Guillermo Rigondeaux defends world titles with swift stoppage win
Sunday 20 July 2014 00:47, UK
Guillermo Rigondeaux retained his world titles with an explosive first-round stoppage win over Sod Kokietgym in Macau.
The unbeaten Cuban, widely considered the No 1 super-bantamweight, took under two minutes to halt Kokietgym, extending his reign as WBO and WBA ‘super’ champion.
Fights have been hard to come by for Rigondeaux since he easily outboxed Joseph Agbeko last December, with criticism being raised about his safety-first approach, but he gave fans a glimpse of his firepower against an over-matched opponent.
Kokietgym had racked up a lengthy winning streak, although he lacked any notable foes, and showed his vulnerability when an accidental headbutt dumped him on the canvas.
The Thai fighter rose from the floor, but Rigondeaux sensed a quick finish and a fierce flurry of punches dropped him again, prompting referee Mark Nelson to wave it off after a few seconds.
Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, took just nine fights to win the WBA crown with a stoppage triumph over Rico Ramos.
