Guillermo Rigondeaux lost 80% of his vision – at least temporarily – when a pressure cooker exploded on Thursday, ESPN is reporting.
The 41-year-old Cuban man was preparing black beans when boiling water splashed in his eyes and chest. He is said to have burned both of his corneas.
He was treated at a hospital in Miami, close to home, and released.
ESPN learned of the crash from the former champion’s manager, Alex Boronte, who said he was told Rigondeaux could regain his position over time. He can see light and dark, says Boronte.
“He just did it a million times,” Boronte told ESPN, referring to the bean dish. “They make bombs from [pressure cookers]. If one of those beans clogs where the steam would escape, it’s like a bomb. It could have killed him.”
Boronte continued: “The next 10 days will really define his fighting career and his future as that is when the cornea needs to regenerate itself and he can see or not. But rallying from the last 24 hours, he is doing very well.”
Rigondeaux (20-3, 13 KOs) will face consecutive defeats against bantamweight presidents John Riel Casimero and relatively unknown Vincent Astrolabio. The second battle took place on February 26.
“He was scheduled to fight before the end of the year, around August, so the next 72 hours are the most important,” Boronte said. “He was a bit disheartened to see his ability decline, but it was mostly psychological.”
