Big Bang seeks dream end

A DREAM ending to the perfect fairytale would see Willie “Big Bang” Casey claim the belt at the Citywest Conference Centre tonight but even the Limerick man’s combination of heart, strength and a defiant attitude is unlikely to strip Guillermo Rigondeaux of his WBA world super bantamweight title.

The Cuban, one of the best amateur boxers of all time, has arrived to defend his title with all the credentials. He has twice been Olympic champion, a two-time world amateur champion, and he beat Ricardo Cordoba for the title he defends tonight.

And his trainer, Ronnie Shields, who has put the likes of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker through his hands, does not see any hope of Willie Casey upsetting the odds, which are very definitely stacked in favour of the champion.

“You are going to see a great fight,” he said. “Willie Casey is a guy who has come to fight. He is a guy who wants to win. He has a big heart and a big will. We have to have a bigger heart and a bigger will and that’s what we train for.

“Guillermo can do whatever he has to do. He can box, he can slow it, he does whatever he has to do. But we have to take Willie’s momentum away from him very early in the fight. We realise the crowd is going to pump him up even more so we have to destroy that right away.”

Rigondeaux finished off his training camp in Cork with a spectacular sparring session with the Beijing Olympic lightweight silver medallist, Daouda Sow, who weighed 20lbs heavier. The Cuban signalled his intent by decking the Frenchman twice with body shots in the fourth round.

The Cuban displayed all the qualities in that spar. He gave Daouda the runaround, lulled him into a false sense of security and then pounded him with vicious combinations when he decided to mix it.

“The whole training camp in Cork was spectacular,” Ronnie Shields said.

“We really had a good time, we put our work in, Guillermo is in fantastic shape, he is ready to go, he is ready to defend the title. We know Willie Casey is a good fighter and we are not going to try to take that away from him but we just feel Guillermo is the better fighter.

“I would like to see Guillermo go in there, hit him with one punch and knock him out but things don’t happen like that. The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds and we have prepared for 12 rounds. We are ready to go the distance.

“We realise that Guillermo’s skills are just too much. You saw something spectacular when you saw him spar in Cork. You saw him spar a guy who was over 20lbs heavier than him — a really good fighter — but Guillermo was really too fast and too strong.

“Guillermo has a style of his own and I work with that style. I don’t try to change him in any way. I let him be who he is. What you see is what you get.”

Willie Casey, however, insisted that he is ready for whatever Rigondeaux comes up with and, above all, he is ready to fight.

“I’m more than ready right now,” he said at yesterday’s weigh-in. “All the work is done, all the talking is done and now it’s time for the action. It’s time to get in there and do whatever I have to do — what I’ve been trained to do — to keep that belt in Ireland.

“Everything is completed. Now I’m just edgy to get in there and put on a good show for everybody. We have covered everything. We covered more than enough. We will be ready for anything.

“I took my body to places where it’s never been before. I don’t think when I get into the ring I will have to push myself that far again but if I have to I’ll be ready for it. I’ll go to hell and back if I have to.”

Rigondeaux’s manager, Corkman Gary Hyde, said Rigondeaux has promised the Irish fans a fantastic performance.

“He has had a great time in Ireland. He has enjoyed himself, kissed the Blarney Stone, and now, in return, he wants to give the Irish public the performance of his life.

“You’ll see him fighting as a champion and defending his world title in true style. But nobody in the camp is taking this fight lightly. No one is taking Willie Casey lightly.

“We know he has got everything done. He has done all his Grade A work in the gym and he is well prepared. He is here to try and take the title but there is no way we are giving it up.

“I see a convincing win for Rigondeaux but I would not predict anything. Ronnie Shields reckons he will finish the fight early but I pointed out to him that Willie Casey is not just the ordinary fighter. He is here to fight and he is going to take the best shots and even if he is put down, he will keep getting back up. He will just keep on coming back. He will be full of fire on the night and we are not taking anything for granted.

“Willie has great heart and he will have a big following — we must realise he is at home — and he has a huge desire to win the title. Rigondeaux will have to put on the performance of his life not just to beat Willie but to show the whole world he is the champion.”