Guillermo Rigondeaux facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Guillermo Rigondeaux
Rigondeaux in 2012
Statistics
Real name	Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz
Nickname(s)	El Chacal (The Jackal) Rigo
Rated at	Bantamweight Super bantamweight Super featherweight
Height	5 ft 4 in
Reach	67+1/2 in
Born	(1980-09-30) 30 September 1980 (age 44) Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	27
Wins	23
Wins by KO	16
Losses	3
No contests	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  Cuba Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney Bantamweight Gold 2004 Athens Bantamweight World Championships Gold 2001 Belfast Bantamweight Gold 2005 Mianyang Bantamweight World Cup Gold 2002 Astana Bantamweight Gold 2005 Moscow Bantamweight Gold 2006 Baku Bantamweight Pan American Games Gold 2003 Santo Domingo Bantamweight Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 2006 Cartagena Bantamweight Goodwill Games Gold 2001 Brisbane Bantamweight Representing Santiago de Cuba Cuban National Championships Gold 2000 Guantanamo Bantamweight Gold 2001 Santiago de Cuba Bantamweight Gold 2002 Las Tunas Bantamweight Gold 2003 Holguin Bantamweight Gold 2004 Camagüey Bantamweight Gold 2005 Pinar del Rio Bantamweight Gold 2006 Bayamo Bantamweight

Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz is a famous Cuban professional boxer. He was born on September 30, 1980. People often call him "El Chacal" (The Jackal) or "Rigo." He is known for his amazing speed, strong punches, and tricky moves that make it hard for opponents to hit him. Many experts say he is one of the most talented boxers they have ever seen.

Before becoming a professional, Rigondeaux was a highly successful amateur boxer. He won two gold medals at the Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004. He also won many other big tournaments, including the World Championships and the World Cup. He was a Cuban national champion seven times! In his amateur career, he won almost all of his fights, with a record of 374 wins and only 12 losses.

Amateur Boxing Success

Guillermo Rigondeaux had an incredible amateur boxing career. He won many gold medals for Cuba.

Olympic Gold Medals

Rigondeaux won gold medals at two Olympic Games in the bantamweight division (a weight class in boxing).

• In 2000 at the Sydney Olympics, he won all his fights to take home the gold.
• In 2004 at the Athens Olympics, he did it again, winning his second Olympic gold medal.

Other Major Wins

Besides the Olympics, Rigondeaux won many other important boxing titles:

• He was the World Amateur Champion twice, in 2001 and 2005.
• He won the Boxing World Cup three times (2002, 2005, 2006).
• He also won gold at the Pan American Games in 2003 and the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2006.
• He was the Cuban national champion seven years in a row, from 2000 to 2006.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

In 2007, Rigondeaux decided to leave Cuba to become a professional boxer. This was a big decision for him. He wanted to compete at the highest level in professional boxing. After some challenges, he successfully moved to Miami, Florida, in 2009 and signed with a boxing promoter.

Professional Boxing Career

Rigondeaux training in 2011

Guillermo Rigondeaux started his professional career in 2009. He quickly showed his amazing skills.

Super Bantamweight Division

Rigondeaux mostly fought in the Super bantamweight division, which is for boxers weighing between 118 and 122 pounds.

Early Fights and First Title

Rigondeaux won his first professional fight by knockout in the third round. He continued to win, often by knockout. In September 2009, in only his third professional fight, he won his first title, the NABA super bantamweight title. He kept winning, and in November 2010, he won the WBA interim super bantamweight title in a big fight in Dallas. This made him a world champion in only his seventh professional fight!

Becoming a Unified Champion

On January 20, 2012, Rigondeaux won the full WBA super bantamweight title by knocking out Rico Ramos. He then defended his title successfully against Teon Kennedy and Roberto Marroquin, showing off his powerful left hand.

His biggest fight came on April 13, 2013, against Nonito Donaire. Donaire was a very famous boxer at the time. Rigondeaux won this important fight by a unanimous decision. This win made him the unified WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring magazine super bantamweight champion. He was now considered the best in his weight class.

Defending His Titles

Rigondeaux continued to defend his titles.

• In December 2013, he won against Joseph Agbeko. Some people thought the fight wasn't very exciting, but Rigondeaux won every round.
• In July 2014, he quickly knocked out Sod Kokietgym in the first round.
• On New Year's Eve 2014, he fought Hisashi Amagasa in Japan. Rigondeaux was knocked down twice but still won the fight when Amagasa couldn't continue after the 11th round due to injuries.
• In November 2015, he returned to the US and won against Drian Francisco.

Challenges and Controversies

Rigondeaux faced some challenges, including visa issues that stopped a fight in the UK in March 2016. However, he later fought and won against Jazza Dickens in July 2016, breaking Dickens' jaw.

In June 2017, he fought Moises Flores. Rigondeaux knocked Flores out at the end of the first round. However, the referee ruled that the knockout punch landed after the bell. After reviewing the video, the fight result was changed to a "no contest," meaning it was as if the fight never happened. The WBA ordered a rematch, but it didn't happen.

Moving Up in Weight

Rigondeaux vs. Lomachenko

On December 9, 2017, Rigondeaux took a big step and moved up two weight classes to fight Vasiliy Lomachenko for the WBO junior lightweight title. This was a very challenging fight because Lomachenko was bigger and also a very skilled boxer. Rigondeaux lost the fight when he stopped after the sixth round, saying he had injured his hand. This was his first loss since his amateur days.

Return to Boxing

After a break, Rigondeaux returned to boxing. He signed with a new promoter and started training with a new coach.

Back at Super Bantamweight

In January 2019, Rigondeaux returned to the ring and quickly knocked out Giovanni Delgado in the first round. In June 2019, he won a tough fight against Julio Ceja by technical knockout in the eighth round.

Bantamweight Division

Rigondeaux then moved down to the Bantamweight division (for boxers weighing between 115 and 118 pounds).

Winning Another Title

On February 8, 2020, Rigondeaux fought Liborio Solís for the vacant WBA (Regular) bantamweight title. He won the fight by a close decision, becoming a world champion in a new weight class.

Rigondeaux vs. Casimero

In August 2021, Rigondeaux challenged John Riel Casimero for the WBO bantamweight title. It was a very tactical fight with not many punches thrown by either boxer. Casimero won by a split decision.

Recent Fights

In February 2022, Rigondeaux lost to Vincent Astrolabio. However, he made a strong comeback in 2023 after recovering from a serious eye injury. He won two fights by knockout: against Jesus Martinez in February and Charlie Clemente-Andino in June. In November 2024, he won the vacant WBC International super bantamweight title by knocking out Dannis Aguero Arias in the first round.

Personal Life

In March 2022, Rigondeaux had a serious accident at his home involving a pressure cooker, which caused injuries to his eyes. He has since recovered and returned to boxing.

Professional boxing record

See also

In Spanish: Guillermo Rigondeaux para niños