Guillermo Rigondeaux's manager Gary Hyde wants a big fight next for the new top man at 122 pounds, telling ESPN New York that he'd like to see the Cuban in against Abner Mares or Carl Frampton.
As anyone who pays attention knows, Mares is an impossible dream, as he is a Golden Boy fighter, while Rigondeaux is signed to Top Rank. The companies do not work together, plus, Mares has moved up to featherweight, where he'll face Daniel Ponce De Leon on May 4.
Frampton (16-0, 11 KO) could be a possible opponent, but one wonders if Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn would really want to make that fight. The 26-year-old from Belfast is ranked highly by the IBF, and supposedly could be looking at a world title shot against Jhonatan Romero, who won the vacant title in February. Though Romero is a good fighter, there's no doubt that Rigondeaux is on another level, and would be a much riskier bout for Frampton.
Rigondeaux (12-0, 8 KO) holds the WBA and WBO titles (the WBA will elevate him to "super champion" status soon) now, and is the clear No. 1 fighter at 122 pounds. It still may be hard to make major fights for him -- for one thing, Donaire already beat many of the division's credible contenders, and there just isn't much left by way of names. Another possible intriguing option might be Scott Quigg, a good young contender stuck in something of a purgatory position thanks to the limited TV options in the UK for Hatton Promotions.