No division in boxing includes a more diverse bunch of high quality fighters than the super bantamweight division. It’s like a stew of sorts—or to be more refined, a bouillabaisse of mixed and spicy ingredients.
Toshiaki Nishioka, the current WBC super bantamweight champion, is one of the very best in the world. At 39-4-3, he has not lost since 2004. The 36-year old-Japanese fighter has won 17 bouts in a row against the very best opposition available. Thai bomber, Veeraphol Sahaprom (66-4-2), may have had his number as he went 2-0-2 against the streaking Nishioka—amazingly all in Japan—but that was then and this is now. Sahaprom, age 44, has not fought in almost two years.
In 2009, Nishioka stopped KO artist Jhonny Gonzales (51-7) in three rounds and he did it in Mexico no less. But Jhonny has not lost since as he has won 11 in a row all by KO and most coming early (seven were in two rounds or less). In 2011, he stopped the great Hozumi Hasegawa in four stanzas. Jhonny is the current WBC featherweight champion.
Meanwhile, former WBO bantamweight title holder Jorge "Travieso" Arce has gone nine straight without a loss, while WBA champion Guillermo "The Jackal" Rigondeaux is undefeated at a deceptive 9-0—deceptive because he has the typical lengthy amateur career of a Cuban defector.
Arguably the best of them all, Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (28-1) recently beat tough and game Puerto Rican Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (21-2-1) to capture the vacant WBO super bantamweight crown but "The Flash" did carry the power he had when he was a bantamweight. Throw in former WBA super bantamweight champion Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (45-2) and add Panamanian Ricardo "Maestrito" Cordoba (38-3-2) to the tasty mix.
Finally, IBF super bantamweight champion South African Takalani Ndlovu (33-6), former champion and Canadian Steve Molitor (34-2), Panamanian Anselmo "Chemito" Moreno (32-1-1), and well traveled and still very dangerous Celestino "Pelenchin" Caballero (36-4) add to a composite for great matches.
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0 recs | 44 comments
Can Caballero still make 122 pounds?
Radu - February 22, 2012
Not sure
Boss Man - February 22, 2012
My choice: Gonzales vs. Nishioka in a rematch
Boss Man - February 22, 2012
We know the fight everyone wants to see that will never happen: Donaire vs. Rigondeaux. We will get Donaire vs. Arce which I don’t really understand the demand for unless you hate Jorge Arce.
Sammlung - February 22, 2012
Donaire will slaughter Arce based on respective styles.
Boss Man - February 22, 2012
What is wrong with Donaire/
Nishoka (who I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing)?
Don From Prov - February 23, 2012
Ndlovu-Molitor IV!!!
Not really. Seriously though, just fights between the top 3, and probably any fight involving two of those guys would stink to watch. In terms of what could be a fun fight, I’d like to see Poonsawat against Willie Casey, or Kiko Martinez against Victor Terrazas.
Brickhaus - February 22, 2012
Rigondeaux is my #1 pick… I like the guy.
RyanSexton - February 22, 2012
I respect your post, but I'd rather watch paint dry
Boss Man - February 23, 2012
I think he would outbox any of the top guys in his division. I wanna see this guy in some big fights, time is running out.
RyanSexton - February 23, 2012
Me too.
BoxAnne - March 2, 2012
Is Jhonny Gonzales really that dangerous and a KO artist? I have a permanent impression in my mind of Vasquez taking him out in the 10th or 11th round, and of Penalosa downing him and out in the 5th or 6th round with a body shot. Pc! Donaire vs. Nishioka would be my pick!
cylee1180 - February 23, 2012
That Jhonny-Vazquez fight is one of my all-time favourites. Awesome bout.
Oli Goldstein - February 23, 2012
Yes he is. He was beating the crap out of Penalosa before he got hit with that great body shot.
Boss Man - February 23, 2012
He was beating the crap out of Izzy, too, until he got that cut in his mouth. Jhonny’s a sensational fighter.
Oli Goldstein - February 23, 2012
Indeed he is
Boss Man - February 23, 2012
Yes, Jhonny Gonzalez is really that good. He’s got a a punch resistance issue, but other than that he’s truly top-shelf — if he were 20% sturdier, he’d have been P4P top ten for years. Izzy Vazquez was my main man (longtime members can attest), but Jhonny was whipping his ass in that fight. It came down to Izzy being Izzy, though. Man I miss Israel Vazquez.
Scott Christ - February 24, 2012
sadist
Boss Man - February 24, 2012
I miss him, but never, ever want to see him fight again. I was hugely against the fourth Marquez fight and it went exactly as I expected, not that it took a genius to figure it out.
Scott Christ - February 25, 2012
I agree, Jhonny used to really hook well off that jab. He thrashed izzy.
cylee1180 - February 24, 2012
no he wasnt. penalosa was chasing around the ring. penalosa has a tight peek a boo guard so the shoe shining may appear vicious. penalosa made ponce de leon fight on his back foot at a time when he was KOing everyone in the first round. oh yeah, and nishioka whooped gonzalez.
cylee1180 - February 23, 2012
How
about the highly underrated “Last ManStanding”—
old Mini-Yank from upstate NY? Put him in with the New Hampshire Flash.
Don From Prov - February 23, 2012
LMFAO
Boss Man - February 23, 2012
I can't resist--check this out:
http://youtu.be/NcZlXsX8W_A
Boss Man - February 23, 2012
That would about sum
it up
if mini-yank faced the flash
Don From Prov - February 23, 2012
No disrespect meant, to you or to Jhonny Gonzales, but was Hasegawa really all that “great”?
Matt Mosley - February 23, 2012
I know he had the two great wins over Veeraphol, but other than that?
Matt Mosley - February 23, 2012
Myabe not great but very good
Boss Man - February 23, 2012
No disrespect to Hasegawa either.
i remember him being very highly regarded before the Montiel fight, and still when Gonzalez fought him.
Matt Mosley - February 24, 2012
Hasegawa moved up from like bantamweight, so not as a featherweight, nope. He lost to Montiel at 118, and moved up two weight divisions.
cylee1180 - February 24, 2012
Good point
he had a lot of defences of the ’BC 118lb title.
Matt Mosley - February 24, 2012
Yes, Point taken
Boss Man - February 24, 2012
I would like to see Donaire vs Nishioka at 122, and Jhonny Gonzalez vs Mikey Garcia up at 126, or if he can still make 122, i would like to see either Gonzalez vs Victor Terrazas and/or in a rematch with Fernando Montiel.
Matt Mosley - February 23, 2012
I would love to see Anselmo Moreno move up to 122 for a big payday against Donaire.
dervish987 - February 25, 2012
Hey, i just realised Jhonny Gonzalez is lined up to fight Elio Rojas on April 14.
That’s a very good matchup, imo. Rojas stays under the radar a bit but is quite highly regarded from what i have heard. I haven’t seen much of him for myself but i have been wanting him to face a top level opponent for a while now.
He was mooted for a fight with Gamboa at one point.
Matt Mosley - February 25, 2012
I should add that that is according to Boxrec, so possibly, nay probably, not a done deal yet.
Matt Mosley - February 25, 2012
Yep and it fits with your best fight the best notion
Boss Man - February 25, 2012
Rojas is 23-1
with his only loss coming to Gamaliel Diaz (SD).
That’s right, the same Gamaliel Diaz with a win over Robert Guerrero (SD), and a loss too (KO6).
Matt Mosley - February 25, 2012
Gonzalez-Rigondeaux + Donaire-Nishioka
with winners to meet.
geraldmcgrew - February 25, 2012
Me too
Boss Man - February 26, 2012
Brandon Rios
Vs Victor Ortiz.
At a weight of their choosing
pakinpower - February 27, 2012
Ooops
Forgot the subject..
pakinpower - February 27, 2012
+3
Lunatic vs. the Clown!
cylee1180 - February 27, 2012
To the death!!
Boss Man - February 27, 2012
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