Flyweight

This Saturday, New York’s Radio City Music Hall will host the WBO/WBA super bantamweight title unification bout between “The Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO) and Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO).

Both fighters have been impressive inside the ring during their careers.  Donaire is near the top of most pound-for-pound lists, while Rigondeaux is seen as one of the most explosive punchers in the super bantamweight division.  Many see Rigondeaux as a worthy opponent for Donaire, but I don’t.

Guillermo Rigondeaux is a skilled fighter with fast hands and great punching power, but he lacks the boxing skills that Nonito Donaire possesses.  Rigondeaux is a stationary target who is flat footed. At times, he plays the role of counterpuncher, but Donaire is fast enough to make him pay for his lack of movement. 

Some people think that Rigondeaux is a dangerous opponent for Donaire simply because he is a southpaw, but Donaire in the past has matched up well with southpaws.  Two of Donaire’s most impressive wins were against Toshiaki Nishioka and Vic Darchinyan, who are both southpaws.  The result in both fights was a Nonito Donaire victory via knockout. 

The biggest gap between Donaire and Rigondeaux is the experience factor.  Rigondeaux has only fought 11 professional fights to Donaire’s 32.  Donaire’s experience allows him to ad-lib during a fight.  This is a skill that Rigondeaux has not yet learned.

In the end, Donaire is going to win this fight.  No man has been able to deliver a loss to Rigondeaux’s record yet, but Donaire will and I believe that he will do so by way of knockout.  I don’t think
Rigondeaux is going to make it past the ninth round. 

If this happens, then Donaire is one step closer to reaching the same status that Manny Pacquiao enjoyed during the pinnacle of his career.  This could be a defining moment in Nonito Donaire’s legacy. 

When Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KO) takes on Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO) on Saturday night at Radio City Music Hall, every major boxing fan will be watching.

This is one of those fights that may not be on the level of a major pay-per-view main event as far as commercial appeal, but if you know boxing, you realize how big this fight is.

Rarely do we see two fighters who are genuinely considered the best in their divisions fight in their primes. In case you aren't aware of Rigondeaux, don't let the record fool you.

The Cuban fighter has tons of amateur experience. He's a 32-year-old savvy veteran fighter who won gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. Per HBO.com, Rigondeaux claims to have over 400 amateur fights with only 12 losses.

In the same article, legendary trainer Freddie Roach—who once worked with Rigondeaux—calls him the greatest talent he's ever seen.

Rigondeaux is the reigning WBA super bantamweight champion, and he will stake his championship along with Donaire's WBO super bantamweight title in this fight.

Donaire has been an upstanding champion. The many fighter-of-the-year awards he won for his work in 2012 are well deserved.

He has continually taken on the best fighters available to him, and this is another clear example of that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKN3XyaP-S8

"The Filipino Flash" is coming off a three-round destruction of Jorge Arce in December. Rigondeaux's last fight was a unanimous-decision win over Robert Marroquin in September.

This is going to be awesome, and here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, April 13, 11 p.m. ET

Where: Radio City Music Hall in New York

TV: HBO

Live Stream: HBOGO (Pay Service)

Donaire is Diligently Pursuing Greatness

Ever since Donaire won his first world title in 2007 against the rough Vic Darchinyan, he hasn't stopped taking on top-notch competition.

While some champions in the sport are accused of ducking fighters, no one can logically say that about Donaire.

Since 2007, he has fought and defeated Moruti Mthalane, Hernan Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., Toshiaki Nishioka and Arce.

All of these fighters are current or former champions. Donaire stopped all of them except Vazquez Jr., who he still knocked down.

He has won 30 fights in a row since suffering the lone loss of his career in his second professional fight.

After such a great 2012, Donaire could have taken an easier fight, and fans would have barely noticed. Instead, he will battle one of the most dangerous and skilled fighters on the planet.

The Filipino Flash wants to make a major mark on the sport.

Looking to Become a Household Name

Many people may not know Rigondeaux yet, but if he defeats Donaire, his notoriety will grow exponentially. 

Donaire is indeed chasing greatness, but it could be said that Rigondeaux is looking for validation.

Sure, he has looked every bit as good as he has been made out to be, but he has yet to display those amazing talents in the ring against another truly great fighter. Donaire is that man, and he will serve as a measuring stick for Rigondeaux on Saturday.

Is he really as talented and amazing as Roach and others say he is? It certainly looks like it based on what we've seen of him, but beating Donaire would be all the validation any fighter needs.

Keys to Victory

Donaire's speed and power are nearly unrivaled, especially in the smaller weight classes. He has explosive one-punch KO power as seen by his spectacular KO of Montiel:

He's aggressive and generally looks to pounce when he hurts opponents.

Against a fighter like Rigondeaux who is so adept at countering, he must be careful. This is also a classic orthodox vs. southpaw matchup. Not only is Rigondeaux a southpaw, he's also extremely crafty.

Donaire's best approach in this fight is to stay patient, which would allow him to build a lead throughout the course of the bout. If he is overaggressive, Rigondeaux will use that against him with effective counterpunching. 

This could cause Donaire to become careless and open himself up for a big shot.

Rarely will he face a fighter who can match his speed. But this is one instance where that will be the case.

Rigondeaux isn't just fast; he's extremely quick and sudden as illustrated by his slight movements and deceptive feints. He also fights with extraordinary balance and poise, and the fact that he throws punches with pop makes him even tougher.

Take a look at him in this video:

To win this fight, he has to take Donaire's confidence early. To do that, he must be elusive, change angles defensively and fire back, scoring punches to get his opponent concerned with being out-pointed.

If he can do that, he could score the biggest win of his career.

My Prediction

More than anything, I'm almost certain we're going to see a great fight. It probably won't be a brawl, as Rigondeaux is far too refined for that, but from a tactical standpoint, this should be excellent.

As for picking a winner, I hesitate to say this because I think so highly of Donaire, but styles make fights and Rigondeaux's quickness, power and defense give him the edge in my eyes.

Though I can't say I'm totally confident, I predict Rigondeaux drops Donaire at some point in this fight, and he wins a unanimous decision.

Follow me, because I love boxing and you do too.

Follow @BrianMazique

The year is only a little more than a quarter gone by and already boxing fans have seen some tremendous action. Undefeated featherweight star Mikey Garcia got the year rolling in January when he turned in an eye-opening performance against the tough veteran, Orlando Salido, knocking him down three times and taking away his WBO belt via a one-sided technical decision. 

In March, Bernard Hopkins broke his own record, winning yet another world title at 48. The week after that, Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov fought a 12-round war for the ages, and two weeks after that, Mike Alvarado beat Brandon Rios in a fight that was as great as it was expected to be and only left fans anxious to see a rubber match.

On the business side of the sport, the big story last weekend was Bob Arum and Top Rank trying to open up the huge Chinese market with promising Olympic star Zou Shiming. But for diehard fans following the day-to-day scene, the real story was 22-year-old Juan Francisco Estrada outworking the highly rated Brian Viloria to capture his WBO belt. 

Even though it was cast as second-fiddle to a four-round debut, the Estrada-Viloria fight had implications for the pound-for-pound rankings.

Estrada's last fight before Viloria was a not-very-close unanimous decision loss to undefeated junior flyweight sensation Roman Gonzales. Estrada's only other career loss was an eight-rounder to current 115-pound belt-holder Juan Carlos Sanchez. 

It's been a great ride for boxing fans. And yet, everything so far has just been a warm-up. Because this weekend, we finally get to the big one, the biggest fight of the year to date, and the fight that has the potential to end up being the most important fight of 2013.

On Saturday night, April 13, at New York City's historic Radio City Music Hall, two-time Olympic gold medalist and WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KOs) will face pound-for-pound star and WBO champion Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KOs). The fight will be broadcast live on HBO.

Donaire is currently ranked between No. 3 and No. 5 on nearly every pound-for-pound list in the world. You can make a compelling case for him as a No. 1 or 2. After losing his second professional fight, Donaire has waged a relentless campaign of domination from flyweight up to junior featherweight. 

He hasn't been in a competitive fight in over six years (Ruben Garcia's 115-112 for Vazquez: worst card ever), and his left hook is the most feared punch in the sport. He's used it to knock multiple champions out cold.

Donaire is the one high-level boxer who I consistently see other high-level boxers legitimately intimidated or cowed by. You really don't see that often in real life. By the time a fighter gets to the level where he's fighting on big stages, he is a proven warrior—taking punches and staying in close to serious leather is not something he is shy about.

But Donaire is just so explosive, and so creative and unorthodox in his attacks, that high-level boxers really do consistently get in the ring with him and seem to have a moment of "What I have I got myself into?"

Omar Narvaez came all the way from Argentina with an undefeated record, got just a taste of Donaire's speed and power early on and said, "No thank you." He spent the rest of the fight crouched behind a high guard shell. 

When Donaire fought Toshiaki Nishioka last July, the Japanese star fought very cautiously in the early rounds, as if taken off guard by Donaire in person. 

Even among world-class talent, Donaire is special. He has the combination of explosive athleticism and spacial intelligence that make a fighter almost exquisitely dangerous. 

So it is exciting every time he fights. And as good as he is, it isn't impossible to imagine him losing. He has certain defensive flaws that he covers up with his catlike agility, but he only fights extremely talented opponents, so it's not impossible to imagine a smart, determined foe executing a perfect game plan against him.

Still, it is rare to see a fighter of Donaire's caliber pitted with another fighter who truly seems to be his potential match. In Rigondeaux, plenty of smart boxing fans expect to see just that. 

The southpaw Rigondeaux appears to be at least close to even with Donaire in terms of athleticism and speed. Like the Filipino Flash, he carries serious power in both hands.

But even more intriguing is the fact that the former amateur Cuban standout will truly be able to test Donaire when it comes to ring intelligence. Rigondeaux is also a master of distance and angles.

He might be able to press the offense against Donaire in a way that nobody ever has.  

Rigondeaux's life story already reads like the pitch for a movie. The greatest amateur boxer of his generation, Rigondeaux escaped a communist dictator by motorboat, and now, just 12 fights into his professional career, he finds himself in the year's biggest fight to date. 

There was a time last year, when this fight was first being talked about, that Donaire expressed a lack of enthusiasm, doubting a boxer with Rigondeaux's professional experience was ready to face a fighter at his level. 

But since signing the fight, Donaire has expressed more respect for Rigondeaux's talent. On a media call I participated in yesterday, Donaire said:

The more I watch him, the more he seems worthy...not only does he have speed and power, he's tough mentally...he has the ability to see punches, to be intelligent...the more I see, the more I'm impressed.

Donaire said he had been less than impressed with Rigondeaux's split-decision victory over Ricardo Cordoba in November of 2010. But Rigondeaux has been a wrecking ball since, stopping Willie Casey, Rico Ramos and Teon Kennedy and beating Robert Marroquin by one-sided decision, and Donaire said that "if the (Abner) Mares fight couldn't get done" then Rigondeaux was "obviously the guy."

Donaire, of course, was as disappointed as the booing fans when Narvaez refused to engage with him during his Madison Square Garden debut in October of 2011. That was supposed to be the rising star's triumphant Big Apple debut. 

This time, he returns to Manhattan to fight in Radio City Music Hall, only the second boxer to headline there in the famous venue's long history. Bob Arum announced on the media call that they were expecting a sellout. He said the place would be full of New York Knicks and Giants. 

And this time, Donaire should have an opponent who will give him the kind of fight that will live up to the billing. "It might be a chess match," Donaire stated on the call, "but we're both offensive fighters. We're both aggressive."

For his own part, Rigondeaux added:

In this fight, I will try to engage. I want to give the fans the fight they want to see. Nonito is an aggressive fighter and I will be aggressive, too.

Rigondeaux and Donaire are both A-level offensive punchers and A-level counterpunchers. They both control distance and routinely outmaneuver opponents in order to create deadly angles of attack.

Both of these guys have the ability to knock each other out. 

But ultimately, I think both fighters are too smart to get caught by a one-punch shot. I think what we will see is a tactical war, with both fighters willing to take risks in order to deliver damage, resulting in a steady fireworks display of explosive exchanges.

In a fight like this, I usually come down on the side of the more technically traditional fighter. I think Rigondeaux is the more solid defensive fighter and getting hit less when trading is a big advantage.  

But it's hard for me to look past the element of experience. For all of Rigondeaux's amateur accolades, those were all three-round fights, fought under a radically different scoring system.

There's no question Rigondeaux has adjusted quickly to the pro game. But he has never been in the ring with a fighter as talented as Nonito Donaire, certainly not for 12 long rounds. 

When I asked Donaire about the experience factor yesterday, he said:

If it comes down to us being evenly matched in terms of speed and power and tactical ability, I think the experience will be an ace in my back pocket...to help me push through.

Still, if one thing has become clear about the former Cuban amateurs in recent years, it is that you just can't measure them on the same learning curve you'd use for your standard prospect or contender. Guillermo Rigondeaux might not have been a professional for that long, but he has been preparing for this kind of showcase for his entire life. 

"I have great respect for Nonito," Rigondeaux said. "What he's done speaks for itself. But I believe I belong with him."

Briggs Seekins is a Featured Boxing Columnist. Follow him on Twitter at #Briggsfighttalk.

The 2000 United States Olympic team produced three world champions: Jermain Taylor, Jeff Lacy and Brian Viloria. Of the title-holders from this class, Viloria toiled in comparative obscurity for much of his career, plagued by the inherent public prejudice against boxing’s smallest weight classes. 

Comparatively, the granite-chiseled Lacy (25-4, 17 KO) was heavily hyped and favored to unify titles against Joe Calzaghe; aggressive and powerful, Lacy appeared poised to reign atop the super middleweight division. Calzaghe, however, decimated him, and Lacy was never the same fighter after dropping a punishing unanimous decision. 

Taylor (31-4-1, 19 KO) reached a higher stratosphere than Lacy, winning the undisputed middleweight title with back-to-back victories over Bernard Hopkins, ending the latter’s record-breaking championship reign. But even these high-profile triumphs could not lead to sustained success as a lineal champion.

A draw with Winky Wright and underwhelming victories over smaller foes like Kassim Ouma and Cory Spinks followed, and Taylor’s first loss to Kelly Pavlik was devastating. A brief stint in the Super Six World Boxing Classic only made fans and pundits worry about Taylor’s long-term health. 

Of these three competent and quality champions, Viloria (32-4, 19 KO) is the only one who remains relevant, and he stands alone as the standard bearer for 2000 Olympic class. And yet, Viloria has never gotten his proper due or the exposure he deserves. 

Viloria first won the WBC light flyweight title in 2005, making one defense before losing to Omar Nino Romero. Similarly, Viloria would go on to stop Ulises Solis in an excellent performance in 2009 to win the IBF light flyweight strap, only to get shockingly stopped by Carlos Tamara in his second defense. 

It was clear circa 2009 that Viloria, much like Lacy, was at least world-level, but perhaps not destined to be a genuinely elite, long-reigning champion. 

After the loss to Tamara, however, something seemed to click for Viloria.

He would go on to win six consecutive fights, including four title bouts and a unification contest. In fact, upset loss to Tamara notwithstanding, Viloria had been on a 13-1 run since early 2008 and had established himself as one of the most competent and exciting fighters in boxing, at least to those who paid attention to the sport’s full breadth.  

But it was during that six-fight run—when Viloria scored a clinical stoppage of Giovani Segura and gained revenge over old nemesis Romero with a ninth-round TKO—that a broader cross-section of fans, pundits and networks should have been taking note. Viloria had just gotten over the second title defense hump, scoring two knockouts since winning a decision over Julio Cesar Miranda to claim the WBO flyweight title. 

These victories set up what should have been a high-profile (network and promotion-wise) unification clash against Hernan “Tyson” Marquez, another hellacious puncher. In a Fight of the Year candidate, Viloria scored a 10th-round TKO after knocking Marquez down in the first, fifth and 10th stanzas. It was a career-best performance more than worthy of HBO or Showtime.

More importantly, Viloria’s win unified titles (WBA and WBO) and seemed to finally place him in position to secure a series of major fights that would generate more public interest. 

But just as Viloria appeared poised for a memorable and lucrative final act to his career, the end—in terms of fights at the highest level—might have just played out with his loss to Juan Francisco Estrada in Macau last Saturday. 

Practically having to beg for more exposure, Viloria got just that by defending his titles in chief support of three-time Chinese Olympic medalist Zou Shiming’s professional debut.

And yet, there was a muted sense of perversity in the entire spectacle. Viloria was essential to the card in order to justify the pomp of a debuting, unproven pro who might very well be an afterthought six months from now. That Viloria essentially took a back seat to a four-round bout was a stark microcosm of how his career has been treated. 

However, just as Viloria has done throughout his career, he put on a brave, exciting and, at times, excellent performance against Estrada (23-2, 18 KO). The fight was close and competitive over the first seven rounds, and Viloria landed some thudding body shots and hellacious overhand rights, often backing up the young challenger. 

Yet the fight remained tight and certainly seemed poised to be heated down the stretch. But when the eighth round commenced, the bout’s geography changed. As opposed to remaining in a compact stance at optimal punching range, Viloria and Estrada started to lean on each other, which seemed to tire Viloria.

Struggling to land cleanly, Viloria allowed Estrada to bully him and control distance. It seemed the champion, in an instant, had no legs. 

Viloria was drained and battered around the ring by the 12th stanza, but he never stopped fighting in what amounted to another exciting bout. But given the way Viloria seemed gassed in the eighth round, one has to wonder if he aged overnight, so to speak.

Such a question is difficult to answer, but the shift in Viloria’s body language and output was drastic. 

It wasn’t as if Estrada simply had his moments over the last five rounds; rather, Estrada dominated Viloria in what had been a highly competitive clash.

Because of his pedigree and accomplishments, Viloria will surely get another important fight. Questions about his potential decline will be quickly answered, but what is certain is that Viloria will still make compelling bouts. 

A potential fight against Roman Gonzalez loomed for Viloria, and it’s ultimately a shame that this bout probably won’t ever happen. On the biggest stage of his career, Viloria came up just short, watching as the main event slot went to a four-round professional novice. 

If it is unclear whether Viloria can claw his way back to a title for a fourth time, one certainty is that he deserves profound respect. And his next bout, win or loss, is worthy of the boxing community’s undivided attention.

The sweet science never lacks true excitement, but there’s no denying the shortage of marquee matchups in recent months.

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will probably never face off in the ring, but the boxing world has an opportunity to witness an April 13 fight that could prove to be even more exciting.

Nonito Donaire and Guillermo Rigondeaux are slated for a massively appealing HBO-televised bout on Saturday from Radio City Music Hall. The budding superstars are two of the most electrifying fighters on the planet, and each will have a lot to prove when they square off.

Donaire (31-1) is the most complete boxer at the Super Bantamweight division, mixing the technical skills and knockout power to hang with anyone at 122 pounds. He has won 62.5 percent of his fights by knockout, including a December drubbing of Jorge Arce that ended with a third-round knockout blow.

After winning two titles in 2012 and Fighter of the Year honors, Donaire is an unquestioned star with the potential to fill the void that will likely soon be left by his fellow Filipino superstar. One of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, finding a matchup worth watching for Donaire probably wasn’t an easy task.

It happened, though, and boxing fans should be incredibly happy.

The 32-year-old Rigondeaux (11-0) hasn’t earned the same accolades as Donaire at the professional level, but his exploits as an amateur fighter were extremely impressive. The Cuban earned two gold medals in the Summer Olympics (2000, 2004) and continues to dominate at 122 pounds with some of the most crisp technique in the sport.

With a perfect blend of agility, quickness, power and technique, there isn’t a better fighter to pair with Donaire in a prime-time bout. The only problem will be predicting a winner.

Both fighters have the well-rounded skill set to present few advantages for their opponent. Even with the knockout power (and stunning left hook) to end a fight in the early rounds, neither has shown enough weakness to be considered an underdog in this fight, and there’s a good chance it goes the distance with both fighters still standing.

This bout is exactly what boxing needs. For the sport to continue to thrive, new faces have to emerge to replace aging stars like Pacquiao and Mayweather. It also helps that those faces are willing to put their records and reputations on the line to give fans what they want to see.

An early candidate for Fight of the Year, this showdown will certainly be one to watch. 

When three-time Chinese Olympic boxing medalist Zou Shiming entered the Cotai Arena at the Venetian Resort in Macao, China, it was a spectacle worthy of an established champion. Amidst a video montage and rock concert lighting effects, Zou’s ring-walk was as surreal as it was impressive. 

There was nothing conventional about Zou’s professional debut. And considering that he made $300,000 for four rounds of boxing and participated in perhaps the most-watched fight in the sport’s history (per ESPN.com), it is expected that he will be moved quickly. With the world’s largest fanbase to draw from, Zou (1-0) already faces inordinate expectations and pressure. 

The hype surrounding Zou, to a certain extent, is warranted. With three Olympic medals (bronze in 2004, and gold in 2008 and 2012) and three World Amateur titles (plus a silver medal in 2003), Zou is one of the most decorated amateurs of all time. Such pedigree is somewhat reminiscent of another one of the sport’s most intriguing figures: Guillermo Rigondeaux. 

Rigondeaux’s sublime skills and genius boxing acumen propelled him to a world title in only his seventh professional fight. Given that Zou is already 32, can he mimic the same rapid ascent that Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO) has so expertly navigated? 

The inevitable erosion of a boxer’s speed and reflexes can be especially detrimental in the lower weight classes. Pint-sized pugilists often struggle to sustain the success of, say, a quality heavyweight or cruiserweight contending into their late 30s, which means that Zou essentially has a two- to four-year window to leave his mark—depending on how he adapts to the pro game and whether his body and natural ability hold up. 

Zou’s lopsided four-round decision over 18-year-old novice Eleazar Valenzuela obviously offers no concrete answers as to whether he can emulate Rigondeaux’s meteoric rise. ESPN boxing scribe Brian Campbell speaks to this uncertainty with an appropriate amount of muted optimism: 

He often toyed with Valenzuela by switching stances and using a varied offensive style borrowed from exciting fighters “Prince” Naseem Hamed, Sergio Martinez and Manny Pacquiao—with the latter being of little surprise considering the two fighters now share the same trainer. But fighting so regularly with your guard down can be a dangerous proposition when turning pro at 31 with little experience fighting without headgear. 

Campbell is correct in questioning Zou’s sometimes-lackadaisical defense, and there were instances where he slapped with his punches and appeared to pull straight back to avoid shots, which are certainly amateur tendencies. However, Zou’s transition to punching for pay will be a process, and he can’t be expected to exhibit championship-level technique so early in his career. 

While Zou was a bit wild at times and looped some of his punches, he did have stretches of brilliance, even if he was unable to score a knockdown or stoppage.

Most impressive, perhaps, was Zou’s comfort level inside the ring and amidst the gargantuan build-up to the fight. It was this poise that allowed Zou to flash the Martinez-esque movement and punching angles that could prove a nightmare for opponents if properly developed. 

Whether Zou can win a world title within 10 fights is debatable, but the reality is that he doesn’t have a choice other than to emulate Rigondeaux’s path to a championship. Campbell, in the above-cited article, alludes to Zou’s brief window and perhaps low ceiling: 

Although it’s hard to be so critical of such a short audition at the pro level, it’s equally hard to imagine Zou becoming a dominant force on the highest level, thus making it interesting to see just how quickly and aggressively he will be matched within his relatively short window in the next 12-18 months. 

Whether Zou wins a world title or merely ends up being the symbolic pioneer of professional boxing in China should be starkly evident by the end of 2014. Regardless of Zou’s actual competence as professional fighter, he is in an optimal position to become boxing’s Yao Ming, which can only be positive for the sport’s growth. 

In only his third professional fight, Rigondeaux fought Giovanni Andrade, who was 59-11 at the time, in a scheduled 10-rounder. Expect Zou to adopt a similar pace, especially if he is going to be appearing on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s next fight (per BoxingNews24.com). 

At a certain point, substance and dangerous opponents will have to replace the mere novelty and exhibition of Zou fighting. Given Zou’s popularity and promotional backing, he will clearly be afforded opportunities that no other fighter would get. And what makes Zou such an intriguing figure to follow is that this reality will either expose him or make him a legitimate sensation. 

As Rigondeaux gets set to unify titles against Nonito Donaire this Saturday, the gifted and technically brilliant Cuban is oddly anonymous when compared to Zou. But while Zou, thus far, is more about style, Rigondeaux oozes substance. Rigondeaux’s resume through 11 fights is practically unprecedented, and his success has set a high bar for Zou. 

Zou’s mere existence, even as a 1-0 fighter, has already done wonders for boxing in China. In many respects, his legacy is already secure, and he will remain the type of national hero in China that is unfathomable to North Americans. For now, fans and pundits should enjoy what could be a fleeting spectacle.

50 Cent's most prized asset in his venture as a boxing promoter is Yuriorkis Gamboa, hence his recent search for a big money superfight. That super fight was supposed to be against Adrien Broner.

Broner has recently declared himself a welterweight and will move up two divisions to face Paulie Malignaggi in June.

Since Gamboa is way too short to be a welterweight at a whopping 5'5", it's best he stay at super featherweight as there's another superfight coming his way in the form of Nonito Donaire.

Donaire is currently finishing his reign at junior featherweight by facing Guillermo Rigondeaux on April 13. Should Donaire emerge victorious, he has stated to Boxing Scene that he will move up to featherweight.

That's one division below Gamboa, and unlike the plentiful list of contenders at junior featherweight that Donaire chewed through in almost one year, the featherweight division is barren.

After subtracting friendships (WBO champ Mikey Garcia) and victims of boxing politics (Abner Mares and Daniel Ponce De Leon), longtime WBA champ Chris John is the only option left.

Though Chris John hasn't flown to fight in the U.S. in years, he has shown a willingness to fight outside his home country of Indonesia in neighboring countries as far as Singapore or even Australia.

With Donaire's promoter Top Rank holding a fight card on April 6 in Macau, China, they're clearly trying to get into the Asian market, hence a John vs. Donaire card in August is quite possible and even likely.

With that said, Gamboa is the mandatory challenger to WBA super featherweight champ Takashi Uchiyama. Uchiyama may be a tough opponent, but he's never faced anyone as fast or elite as Gamboa.

Uchiyama fights again in May, but Gamboa can face him in the fall or maybe even on the same card as John vs. Donaire later in the year just to hype an eventual showdown with the winner.

Gamboa's promoter 50 Cent has a good working relationship with Top Rank, as exemplified by Gamboa's last fight being on the Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV undercard.

Donaire is a fighter who is making his career by racking up championships in steadily higher and higher weight classes.

If 50 Cent and Gamboa are patient, they'll win Uchiyama's belt and cash in on the moment when Donaire moves up to a weight that's higher than he can handle.

Follow me on Twitter @justindavidtate.