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Rigondeaux' Strength Coach
Montanocordoba Denies Donaire's Claim
The strength-and-conditioning coach of World Boxing
Association (WBA) Super Bantamweight champion Guillermo "El
Chacal" Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KOs), D.J. Montanocordoba,
vehemently denies Internet reports alleged by Nonito "The
Filiipino Flash" Donaire that, after the December 15 HBO
show in Houston, Montanocordoba verbally accosted a female
member of Donaire's entourage during a heated argument that
took place at the Hyatt Hotel.
Donaire (31-1, 20 KOs), the World Boxing Organization (WBO)
super bantamweight champion, reportedly searched for
Rigondeaux' room and later called there and Montanocordoba's
room to address the altercation. Ringondeaux was schedule to
fight former world champion Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (48-2,
33 KOs), who failed his medical exam, in the Dec. 15
co-featured bout. Donaire beat Jorge Arce in the main event.
"I just want to clear my name," Montanocordoba said. "I am
part of Team Rigondeaux and wouldn't do anything like that.
I didn't know anything, if it happened, because I was in my
hotel room and not involved. I don't have a problem with
Donaire or anybody in his camp. I didn't see them after the
fight was over. I'm very mellow. I don't drink or go out
clubbing. I concentrate on my job. I talked to a few people
in the hotel lobby and went to my room. That's not my style;
I don't disrespect people. I was surprised by what Nonito
said. I spoke to him that Wednesday and told him how much I
respected him for what he's done and that I thought he was
good for boxing. He's a great fighter. I respect him and his
wife, his trainer, Robert Garcia, and his other coaches. I
was totally shocked when I read the report with Donaire
accusing me. .
"We'll be on opposite sides when if he fights Rigondeaux. As
great a fighter Nonito is, I think Rigondeaux is better, and
that nobody can beat him at 122. If Nonito doesn't fight
Rigeondeaux, no problem, I can't disrespect him for that,
but he can't go around saying he's cleaned-up the division
without taking Rigondeaux' title. Hey, I respect every
fighter. (Abner) Mares is great, so is (Wilfredo) Vasquez.
If Nonito decides to move-up a division, I can respect that
but, he has to defeat Rigondeaux to say he's cleaned out the
122-pound division, and I believe he is not capable of
beating Rigondeaux. The only way they can prove who is
better is by fighting in the ring. I'm confident in my
ability but, even if I wasn't working for Rigondeaux, I'd
still believe he's the better fighter. And I'm not taking
anything away from Donaire by saying that but I believe it
and I know Donaire belives it otherwise he would be willing
to face Rigondeaux.
"I don't conduct myself that way (Donaire's claim). At the
last press conference, I had a direct conversation with
Nonito, and I said I admire him and had nothing but respect
for him. I've said nothing negative about him. He's has
accused me of doing something that I wasn't even present for
and I'm still not disrespecting him. Maybe somebody told him
a story, he believed it and got angry. It just never
happened."
The animosity between Team Rigondeaux and Team Donaire has
been building the past year, largely due to Donaire's
failure to fight Rigondeaux, something that is rumored to
happen in mid-2013.
"Donaire wrongly accused DJ of being abusive to somebody in
his entourage," Rigondeaux' manager Gary Hyde added. "I was
at the Hyatt Hotel with D.J. and both of us retired to our
respective rooms after the show at midnight. The next day,
D.J. told me that Donaire had called him but he thought he
was dreaming because he was woken from a deep sleep. D.J.
definitely wasn't involved in any altercation with Donaire
or his people. Team Rigondeaux has respect for Donaire. We
don't condone this type of behavior, but we're furious at
Donaire for accusing D.J. of this type conduct."
Arguably the greatest amateur boxer of all-time, Rigondeaux
is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time Cuban
national champion who also captured a pair of World
Championship titles during his incredible 243-4 amateur
career.
The multi-talented southpaw, now fighting out of Miami, is
rated No. 1 by The Ring Magazine, and Donaire is its super
bantamweight/junior lightweight champion.
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