BoxRec

After receiving a resolution from WBO championship committee chair Luis Batista Salas, the WBO executive committee unanimously voted to adopt the resolution to strip WBO junior featherweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux of his world championship. The championship committee reviewed the resolution and voted unanimously to present it to the executive committee, who in turn voted unanimously to adopt the resolution. Rigondeaux was stripped of the title due to “extraordinary inactivity.”

Rigondeaux had not defended the title since December of 2014. The WBO executive committee noted that they tried to accommodate Rigondeaux by allowing him the option to defend the title against any fighter ranked in the top 15. Rigondeaux also had the option of presenting a name of a fighter not ranked in the top 15 to the WBO for consideration, but Rigondeaux failed to present any name to the WBO.

Good. They should do the same to any boxer who doesn't defend his title [injury or not] within 6 months. I hate the hijacking of title belts. If you aren't going to fight to defend it then you don't deserve it in the first place.

WBO seems to take their belts seriously. They stripped Quillin and Andrade. Now Rigo.

I wish WBO could absorb WBA and WBC.

How on earth could they possibly strip the #2 greatest p4p fighter of all time???

Glad to see the WBO seems to be at least a little interested in how their title is perceived.

They do warn him so fair play.

Rigo is a brilliant boxer, why hasn't he defended the title? I imagine he's high risk/low reward.

Fair play for me, those who say WBO sucks are Rigo fanboys. WBO did just what the rules say nothing wrong with that.. they even WARNED Rigo about a month ago.. Not WBO's fault that he doesnt fight.

Why do people keep bringing up the ABCs?

Rigo was stripped by HBO and Top Rank a long time ago.

palooka wrote:Rigo is a brilliant boxer, why hasn't he defended the title? I imagine he's high risk/low reward.

Him and his team completely overestimate how much he's worth, he's a brilliant fighter but there's not that many people interested in watching him and he's turned down good offers, including one from allegedly for 3 fights in 12 months for $600k each, then another 3 fights in the next year at $700k and the possibility of a Frampton fight for even more. Gary Hyde, who was his manager, tried to explain to him how good the offers that have been made are but he seems convinced that he should be paid top money because he's a top fighter, when it doesn't work like that. That, combined with a lack of opponents willing to fight him because he's so good and his promoters, Caribe doing no work, means he's mostly inactive.

Hyde seemed to have a Wake fight sorted for very early this year before Rigo said no. Shame the WBO didn't get Bedak Vs Servania for the interim title then tell Rigo to fight the winner or be stripped. Would have at least forced his teams hand a bit before this stage.

Super Bantamweight really has been a frustrating division over the last few years. Plenty of solid to good fighters in there waiting to be given a shot by the champions who all seem to be difficult (guys like Wake, Vargas, Cejas, Flores, Jun, Pagara, Guerrero, Servania, Avila, Rosa, Doheny, Cave and Magdaleno) could all make for interesting bouts.

There are a few interesting prospects coming through (Socarras, Nakazawa, Kim, Kuga, Marugame, Kubo, Kongthara, Nop, Dickens, Gonzalez, Autida and Maruta-if he's half as good as touted) so hopefully 122lbs will open up in the coming years and give us the types of fights that we've deserve rather than a generation of bouts like Quigg Vs Munyai, Rigondeaux Vs Agbeko and Santa Cruz Vs Roman.

Why did not WBO mandate someone to fight Rigo. Their number one challenger should be required to fight the champ.

Rigo on the other hand has several promotional offers. People where ready to give him fights. But he refused, stuck with his old team and is inactive. So he is partly to blame for this.

punchoutsb wrote:How on earth could they possibly strip the #2 greatest p4p fighter of all time???

Glad to see the WBO seems to be at least a little interested in how their title is perceived.

poor chepppa.

Ricky_ wrote:

punchoutsb wrote:How on earth could they possibly strip the #2 greatest p4p fighter of all time???

Glad to see the WBO seems to be at least a little interested in how their title is perceived.

poor chepppa.

He hasn't left his bed all day since reading the news

These belts have no value anymore

expe wrote:

palooka wrote:Rigo is a brilliant boxer, why hasn't he defended the title? I imagine he's high risk/low reward.

Him and his team completely overestimate how much he's worth, he's a brilliant fighter but there's not that many people interested in watching him and he's turned down good offers, including one from allegedly for 3 fights in 12 months for $600k each, then another 3 fights in the next year at $700k and the possibility of a Frampton fight for even more. Gary Hyde, who was his manager, tried to explain to him how good the offers that have been made are but he seems convinced that he should be paid top money because he's a top fighter, when it doesn't work like that. That, combined with a lack of opponents willing to fight him because he's so good and his promoters, Caribe doing no work, means he's mostly inactive.

Thank you

Rigo and his manager are blaming anybody but themselves. WBO didn't help them to find an opponent. Negotiations to sign with Haymon failed. Why ? Haymon has hundreds of fighters, but Rigo failed to sign ??? He looks very similar to Ward: no drawing power and gross over-estimation of his worth.

GOOD! I hope the little idiot retires and all of these idiots on here that say he's one of the greatest fighters ever can retire too. The guys had 16 fights and been knocked down in almost half of him but he's the greatest ever somehow. Screw.

caldo2025 wrote:GOOD! I hope the little idiot retires and all of these idiots on here that say he's one of the greatest fighters ever can retire too. The guys had 16 fights and been knocked down in almost half of him but he's the greatest ever somehow. Screw.

There's only one guy here that makes that claim.

if you can get away with bending over at the waist and turning away so only
your back is showing to your opponent, and then grab whenever your opponent
gets near, and then pot shot to pile up garbage points, then i don't blame rigo
for doing it. it's painfully boring to watch, though, and i couldn't care if he had
100 titles. he would still be more powerful than nyquil.