Guillermo Rigondeaux vs Adolfo Landeros
NSU Arena, Don Taft University Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Friday, February 5, 2010
LOS ANGELES (Feb. 4, 2010) – Two-time Olympic champion Guillermo "El Chacal (The Jackal)" Rigondeaux, arguably the greatest amateur boxer of all-time, is showing more of his personal side with an announcement that he is donating his entire purse from his fight this Friday on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights February 5, 2010 at NSU Don Taft University Center in Davie, Florida to the Children of Haiti Fund.
Rigondeaux (4-0-0, 3 KOs), fighting as a super bantamweight, now lives in Los Angeles after defecting from Cuba, where he was a 7-time national champion. The 28-year-old southpaw also won multiple World Championships titles, as well as a gold medal at the 2003 Pan-Am Games, during his incredible 243-4 amateur career.
"Rigo," who is trained by Freddie Roach and managed by Gary Hyde, faces Adolfo Landeros (20-12-1) in an 8-round bout on ESPN Friday Night Fights, live from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
"Guillermo's gentle, caring heart will be full of fire Friday night for his fifth pro fight," Irishman Hyde said. "He really wants to win impressively on ESPN. He definitely hasn't let fame and all of the attention he's received to go his head. 'Rigo' hasn't forgotten the poverty he comes from. Hopefully, his thoughtful donation will encourage others to follow suit."
No stranger to poverty and hard times in his native Cuba, Rigondeaux was deeply saddened by all of the devastation and heartache caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti. "Rigo" was banned from boxing in Cuba when he failed to defect the first time while competing in the 2007 Pan-American Games in Brazil. His low but essential monthly stipend was taken from him for more than two years. He managed to escape from Cuba in February, 2009.
Rigondeaux trains at Roach's famed Wildcard Gym in Los Angles, under the watchful eyes of his celebrated coach, who calls Guillermo the Picasso of Boxing and one of the most technically sound boxers he has ever seen. "This kid is the master of the noble art," Roach commented. "He combines his skills with unbelievable power, which isn't the case very often in smaller weight classes. I have no doubt that he will win at least one world title by the end of this year. Once he cleans-up the 122-pound division, we will move him up to the 126-pound division, where there are some very interesting fights."
"Rigo" told Hyde that he wanted to donate his purse to the children of Haiti. "I was touched by his sincerity," Gary explained, "so I contacted Dr. Mick Molloy, a member of the Professional Boxing Union of Ireland, who went to Haiti this past Tuesday to offer his medical services to the victims of the earthquake. Dr. Molloy flew from Miami to Turks and Caico Islands, and then with the U.S. Navy to Haiti. He thanked us for the donation and suggested we do it through the Boston Children's Foundation."
Eric "Butterbean" Esch vs Harry "The Ho-Chunk Hammer" Funmaker
Brew City Brawl
US Cellular Arena, Milwaukee, WI
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Don't miss Butterbean's next fight if you are anywhere near Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 3rd! It's going to be his last fight before he retires.
Butterbean (77-7-4, 58 KOs) is going to fight Harry Funmaker (17-17-0, 6 KOs) for the 3rd time. The two fought each other back in 2000 and 1998 in 4 rounders with Butterbean winning both times by UD.
Both fighters have had long layoffs. Butterbean has not boxed since his fight with Joe Siciliano in March 2007 where he won by 2nd round TKO. And Funmaker has not fought since he lost to Matt Anderson in November 2005.
It will be interesting to see how much Butterbean weights when he steps into the ring this time. When he fought Siciliano in 2007 Butterbean weighed in at 417 1/2 pounds. Now that's a lot of bean!
Bob Arum's dream is to promote the first fight at the new Yankee Stadium. It's not a pie in the sky dream either.
Bob has history with Yankee Stadium. He and his boxing promotion company Top Rank promoted the 15-round Ali-Norton fight at the old Yankee Stadium on September 28, 1976 .
Perhaps Bob is one step closer now to his dream coming true since he was able to hold the Pacquiao-Cotto press conference at the new stadium on September 10th.
Bob Arum of Top Rank has announced that the Pacquiao-Cotto fight is a done deal. The HBO PPV fight is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, 2009 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will take place at a catch weight (a mutually agree upon weight) of 145 lbs which is 2 pounds below the welterweight limit (over 140 lbs and up to 147 lbs ). This is a move up in weight for Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) and a move down in weight for Miguel Cotto (34-1-0, 27 KOs).
