On Saturday, February 8, in a fight televised live on Showtime from the PPL Center in the boxing hotbed of Allentown, Pennsylvania, former super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (19-1, 13 KOs), the 39-year-old southpaw from Miami by way of Santiago de Cuba, will move down in weight to fight 37-year-old Liborio Solis (30-5-1), from Panama City, Panama, by way of Maracay, Venezuela, for the vacant WBA “regular” bantamweight title.

 

“I’m trying to make history by winning a third world title in a second weight class, while also matching my two gold medals,” Rigondeaux said. “I want to make a statement and solidify my legacy as one of the best Cuban fighters ever. I want the boxing world to be talking about me, as I seek to become a world champion once again.”

 

The boxing world ceased talking about Rigondeaux two years ago when he quit on his stool against Vasiliy Lomachenko at Madison Square Garden. No self-respecting fighter is expected to quit, tapping out belongs to the world of MMA, least of all an elite boxer-puncher like Rigondeaux, and a win over Solis, who was a super flyweight titlist seven years ago, may move the needle, but only slightly.

 

“Solis is a good opponent and a worthy challenger, but I am ready to reclaim my status as a world champion. At super bantamweight I am a force to be reckoned with. Now that I’m moving down to bantamweight, I feel stronger and I’m getting the most out of my skills. The bantamweight and super bantamweight divisions are filled with great fighters to test myself against. It’s a very exciting time and I am training very hard for each opportunity that is granted to me.

 

“This is a very big deal for me. For years I was one of the best fighters in the world, if not, the best fighter in the world. When you’re a champion, you only fight the top opponents and those are the type of fights I want. I’m going to start another long reign as champion beginning February 8.”