Guillermo Rigondeaux makes successful title defence by knocking out Teon Kennedy – Boxing News
Guillermo Rigondeaux, the current WBA World super bantamweight champion, defended his title successfully for the second consecutive time and collected a fifth round technical knockout win over experienced Teon Kennedy, the current USBA super bantamweight
champion, in a 12-round bout held on June 9, 2012.
The ring for the bout was set up at MGM Grand Garden Arena situated in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States and the event was organised and promoted by Bob Arum of Top Rank. The pay-per-view was headlined by the WBO welterweight title bout between Manny Pacquiao
and Timothy Bradley which ended in a controversial manner.
The showdown also witnessed Mike Jones take on Randall Bailey for the vacant IBF welterweight title in a 12-round bout hence constituting the co-main event of the much anticipated special HBO edition.
Guillermo was entering in his 10th career bout with an undefeated streak. The 31-year-old, who is also a two-time Olympic gold medallist, boasts an impressive amateur career. Guillermo possesses a pretty decent and somewhat lethal knockout jab
the reason why he has collected seven of his wins by knocking the opponent out cold.
Even before the bout, the critics were shaky at completely placing the odds in favour of Kennedy as he was coming from a very dismal and to some extent under par performance in his last two bouts.
The orthodox Kennedy was entering in his 21st career bout and boasted 17 wins with just seven coming from knockouts. The 25-year-old Philadelphia lad had almost nil chance against his Saturday night opponent and this aspect later on got proved during the
bout.
The pace of the clash was set by Rigondeaux who started things off in an intimidating manner and flattened Teon in the very first round. Kennedy strived hard to halt Rigondeaux’s progression but all his efforts went in vain and he again fell on the ring
floor twice in round two.
Guillermo, also known as ‘The Jackal’, replicated his initial two-round performance and again knocked down Teon in round four. After a series of continuous battering, Kennedy was done and he lost all his senses and will to continue the bout in the fifth
round.
At one minute and 11 seconds, Guillermo threw a huge left hand that connected well and blanked Kennedy’s senses out once and for all. The bout-referee intervened and announced Guillermo as the winner and still the holder of the WBA World super bantamweight
gold.
After the bout the excited champion stated, “All of my punches are great. I have no bad ones.” On the other hand, Teon admitted his opponent’s supremacy over him and commented, “Rigondeaux has the kind of punches you can't see. He is real quick.”
With this win Guillermo has collected his eighth knockout and 10th career win whereas Kennedy has received his second career loss and first ever via knockout.
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