BEAN BLAST

Boxing Champ Blinded by Black Beans in Pressure Cooker

Guillermo Rigondeaux tried to make one of his favorite meals Thursday—to destructive result.

Boxing champion Guillermo Rigondeaux lost 80 percent of his vision after trying to use a pressure cooker to cook Cuban black beans, ESPN reports. Rigondeaux, 41, was using the appliance to cook the beans Thursday when the cooker exploded and splashed scorching-hot water into his eyes. His manager Alex Boronte expressed his shock at the freak accident, saying Rigondeaux had cooked the meal countless times. “They make bombs out of [pressure cookers],” he said. “If one of those beans clogs up where the steam is going to go out, it's like a bomb. It could have killed him.” Rigondeaux has regained some visibility since the Thursday blast, so he can now see sunlight and shadows, and expects to see further recovery due to corneas’ natural regeneration process. “He's a little depressed seeing the decline in his ability, but it's mostly psychological,” Boronte said, referring both to the accident and his recent record. But he added: “He wants to fight again, I'm sure. Fight one more time and see where he stands.”