Vasyl Lomachenko has been linked with a host of big names in world boxing following his win over Nicholas Walters. A personal favorite fight I’d like to see next would be Lomachenko vs Rigondeaux.
A Manny Pacquiao fight has been speculated already but a Lomachenko vs Rigondeaux showdown would also be an excellent contest in 2017.
It has been talked about in the past of course, but with Lomachenko moving up to super-featherweight in 2016 – it seems the prospects of it happening are growing slimmer.
But never say never in boxing. What a fight it could be. Still.
Rigondeaux for his part has been open to wanting the fight with Lomachenko as evidenced here in 2016.
In the past he has also mentioned that he would have no problem going from super-bantamweight to featherweight in pursuit of the big fights.
The big fights that so frustratingly continue to avoid him. Even now at the age of 36.
Lomachenko (age 28) would need to step back down to 126lbs for this to happen. But if enough interest were in the fight it doesn’t seem beyond the realms of possibility.
Following Lomachenko’s win over Nicholas Walters American boxing great and current HBO analyst Roy Jones noted that the Lomachenko vs Rigondeaux fight would be the one he’d prioritze next.
From a boxing standpoint, it’s not hard to see why a fighter or a purist of the sport would want Lomachenko vs Rigondeaux next up.
It’s a fight that would simply pit two of the most skillful professional boxers in the world against one another. Two guys with extensive amateur backgrounds. Two guys who can do things that others can’t in a boxing ring.
Two guys who reached significant success in an incredibly short time frame as professionals.
Two protagonists as polished as any in the game, as tactically supreme, as sharp minded, as clever, as quick (pound for pound) – as instinctively devastating finishers in the game as any.
Two sweet science assassins. Two pugilist specialists who have a knack for smelling blood as they dissect their prey minute after minute, round and after round, fight after fight.
Two modern gladiators who can go to the body as well as any fighter in the sport. But above all else – two competitors. Two winners.
Two men if you cut them in half it would say:
“Boxer.”
They are the purists of pure when it comes to what the sport of boxing represents. At it’s best that is.
Rigondeaux has only fought twice in total over both 2015 and 2016. This would present an obvious problem for him in terms of activity levels.
It’s for this reason I don’t think we’ll see it next up.
However if Rigondeaux can get a decent fight next and put himself in the mix at featherweight stranger things have happened.
Now, lets try to call a Lomachenko vs Rigondeaux winner. Hang on a second. I’ve given this some thought today. I genuinely can’t do it. Even if I try.
It’s probably one of the most 50-50 questions one could ask in boxing today.
It’s a fight worth paying for, a fight worth buying a ticket for, a fight worth watching. Hell, I’d pay to see a sparring match between the two behind closed doors.
A prize fight if ever there was one. Boxing Gods, are you out there?
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