KOs), who has become a fixture on HBO, returns to The Garden for his first world title fight. Both men were very focused on making this fight and facing each other. Some boxing commentators believe this matchup could be the fight of the night.
"This is not the first time that I am training for the most important fight of my career, and this motivates me and makes me happy! Sullivan Barrera is what we wanted and I am glad that we will meet in the ring soon," explained WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion, Dmitry Bivol.
Andrei Ryabinskiy, of World of Boxing, Bivol's promoter, explained, "We have planned a very active schedule for Dmitry Bivol and World of Boxing in 2018 and are happy to start the year with an event at Madison Square Garden on March 3rd with Dmitry Bivol vs Sullivan Barrera. I would like to thank Kathy Duva and HBO and hope that our partnership will prosper."
Bivol's manager, Vadim Kornilov added, "We are glad that our first appearance in 2018 will be against one of the best in the division in the legendary Madison Square Garden. Sullivan Barrera is a serious test for Bivol and we have a lot of respect for him taking this fight. We want to prove to the world that it was not by accident that this young kid became a world champion in only his 12th ring appearance, he is already fighting on HBO for his third time, and he is fighting one of the best fighters in the division with only one career loss that came at the hands of Andre Ward. Bivol has already been mentioned as a possible pound for pound prospect by many and we will continue fighting the best out there to prove this!"
Barrera said, "I came from Cuba with one dream and that was to win a world title. I know it won't be easy and I know I chose the toughest road than anyone to get here. But I know all of the tough opponents I have agreed to fight and hard work will pay off. On March 3rd, I will become the most deserving light heavyweight champion in boxing."
Main Events CEO Kathy Duva remarked, "We're ready to showcase the light heavyweight division again at Madison Square Garden! We have Kovalev and Barrera both returning to The Theater after big wins in November and we're adding another light heavyweight champion to the card! Dmitry is a young champion with a bright future ahead of him if he can get past Sullivan, which is no easy task. And Sergey is taking on Igor Mikhalkin, who is a young, but experienced, southpaw and that's given him some trouble in the past. We'll round out the show with another lineup of prospects and local guys in great fights to make sure the fans see a really entertaining and satisfying night of boxing."
About Kovalev-Mikhalkin:
The Saturday, March 3 main event between Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev and Igor Mikhalkin is a 12-round match-up for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The co-main event features WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol versus Sullivan Barrera in a 12-round title fight. The event is promoted by Main Events, Krusher Promotions and World of Boxing in association with EC Box Promotions and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®. Ticket information will be available shortly.
Gamal Yafai will defend his WBC International Super-Bantamweight title in a must-win clash at the FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield on March 3, live on Sky Sports.
The duo are gunning for major honours in 2018 and their Steel City showdown takes the winner straight to the top table in the 122lbs division.
Unbeaten Yafai made his first move in the World rankings in May when he claimed the title he defends, stopping Sean Davis on his Birmingham home patch. ‘The Beast’ will taste six-round action in January before heading to Sheffield, and believes he’s ready to roll the dice and mix it with McDonnell to prove his credentials for major honours.
“The path is laid out now,” said Yafai. “I’ve been waiting for something like this to get stuck into. I got the win at York Hall recently but fighting in January and then straight into the McDonnell fight gives me some momentum. It’s been a bit stop and start for me, but it’s a New Year and I can’t wait for it.
“I know I’m good enough for the big nights and this is certainly a big fight. I believe I’m good enough to beat the likes of Gavin. It’s experience against youth, but I bring something different to the table than what he’s seen.
“Gavin is a good fighter. He’s fringe World Level, he just fell short against Vargas. I’d like to think I’m slightly above prospect level now so, if I get the win it catapults me up a level or two. He’s still got a good World ranking which I can take – this is possibly his last shot to get back up to World level.
“We were looking at the British title but this opportunity has cropped up. It’s something we couldn’t turn down. We’re not going into this fight to just get a bit of money or whatever, I’m very confident. If you think you can win, why not take it? It doesn’t matter where you are in your career.
“I remember watching Gavin coming through, I made my pro debut on a Leeds card in which he was fighting higher up the card. I think I’m good enough to beat him.
“He’s a nice guy, we’ve sparred and I get on with his brother but at the end of the day boxing is a business. We’ll go in there, have the fight and then shake hands after.
“It’s going to be a good fight. He’s tough and will come forward non-stop and I’ll be there ready to mix it with him. This is what we’re in boxing for, to get the fans excited and to progress and step up in class.”
McDonnell faced Rey Vargas for the WBC World title in Hull in February, losing out to the classy Mexican via majority decision, but the Doncaster man took plenty from his first performance at World level – and is determined to get another crack at a big belt next year.
“I’ve learnt so much in and out of the ring in the past year,” said McDonnell. “I feel like I’m a much better fighter now and the loss has bought me along – It’s given me a taste of the big time and I want more.
“These domestic dust-ups are the type of fights which gets the bit between your teeth. It’s a massive fight compared to my last fight which has got my juices flowing. These are the fights that I want. All going well, I’ll get the win and look to maybe have a World Title eliminator before getting into contention at the back of the summer – I want another World title shot in 2018.
“Gamal’s a good fighter – I have respect for him and his Brothers but I genuinely believe I’m going to do a number on him but he’ll think the same. I’m going to make the most of these big fights now because by the time it comes around it’ll have been a year since my last real big one. He’s got a lot more to gain than me, it’ll be a competitive fight. We sparred over a year ago, they were good spars – I’m not going into it but if that’s anything to go by it’ll make for a fan friendly fight.
“I said to the team, whoever gets me next has got me at the wrong time. I am not losing again, I can’t lose again. I’m still feeling young and fresh to the game but now I have the experience and drive.
“That World title defeat, I couldn’t have done much more. I had a great camp, I got beat by the better man and there’s no shame in losing to Vargas, he’s gone on to show how good he is. If I can get a big win here, it sets me up for a massive year. I know how this boxing game works, it will snowball.
“I put a tweet out the other day about fighting Gamal and the reaction was great. I’m not one for putting it out there but I wanted to get this fight nailed down before Christmas. I didn’t want to be going into this period with just a talk of a fight, although I’m disciplined I might have just slipped slightly. Now it’s done I’m going to be on it, I’m focused already and I hope Dave Coldwell is going to throw me into sparring straight away – I’ve raring to go.”
McDonnell and Yafai clash on the undercard of Sheffield hero Kell Brook’s debut at Super-Welterweight, where he faces former European champion and WBC number seven Sergey Rabchenko.
Tickets for Brook’s clash with Rabchenko are on sale now priced £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 from the FlyDSA Arena at www.flydsaarena.co.uk and on 0114 2565656. VIP tickets priced at £250 are exclusively available from www.matchroomboxing.com
Face value tickets for March 3 are available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.
Source: Matchroom Boxing [Press Release]
Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain will settle their feud on Saturday February 3 at The O2 in London, live on Sky Sports, promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing in association with Anthony Joshua’s AJ BXNG.
DANNY VALDIVIA IN BIG REVENGE BOUT AGAINST VLADIMIR HERNANDEZ
PLUS, CENTRAL VALLEY FIGHTERS ON AN EVENT THAT WILL TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 AT TACHI PALACE HOTEL & CASINO IN LEMOORE, CA.
| TWO-DIVISION WORLD CHAMPION DANNY GARCIA RETURNS TO THE RING TO FACE FORMER WORLD CHAMPION BRANDON RIOS SATURDAY, FEB. 17 LIVE ON SHOWTIME FROM MANDALAY BAY EVENTS CENTER & PRESENTED BY PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS Plus, 168-Pound Champion David Benavidez Makes First World Title Defense in a Rematch with Ronald Gavril in the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING ® Co-Feature Tickets on Sale Saturday, December 23 at 10 a.m. PST! |
With his lopsided unanimous decision victory over David Lemieux (38-4-0, 33 KO's) in Montreal last Saturday night, WBO World champion Billy Joe Saunders (26-0-0, 12 KO's) has immeasurably elevated his standing amongst the Middleweight elite.
Those who were the Hatfield southpaw's most vociferous critics were transformed - seemingly overnight - into awestruck admirers.
Despite facing what some believed was the sternest test of his career-to-date, many in the U.K. predicted that Saunders would emerge victorious against the heavy-handed Canadian powerhouse. However, none could have ever possibly imagined it would come as easy as it did, with scorecards (120-108, 117-111 & 118-110) that, for once, actually reflected the in-ring proceedings with a semblance of accuracy.
Lemieux, the former IBF World Middleweight champion, was supremely confident of a violent knockout win over Saunders, akin to his victories over respectable contenders Curtis Stevens and Glen Tapia.
A dangerous, rugged, come-forward fighter with dynamite power in both hands, Lemieux even forced former conqueror Gennady Golovkin to box in an uncharacteristically conservative fashion for extended periods of their October 2015 contest, by heavily employing the jab from a comfortable range.
As a result of these prior performances, numerous North American commentators were predicting that the Canadian would simply be too much for Saunders at this point in his career. When considering the bout was to take place in-front of a hostile crowd in Lemieux's home city of Quebec, coupled with Saunders coming off lacklustre points wins over Artur Akavov and Willie Monroe, many across the Atlantic figured the bout to be something of a foregone conclusion. Such was the apparent confidence of Lemieux's promotional team 'Golden Boy Promotions', Lemieux had been slated to face the winner of the heavily-mooted rematch between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin in 2018. Saunders, however, read no such script.
The bout would ultimately represent the perfect stylistic match-up for the champion; who capitalised on his speed and technical advantages throughout to win in thoroughly dominant fashion. Slipping and sliding to a total shutout on many observers' cards.
