Rigondeaux pays tribute to “Irish brother” Mick Conlan
Guillermo Rigondeaux has heaped praise on Ireland’s Mick Conlan ahead of sharing a card with the Belfast featherweight this weekend.
The Cuban maestro headlines at The Theater at Madison Square Garden this Saturday, taking on Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko in a battle of the double Olympic gold medalists – while Conlan features on the undercard in a six rounder.
Fight week is underway in the Big Apple, and yesterday the pair met at the Mendez Gym during the public workout.
Rigondeaux certainly seemed happy to bump into the Top Rank prospect, who fights Luis Fernando Molina [7(2)-3(0)-1] on the bill, and looked to get a picture.
The WBA super bantamweight champion, who jumps up to challenge for Lomachenko’s WBO super featherweight crown, tweeted afterwards that it was the “highlight of my day.”
Meeting @mickconlan11 today was the highlight of my day. I wanted to make sure that the young champ knew that I see him as an #IrishBrother. That is the less I can do for my crazy fans☘️☘️ pic.twitter.com/OVyYNuQkj0
— Guillermo Rigondeaux (@RigoElChacal305) December 7, 2017
Conlan, of course, responded warmly.
Thank you champ, it’s an honour to share the same card as you brother! ☘️☘️ https://t.co/GLJdBprsZT
— Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) December 7, 2017
Rigondeaux has a close relationship with Ireland having initially been managed by Cork’s Gary Hyde, having fought Limerick’s Willie Casey in Dublin, and having called out Belfast’s Carl Frampton for years – not to mention that he won an amateur World gold in the Titanic City in 2001.
