Guillermo Rigondeaux ready for pro debut Friday
COMING UP
Friday (8 p.m., at the Fontainebleau Hotel, 4441 Collins Ave., Miami
Beach): seven-bout card, headlined by Antowne Smith vs. Richard
Gutierrez, 10, welterweights; tickets range from $50 to $150, VIP tables
also available; 1-800-595-4849.
BY SANTOS A. PEREZ
sperez@MiamiHerald.com
An extensive amateur career, which exceeded 300 bouts, is Guillermo
Rigondeaux's blueprint for a quicker path to professional riches.
Rigondeaux, who defected from Cuba in February, will make his
professional debut Friday night at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami
Beach. The 28-year-old Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic gold medalist,
considers his amateur background sufficient experience to earn
high-profile bouts without the lengthy fight schedule required for
professional development.
''I did all I needed to do in the amateurs,'' Rigondeaux said in a news
conference last week. ``I won gold medals, world championships, Pan
American championships.
``I came here to be a world champion.''
Before he targets the top fighters in the 122-pound junior featherweight
class, Rigondeaux will christen his professional career against Augusto
Jimenez. Rigondeaux's amateur pedigree helped land his inaugural bout on
ESPN2's FridayNight Fights telecast.
''I am well prepared for my debut and I am very happy that my first
fight will be here in Miami,'' Rigondeaux said.
An unsuccessful first attempt at defecting two years ago ended
Rigondeaux's career in Cuba. However, Rigondeaux believes the long
layoff from fight activity will not deter his ambitious professional goals.
''I was out of action for two years but I did my things -- I kept in
shape,'' Rigondeaux said. ``I am a fighter, a professional, so [the
layoff] will not affect me at all.''
Friday night's card also will feature three of Rigondeaux's former
teammates on the Cuban national team, including two boxers who defected
with him.
Junior middleweight Yudel Johnson is scheduled to face Greg Weathers in
his first professional bout. Light heavyweight Yordanis Despaigne's
first scheduled professional opponent is Robert Campbell.
Erislandy Lara, unbeaten in his first five professional bouts, will
fight Edwin Vazquez in a scheduled eight-round, junior-middleweight match.
Lara defected in March 2008 and was featured on the Manny Pacquiao-
Ricky Hatton undercard two weeks ago, when he won a unanimous decision
over Chris Gray.
Friday night's main event will feature Miami's Antowne Smith and
Colombia's Richard Gutierrez (24-2-1, 14 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round
welterweight match. Smith is 15-1-1 with eight knockouts.
WARD GETS VICTORY
Andre Ward remained unbeaten with a lopsided unanimous decision over
Edison Miranda on Saturday night in Oakland.
Ward (19-0) overcame a cut above his left eye in the first round when he
accidentally clashed heads with Miranda, and outpointed his opponent
with combinations throughout their 12-round, super-middleweight bout.
A 2004 Olympic gold medalist, Ward won on two judges' scorecards 119-109
and 116-112 on the third. Miranda is now 32-4.
DIAZ GETS DEGREE
Juan Diaz might have lost his highly anticipated bout against Juan
Manuel Marquez in February, but the former world lightweight titleholder
enjoyed a championship-like achievement Sunday.
Diaz received a bachelor's degree in political science from the
University of Houston-Downtown during the school's commencement ceremony.
Despite the rigors and demands of a professional boxing career, Diaz,
25, remained an active college student. Diaz plans to attend law school.
GOLDEN GLOVES
Miami resident Rancel Barthelemy won his opening bout before being
eliminated in the next round of the National Golden Gloves tournament
May 3-10 in Salt Lake City. Barthelemy, who competed in the 132-pound
division, defeated Adam Mungilla of California, but was defeated by New
York's Shemuel Pagan.
Guillermo Rigondeaux ready for pro debut Friday - Sports -
MiamiHerald.com (18 May 2009)
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