Guillermo Rigondeaux 20-1 (13) has been inspired by the Olympics to lift the WBO bantamweight belt from Filipino John Riel Casimero 30-4 (21) when they meet at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California on August 14.
The 40-year-old Cuban southpaw twice claimed gold at the Olympic Games and has been defeated just once since turning professional 12 years ago. That loss came to pound-for-pound level boxer Vasiliy Lomachenko as super featherweight.
Rigondeaux has boxed the bulk of his career at super bantamweight but moved back down to 118-pound weight class for his last outing, a split decision victory over teak-tough Venezuelan Liborio Solis 32-6-1 (14) in Allentown, Pennsylvania in February last year.
Memories of his gold medal winning efforts in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 have lit a flame under the talented veteran.
“It has been a very focused camp, and I have found inspiration watching the Olympics and it has lit a spark in me,” Rigondeaux said.
“Winning two gold medals in my early years gives me added incentive to win this fight. I want to prove to the world that I am one of the best boxers ever and that I have a lot left to give in this sport.
“I am confident that I am going to do that against the most avoided fighter in my weight class.
“Casimero is a dangerous fighter and a very powerful puncher, but I’m going to tame him with great boxing skills.”
“Training in Texas with Ronnie Shields has been great and our energy working together is fantastic. Ronnie has had a lot of world champions, and has a very professional boxing gym, with a lot of world champions and fighters who are competing at the highest level of the sport.
“I am motivated to work hard, not just to reach my own goals, but by all the young fighters in the gym who are driven and focused. The atmosphere has brought something new out of me. I’m revived and feeling young again.”
Casimero promises to be a tough out. The hard-hitting 32-year-old has won world championships in three separate weight classes and cemented his claims as a genuine player at bantamweight when he knocked out South Africa’s Zolani Tete in three rounds to lift the WBO belt in November 2019. He has not lost a bout in almost four years.
“It always feels good fighting for a world title and I have had the WBO title before after I beat Nonito Donaire, but this time I’m going up against a hungry young lion,” Rigondeaux said. “I am looking to capture another world title and give another great fight that fans will talk about for years.
“I feel good. I think at this point in my career, all the time away from the ring helps. I know how to fight and I know how to train, the big thing is knowing how to recover, and not damage my body. I am doing a good job at staying sharp in the gym, but not overtraining. A win against Casimero will do wonders for my career.”