Super Bantamweight

Some rematches make all the sense in the world, others not so much. The Carl Frampton (18-0, 13 KO) vs. Kiko Martinez (31-4, 23 KO) re-up falls somewhere in the middle. The two men will do battle once again Saturday in Frampton's hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Frampton and Martinez fought in February 2013 and the 27-year-old Northern Irishman stopped Martinez in the ninth round. Martinez had some moments early in the fight with power punches, but Frampton was out-boxing him even before he landed the decisive blow that ended the fight.

This time, Martinez's IBF super bantamweight title will be on the line.

While it's understandable that Frampton would be chasing the belt, facing a man he just stopped the previous year seems a bit odd.

If Frampton can repeat his performance from the first fight, it will be the first world title for him in his career. Obviously, Martinez is intent upon keeping the championship around his waist, and is looking to avenge last year's loss.

Who wins? Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. ET

Where: Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland

TV: BoxNation

Live Stream: Livesport.TV (subscription required)

Destiny

Ever since Frampton made his professional debut in 2009, fans and experts have imagined the day when he would fight for a world title. The time has come and there has to be increased confidence that The Jackal will take advantage of his opportunity.

How often does a fighter like Frampton get a chance to fight a guy he's already knocked out for his first title? That isn't a very common occurrence. It's a clear advantage for The Jackal and the result of careful matchmaking and career pacing.

Frampton has been brought along slowly by Irish boxing legend and promoter Barry McGuigan. At times, it may have seemed as if Frampton was being coddled, but as he sits on the cusp of boxing glory, no one will be able to criticize him or his team if he wins Saturday.

Revenge

It's fair to say that if a guy knocks you out, he may not be your best friend afterward. Even with that understanding, Martinez's apparent disdain for Frampton is on another level.

Perhaps in addition to feeling a bit salty about his KO loss last year, Martinez resents the fanfare and attention Frampton has received early in his career. Martinez certainly didn't get the same type of start to his boxing journey.

Early in his career, he was fighting over five fights per year in small gymnasiums in Spain. You would have to have been a local to be aware of him. Needless to say, the road for Martinez has been much less glamorous than it has been for Frampton. 

Since losing to The Jackal, Martinez hasn't missed a beat. He's scored four stoppage wins in all, and that includes beating previously undefeated champion Jhonatan Romero for the IBF crown. Before the loss to Frampton, Martinez hadn't been beaten since 2009, and he'd never been stopped.

The defeat has seemingly bruised the proud Spaniard's pride.

With all these details in place, he is champing at the bit for another shot at Frampton. On Saturday, he'll get his second chance.

Prediction

Martinez will come out looking to rough Frampton up from the beginning. The champion knows he can't box with The Jackal, so his only chance is to make it a sloppy slugfest.

As we saw in the first fight, Frampton's chin is solid. Martinez landed some solid shots and Frampton's face showed the wear and tear, but he was never really hurt. Martinez isn't going to hit him with one shot and make him go away.

Because Frampton has already faced Martinez once—and been victorious—his confidence will be sky high.

He's too smart to be overconfident, but he knows he's seen everything Martinez has to offer. The champion isn't the type of fighter who is going to come in with a different game plan.

With speed, technical precision and movement, Frampton will confuse Martinez, take even less punishment than he did in the first fight, and win an easy unanimous decision.

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When Carl Frampton iced Hugo Cazares inside two rounds on Friday, he earned a shot at Leo Santa Cruz's WBC super bantamweight title.

Although Frampton is now the No. 1 contender for that belt, he told Glynn Evans of BoxNation that he doesn't "expect a world title fight with Santa Cruz to happen before about September because he's been quite hectic of late and picked up a cut in his last fight so probably needs a rest."

In the same interview, "The Jackal" expressed his desire to fight four times this year, so he will now be looking to find an early summer opponent for a keep busy fight.

Into that mix came a surprising offer from Gary Hyde, the manager of the WBA and WBO champion Guillermo Rigondeaux:

Rigondeaux is generally considered the best fighter in the division, holding the most credible title from The Ring, that of the TBRB, as well as the top ranking from Boxing Monthly.

It is a very unusual situation for a division kingpin to be so desperate to fight a contender that he will travel to his prospective opponent's hometown.

This is a testament to both the popularity of Frampton in Belfast and the unpopularity of Rigondeaux everywhere.

Whereas Frampton packed 9,000 fans into the Odyssey Arena on Friday, Rigondeaux, as reported by Kevin Iole at Yahoo!, had fans leaving the arena from as early as the second round of his last fight against Joseph Agbeko. That contest had lower TV ratings than its undercard match between James Kirkland and Glen Tapia—a non-title bout.

Even before Agbeko, there was a question as to whether HBO would continue to televise Rigondeaux, with his promoter Bob Arum memorably telling ESPN's Dan Rafael, "Every time I mention him, they throw up."

Rigondeaux, whilst probably a top-10 pound-for-pound guy in terms of skill, is not TV-friendly because he fights in an unglamorous division, can't speak English and has a style that is both reactive and defensive.

Back in 2012 speaking to The Ring's Lem Satterfield, Arum said of his charge, "Nobody wants to watch him...he’s realizing that...he’s going to become more of a professional knockout kind of guy."

But after stopping the unheralded Teon Kennedy, Rigondeaux's last three fights have all gone the 12-round distance while being less than riveting.

That's just one reason Frampton doesn't need the Cuban—a fight with Santa Cruz will almost certainly be both more competitive and more exciting.

Critics might carp that Frampton is simply going for the easier champion, but while Santa Cruz and Rigondeaux remain undefeated, there is not all that much to choose between them in terms of achievement.

More tellingly, if Frampton wanted to win a world title in the least challenging fashion, he would pursue a date with IBF champion Kiko Martinez, whom he beat in 2013.

Frampton has targeted Santa Cruz for some time and has been preparing for that fight. There is no need for him to change course, especially when Rigondeaux would require very different preparation due to his awkward style.

Furthermore, the Northern Irishman, at age 27, is still developing as a fighter. The win over Martinez was his only fight against a top-10 guy in the division.

Boxing fans want to see the best fighters fight each other, and there is understandable frustration when fights like Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao do not come to fruition.

However, there is a big difference between two fighters at the top of their games avoiding each other and a fighter who is on his way up waiting for the right moment to make a leap in class.

There is a similarity between Rigondeaux wanting Frampton now to Mayweather wanting Canelo Alvarez last year. Frampton and Canelo are entertaining young fighters who are improving fight by fight.

Mayweather, with the bait of the huge pay-per-view money he attracts, was able to fight Canelo before the Mexican had peaked and won a comfortable decision. No doubt Rigondeaux and his team would like to do the same to Frampton before he reaches his full potential.

But unlike Canelo, the money on offer to fight Rigondeaux is not so good as to tempt Frampton into a premature showdown. Fans would much rather see the winner of Frampton vs. Santa Cruz face Rigondeaux in 2015 when one of them might be truly ready to challenge the experienced Cuban.

As for Frampton, he will hope to bring Santa Cruz to Belfast, which is plausible, given that Frampton is a bigger live draw than the Mexican. However, it will depend upon the whims of the U.S. TV network, Showtime.

It would be unfair to accuse Frampton of "ducking" Rigondeaux while he seeks out Santa Cruz—a fight that would clearly be the toughest test of his career.

In the meantime, Rigondeaux should challenge himself and seek a proper test at featherweight if he wants to keep making HBO money.

Frampton vs. Santa Cruz is one of the most awaited contests involving a British fighter in 2014, and if Barry McGuigan's Cyclone Promotions can bring the fight to Belfast, the local man might just start as the favourite. Let Rigondeaux wait.

Carl Frampton defeated Hugo Cazares by knockout in the second round on Friday, as the Mexican veteran failed to react to the count from official Victor Loughlin following a thunderous left hook.

The win sets up a potential super-bantamweight world title fight with either Leo Santa Cruz or Guillermo Rigondeaux, who offered to fight Frampton in Belfast if he won Friday's fight, according to Write on the Button:

Cazares looked to be fine as he smiled at Frampton for the duration of the count but never lifted his knee off the canvas and was counted out, to his dismay. It was a costly mistake from the two-time world champion, who hadn't appeared to be in any serious trouble prior to the knockout.

Frampton came out firing early, looking fresh and quick as he combined good power with some solid combinations, but Cazares was up to the challenge and had some success counterpunching in the first round.

The local challenger seemed to be gaining the upper hand in the second round, and proceedings halted for a short while when Cazares was caught with a low blow that seemed to take out his left leg for a moment.

But as the fight resumed, Cazares seemed to be fine and started opening up more to match Frampton's pace. Defending near the ropes, a wild right jab went over the head of Frampton, and the Northern Irish fighter answered with a massive left that hit Cazares straight on his unprotected jaw.

Cazares' legs clearly went as the fight appeared to be over, but the veteran seemed to recover quickly, taking a knee and catching his breath, while Loughlin started the count.

The Mexican never got up though, and Loughlin had no choice but to call the fight, despite the objections from Cazares' corner. As shared by Sky Sport's Jamie Casey, the conclusion was logical, and it didn't seem like Cazares would have survived the second round:

Boxing Scene's Terry Dooley agrees Cazares has no excuse:

This fight was likely the 36-year-old's last shot at one of the super-bantamweight world titles, and a second-round knockout is not the way the Mexican veteran wanted to end things. But Frampton looked quicker and stronger, and his movement around the ring was top-notch for the duration of both short rounds.

Frampton will now have to decide between travelling to meet Santa Cruz for the WBC title or staying in Belfast and taking on the very highly rated Rigondeaux, who holds the WBA and WBO titles.

The smart money is on Santa Cruz, as Friday's fight was always meant to be a decider for the right to fight the Mexican WBC champion in the first place, as reported by The Guardian's Kevin Mitchell.

Rigondeaux in Belfast would surely make for the more interesting matchup, as the Cuban is about as close to unbeatable as it gets. But the crowd on Friday was phenomenal, and if Frampton believes he could end the reign of the mighty Rigondeaux, don't be surprised if he takes up the Cuban on his offer.

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If you ask most hardcore fight fans who the most exciting fighters in the sport are, Leo "Teremoto" Santa Cruz's (25-0-1, 15 KO) name will likely be mentioned. Unfortunately, if you ask non-hardcore fight fans who Santa Cruz is, you'll probably get a shrug of the shoulders.

Such is the plight of a talented but lesser-known champion in a lower weight class. The reigning WBC super bantamweight champion will defend his title against veteran contender and former IBF super flyweight champion Cristian Mijares (45-7-2, 24 KO) on Saturday night.

The fight will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as part of the undercard for the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Alfredo Angulo bout.

The undefeated, 25-year-old champion from Huetamo, Michoacan de Ocampo, Mexico is looking for his second straight successful defense of the title since winning it in Aug. 2013.

Mijares has won two fights in a row since losing to Victor Terrazas in April 2013. Terrazas was the man Santa Cruz defeated to win the WBC title. The veteran could give Santa Cruz a test, but the champion may be taking a step toward cleaning out another division. He conquered the bantamweight division before moving up in 2012.

Here's how you can catch the action.

When: Saturday, March 8 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas

TV: Showtime Pay-Per-View

The Book on Santa Cruz

Fighting at the MGM Grand on a major card is nothing new for Santa Cruz. This will be his third fight at Las Vegas' premier venue. He appeared on the undercard of the Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. bout in September 2012. He also fought on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Robert Guerrero card in May 2013.

At some point, Santa Cruz would like to headline a card himself. 

The chances are slim that a super bantamweight will ever get that opportunity, but as Santa Cruz gets older, moving up could be a possibility. If he does that and keeps winning, he could one day have his day in the Vegas sun—provided he finds the right opponent.

Santa Cruz isn't the most charismatic figure. He aims to please with his performances, but he's not the guy you'll find doing a lot of the talking that often boosts a fighter's popularity.

When Santa Cruz faces Mijares, he'll be clashing with a wily veteran some think could be past his prime. Santa Cruz isn't necessarily looking past Mijares, but he does appear to have his ducks in a row after he presumably beats the 32-year-old veteran.

Santa Cruz told Miguel Maravilla of FightNews.com: 

Hopefully everything goes good this fight. We win there is Frampton, Quigg, Kiko Martinez, and Rigondeaux right now. Rigo is with Top Rank. Everyone wants that fight but first we can fight Frampton or Quigg. They have the same style as me, they give the fans what they want. And then I’ll take on Rigondeaux next year.

All three of those fights make hardcore fight fans excited, but they probably won't move the needle for the casual fan. Before he can get on to that business, he must handle Mijares on Saturday.

The Book on Mijares

Mijares' professional career started when he was just 15 years old. He is a natural flyweight who has ascended in weight as he's gotten older. 

He has great ring presence and good boxing skill. 

But as Bleacher Report's Briggs Seekins mentions, Mijares has a problem with size and explosiveness. Seekins writes:

Cristian Mijares has had problems with opponents who can get off first against him. This was very apparent in 2009 when he was shellacked by Vic Darchinyan. 

That's going to be a problem for him against Santa Cruz, who is a bigger, younger and far fresher opponent.

Against Santa Cruz, he'll be dealing with both of those elements in abundance. He'll have a steep hill to climb to pull off the upset.

Prediction

This could be a dangerous fight for Mijares. The style and physical traits don't match up well for him. It looks like a fight that will see him take some punishment from a hard and accurate puncher in Santa Cruz. 

He was already the victim of a brutal KO at the hands of Vic Darchinyan. A fighter shouldn't take too many beatings on that level.

Hopefully, the referee and corner are well in tune and stop this bout before it gets too ugly. Santa Cruz will win by fifth-round TKO.

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It is rare to see a six-inch height advantage in the lower weight classes of boxing. However, that's exactly what we'll have when IBF super bantamweight champion, Kiko "La Sensacion" Martinez (29-4, 21 KO) takes on former champion, Jeffery "The Mongoose" Mathebula (27-4-2, 14 KO) on Saturday night in Spain.

Martinez stands 5'5" and Mathebula is a freakishly tall 5'11" 122-pounder. This should make for an interesting sight and fight at Pabellon Esperanza Lag, Elche in Comunidad Valenciana. 

Not only are the men near complete opposites in height, they also fight entirely different styles. The fight could be awkward or classic. Though there is no television coverage announced for the bout, here's the official date and time.

When: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. EST

Where: Pabellon Esperanza Lag, Elche, Comunidad Valenciana in Spain

The Book on Martinez and Mathebula

In Maravilla's Hands

The 27-year-old, hard-charging Spaniard champion is promoted by current WBC middleweight title holder, Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez. Kiko has 100 percent trust in the abilities of his promoter to steer his career in the right direction.

In an interview with Ryan Songalia of Ring Magazine, Kiko was asked if he wanted to face WBA and WBO champion Guillermo Rigondeaux or WBC title holder, Leo Santa Cruz next. Kiko said:

I only look at Mathebula. When he gets knocked out my team will say who I'm fighting next. That's their choice. I own inside the ring and Sergio Martinez owns below the ring. I will fight whomever Sergio says, with no opinion on my part. My career is in good hands.

That's a ton of trust, but up to this point, Sergio has not led his fighter in the wrong direction. He's a world champion and has a number of options ahead of him if he defeats Mathebula.

Aside from potential scraps with Rigondeaux or Santa Cruz, Kiko could look for a rematch with Carl Frampton. The young Irish star became the only man to stop him when the two met in February. Despite the loss, Kiko has rebounded with two straight wins. The most recent victory came in August over previously undefeated champion, Jhonatan Romero.

The win captured the title for Kiko and he is now set for his first defense against a very tough challenger. I don't blame him for not looking ahead.

Long, Lean and Tough as Nails

When you look at Mathebula, the first word that comes to mind probably isn't toughness. He's so thin and somewhat awkward, you wouldn't think he's a fighter. If you judged this book by its cover, you'd be wrong. 

Mathebula has 27 wins, but he impressed me the most in one of his four losses. In July 2012, Mathebula gave Nonito Donaire all he could handle. His length and jab were problematic for Donaire. I actually had him winning, though I acknowledge many of the rounds were close.

Max Kellerman even expressed during the 12th round that he thought the fight could have been "hanging in the balance." The margins of victories on the official scorecards were ludicrous, but this is boxing, that sort of thing is known to happen.

In the fourth round, Donaire caught Mathebula with a thunderous left hook. The shot broke Mathebula's jaw, but the rugged South African rose to his feet. The Mongoose absorbed another crushing shot in the 11th round, but he didn't quit.

Don't let the slender frame fool you, this guy comes to battle every time he steps into the ring.

Prediction

Mathebula's length and jab will give just about any super bantamweight problems. In addition to the six-inch edge in height, Mathebula will also have the same advantage in reach.

The question is, can Martinez do enough body work to close the distance between he and Mathebula? He'll almost certainly have to eat a plethora of jabs in the process. Quite honestly, he has the power, but not the explosiveness that Donaire possesses.

In addition to that, his reach is two inches shorter. I think Martinez will find it far more difficult to evade the Mongoose's jab. That punch will be the story of the fight.

Martinez is fighting in his homeland, so it is possible things could get screwy with the scorecards. Assuming the fight is called without bias, Mathebula should win a unanimous decision.

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Leo "Terremoto" Santa Cruz figures to have a large contingent of fans at the Alamodome when he takes on Puerto Rican challenger Cesar Seda on Saturday. The WBC Super Bantamweight champion has become a major fan favorite at just 25 years old. 

The large Mexican population in San Antonio will almost certainly be behind the young man from Huetamo, Michoacan de Ocampo. This bout isn't getting a lot of attention, but it could turn out to be a nice addition to the Mexican-Puerto Rican boxing rivalry.

One thing is for sure; whenever Santa Cruz is fighting, the punches will be flying.

The bout is part of the undercard for the Adrien Broner-Marcos Rene Maidana bout on what should be a thrilling night of boxing. Here's how you can watch the action.

When: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas

TV: Showtime

The Book on Santa Cruz and Seda 

All Action, With No Rival

If Santa Cruz's nickname wasn't Terremoto, he could go by the moniker All-Action. It totally fits his fighting style and commitment to pleasing his growing fanbase. I've never seen a fighter apologize as much as Santa Cruz when he feels he's not at his best.

Mind you, the young champion is undefeated, but he holds himself to a very high standard. How long will it be before Santa Cruz is headlining his own cable network card? Unfortunately, it may be a while. It's not because he's not worthy, but on his side of the boxing promotion pond, there aren't a ton of well-known challengers.

In a perfect world, Santa Cruz would be inching towards a showdown with Guillermo Rigondeaux, but the Golden Boy-Top Rank beef will most likely make that impossible. At this point, fans can just hope a formidable super bantamweight arises from Golden Boy's ranks. If not, Santa Cruz may have to cross the pond—or entice an English fighter like Carl Frampton to come to America.

Not to Be Taken Lightly

Something tells me, Seda is about to bring Santa Cruz a little more trouble than many expect. Per Bovada, betting odds on Santa Cruz are -3000. Seda's generous and enticing odds are +1100.

Either the oddsmakers haven't seen Seda fight, or they are hoping you haven't. When he fought Omar Narvaez in April 2011, he was more than competitive. In fact, I felt he out-boxed the crafty champion. He has been extremely active since that fight and has won impressively in the five bouts he's had since then.

No one should be looking at this as an easy night for Santa Cruz—especially not the champion.

Prediction

While I really like Seda, I don't have the heart to pick the upset in this one. I've seen him fight on two occasions and I can see how he could give Santa Cruz his toughest test. 

He's a southpaw with abnormally long arms, and he's very slick. His in-ring demeanor and style reminds you of one that is usually associated with Cuban fighters. If he can establish his jab and maintain it through the bout, he could be a problem for Santa Cruz.

That said, he did appear to tire late against Narvaez. With that to stain my opinion of him, I'll slow my upset pick and say Santa Cruz's pursuit and pressure wins him the late rounds.

Based on that and the influence of the Alamodome crowd, Santa Cruz will win a close unanimous decision and retain his title.

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Connoisseurs of subtlety, unite.

While a majority of fans, broadcasters and experts seem to wet their collective pants at the idea of a slugfest and spend sleepless nights pining for a redux of Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward I, II or III, it’s not as if the rest of the boxing world has nothing to live for beyond mindless rock ‘em, sock ‘em robots.

Though it’s true that the over-the-top brutality of James Kirkland vs. Glen Tapia transforms Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman into shrilling tweens at a One Direction show, it’s no less true that the guys at the top of most top-performer lists—Floyd Mayweather Jr., Andre Ward and Timothy Bradley—would sooner be masterful than maniacal when defending their pound-for-pound turfs.

And lest anyone forget, whenever signature purveyors of the technician and Tasmanian devil approaches mix, the results are often devastatingly predictable.

Mayweather obliterated Gatti. Ward whipped Carl Froch. Bradley schooled Juan Manuel Marquez.

Some realities simply do not change.

So, while the caveman world spins its beads in the hope that tough-guy Marcos Maidana scores one for its side against Adrien Broner this weekend (incidentally...he’s got no chance, short of an act of God), those in the civilized sect can look forward to their most recent superstar addition mixing it up with a newcomer who’s abruptly staked a claim to similarly lofty status.

Ready or not, it’s Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Vasyl Lomachenko.

And if you’re not excited about that, well...you should be.

While the network that proffered two seasons of Carnivale holds its nose at the sublime excellence of the 33-year-old Cuban with two Olympic golds and a satchel full of pro hardware, those not blinded to bloodsport only are fully aware of the broad scope of Rigo’s talents.

In 2013 alone, he won 24 of 36 scorecard rounds from reigning Boxing Writers Association of America fighter of the year Nonito Donaire. Then he controlled every second of a dreary encounter with two-time champ Joseph Agbeko, who quickly chose survival over shellacking.     

He accomplished all this, incidentally, in just 13 pro fights.

No less an authority than Freddie Roach—a former fighter, current mentor of eight-division champ Manny Pacquiao and five-time winner of the BWAA trainer of the year award—pulled no punches when comparing “The Jackal” to fighters he’d encountered since turning pro in 1978.

Roach told ESPN’s Igor Guryashkin:

He's the best counterpuncher I've ever seen. When I did the pads with him, I simply could not get through his defense. I tried. I couldn't, though.

On his first day in the gym, he wanted to spar with Manny Pacquiao. I didn't allow it. I don't want Manny getting that kind of work in sparring. Manny is a bit big for him, but he's an offensive guy and with countering like that, he was more work than I needed.

He's one of the greatest talents I've ever seen. Probably the greatest talent.

And in an era when the best fight the best only when it makes business sense—and even then it’s no lock—Rigondeaux is bucking another trend. He’s calling out his highest-quality contemporaries.

His manager John Hyde told Michael Woods of TheSweetScience.com that either a rematch with Donaire or a full-on challenge of Lomachenko is on the agenda for the new year.

Either fight would be great, but the latter would be better.

Based simply on the to-and-fro of the first encounter eight months ago—at the time, the Filipino hadn’t lost in 11 years and was being cast by some for a fast-track bust in Canastota—there’s almost no way a subsequently shell-shocked version can reverse Rigo's level of dominance.

Rigondeaux is smarter and faster, and he punches sharply enough to discourage all-out aggression. Short of such all-in reckless abandon, Donaire has zero chance against the Cuban, which makes a second go-round a little less appealing than the alternative—Lomachenko.

In the 25-year-old Ukrainian, who already matches the Cuban’s dual Olympic pedigree, Rigondeaux would encounter one of the few fighters to reach world-elite status on a more sped-up schedule than his own, which yielded a title belt in fight No. 9 in 2012.

Lomachenko debuted with a clinically punishing fourth-round stoppage of fringe 28-fight contender Jose Ramirez on the Bradley vs. Marquez undercard. He immediately began mentioning other big names in the 122 to 126-lb corridor, including WBO featherweight champ Orlando Salido.

The Ramirez KO positioned him as Salido’s No. 5 contender after just one fight, and a defeat of the respected but limited 33-year-old Mexican, who’s lost 12 times in 55 fights and is teetering toward the brink of being shopworn, would frame a Rigondeaux match nicely for bout No. 3 for Lomachenko.  

Skill versus skill. Technique versus technique. Competitive intellect versus competitive intellect. Check your testosterone at the door and may the most complete fighter win.

If you’re a fan of boxing, you’ll flock to whichever network has the smarts to broadcast it.

If it doesn’t reach your threshold for smash and bash, perhaps there’ll be a truck pull on, too.

Guillermo "El Chacal" Rigondeaux (12-0, 8 KO) is one of the five best fighters in the world. However, as popularity goes, he's probably ranked somewhere between 50 and 75. There are a lot of reasons someone so talented could still dwell in relative obscurity in the sport.

Language and style are just two of the culprits. HBO is hoping to have the 33-year-old Cuban become one of the sport's most well-known commodities.

Defeating tough and rugged former champion Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko (29-4, 22 KO) is the next step in the process. Rigondeaux will defend his WBA and WBO super bantamweight titles against Agbeko on Saturday in Atlantic City at Boardwalk Hall.

In April, he dismantled former champion Nonito Donaire to earn the titles he'll defend on Saturday night. He won a unanimous decision in a fight that shouldn't have even been scored as closely as it was. One judge only gave Rigondeaux a one-point advantage, but it was a dominating performance that should have left no doubt who the winner was.

Agbeko loss back-to-back decisions to former champion Abner Mares in 2011. He took a year off and returned in March with a unanimous decision win over Luis Melendez. The 33-year-old Ghanaian is looking to solve the riddle that is Rigondeaux.

The bout appears to have a rematch clause included should Rigondeaux lose. Agbeko took to Twitter to address it and to show how confident he is he'll beat the champion.

The fight is the main event of a HBO Boxing After Dark tripleheader. Before Rigondeaux and Agbeko do business, James Kirkland will take on undefeated Glen Tapia. In the first fight of the night, middleweight contender Matthew Macklin will face Lamar Russ.

Here's how you can watch the action.

When: Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9:45 pm ET

Where: Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

TV: HBO

The Book on Rigondeaux and Agbeko

Getting to Know Rigo

He is as skilled and sharp as any fighter in the world. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is probably the only superior fighter from a pure skills standpoint, and the gap isn't large; El Chacal is that good. Despite his lack of professional bouts, Rigondeaux's wealth of amateur experience prepared him to chase and capture world titles.

While his in-ring skills don't need to be sold, his overall packaging as a star isn't overly appealing to casual fans. He's a counter puncher with some power, but not earth-shattering pop. 

He's extremely cerebral, which is great in most instances; but in boxing, it can make for what many would regard as a boring fight. Lastly, Rigondeaux speaks little-to-no English. If you wrap all of that up, it makes for a difficult sell to the American boxing fan. Rigondeaux's promoter, Bob Arum told Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix: "Out of all the elite fighters I've worked with. I can't think of one more difficult to promote."

Were he from a country that he felt comfortable remaining in, Rigondeaux is the type of fighter who would have probably spent his entire career fighting on his own shores. If you're looking for Rigondeaux to change his style in an effort to please the masses, don't bet on it.

He said this to Mannix through a translator when asked about the lack of buzz he created after easily defeating Donaire: 

"It was a clear win. I beat the hell out of him. The public doesn't understand that the art of boxing is to hit without being hit. They want to see a bar fight or a brawl; go to the local pub."

Looking to Make Ghana Proud

Agbeko is a proud Ghanaian who will have his country behind him when he takes the ring against Rigondeaux. Ghana Web (h/t Ghana Sports International) reported that Ghana's Minister of Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah wished Agbeko well in his efforts on Saturday.

Likewise, Ebenezer Zor of Spy Ghana has written that Agbeko is set to make his country proud. 

The challenger recently signed with Mayweather's The Money Team management company. He has quickly adopted his new brand's swag level. It remains to be seen whether he can demonstrate the same level of in-ring prowess as Mayweather himself.

The Numbers

12

Numbers can be deceiving, and Rigondeaux's professional fight total is a good example. Though he's had just 12 pro fights, Rigondeaux is said to have competed in over 400 amateur fights, per BoxRec.com. It appeared Donaire took El Chacal lightly because of his lack of professional experience. He soon found out 11 was just a number and not indicative of the challenge he'd face.

Agbeko isn't likely to make the same mistake, nor should the public. Rigondeaux is for real. If fans want to see one of the most skilled fighters you'll ever come across, they best tune in to see Rigondeaux whenever they can.

4 Years and 7 Fights

Agbeko was once a knockout machine. He won 19 of his first 21 fights by stoppage, but it's been a while since he stopped an opponent. His nickname is King Kong, but his recent fights have been devoid of the punching power you'd normally associate with that moniker.

The last time he won by stoppage was against Luis Alberto Perez in Sept. 2009. The doctor advised the fight be stopped after Agbeko opened a nasty cut under Perez's eye.

If Agbeko is going to have a chance to beat Rigondeaux, he'll need to find some of the punching power he showed earlier in his career. His chances of outboxing him are slim.

Title Bout Championship Boxing Simulation

In using Pisd's Title Bout Championship Boxing to simulate this matchup 100 times, El Chacal was the winner the vast majority of the simulations.

He won 84 percent of the simulations. The champion scored a KO victory 24 percent of the time. Agbeko pulled out a win just 12 percent of the time, but he did win by KO in all but three of those bouts. There were four simulated bouts that ended in a draw.

Prediction

Agbeko is no stiff. He's a rugged fighter who wants to bang and exchange in close quarters. He throws sharp, quick and powerful counters, but his hand speed is inferior to Rigondeaux's. In the end, that will be the difference in the fight.

Rigondeaux possesses a lethal mixture of punching accuracy, speed and surprising power. Season that with uncanny defensive instincts, and you have a man that seems destined to remain champion for a while.

El Chacal will retain his title with a 10th-round TKO win. Agbeko has never been stopped in his career, and I don't think Rigondeaux will put him down for the count. However, it wouldn't surprise me to see the doctor or corner call an end to a bout Agbeko no longer has a chance to win.

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