By Jackson Park / @jackson_park92
On the 16th of July at Cardiff’s Ice Arena, pound for pound king Guillermo Rigondeaux defends his WBA SuperBantamweight world title against former British Champion James “Jazza” Dickens after their bout fell through in March due to Guillermo’s visa issues.
The former amateur king Rigondeaux, comes into this bout a huge favorite, as he has with every bout since his shock win over legend Nonito Donaire. The Cuban Southpaw beat the odds when he outboxed Donaire in only his 12th fight.
His unbelievable defensive skills had the usually composed counter puncher swinging and missing wildly. Since then, Rigondeaux has struggled for competitive opposition, as other top operators in the division appear to be avoiding him.
Promotional issues and changes have kept the immensely talented champion out of the public eye, unfortunately reducing his chances of a unification fight.
In his four bouts since Donaire, pundits have argued his defensive-minded style has bored viewers, but the Cubans sheer talent has wowed experts and hardcore fans alike.
Dickens is a likable, hardworking and talented British prospect from the fighting city of Liverpool. His only loss came after a competitive contest against top prospect Kid Galahad, which ended in a 10th-round TKO.
Despite this, his southpaw stance and fast aggressive style, often proved tiring and confusing for the slickster Galahad. His best wins to date are over Josh Wale and Martin Ward, who Dickens outpointed for and defending the Lonsdale belt.
Although some see this bout as a mismatch, the opportunity for Dickens to fight one of the world’s best in his hometown is massive. Dickens will surely bring his all to the bout, his popularity and his unmistakable work ethic could prove decisive factors.
A win here would be one of the biggest in British boxing history and a loss for Dickens would still be a win for his experience.
