It’s the most fascinating, intriguing match-up of the year: Vasyl Lomachenko Vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux. The two duel Olympic gold medal winners, arguably the finest modern day amateur boxers ever, have such a high skill level that fans simply cannot wait to see what boxing brilliance will be on display in New York on December 9.
One of the big talking factors going into the fight is size – and weight. As fans know, Rigondeaux, 17-0(11) is moving up not one but two weight divisions for the fight; from super-bantamweight, 122 pounds, to super-featherweight, 130 pounds. There is a rehydration clause in the contract, that stipulates how both men cannot weigh any more than 138 pounds on the morning of the fight, but despite this many fans feel Lomachenko, 9-1(7) is just too big for the Cuban southpaw and that size will indeed tell on fight night.
Not so says the Ukrainian lefty.
“I saw his last fight in Las Vegas, I saw him in real life,” Lomachenko said as quoted by RingTV.com. “He’s not small, I’m not bigger than him – I think we are the same size. Maybe I’m a little bit (taller) – maybe a little bit. But I think we are the same size.”
In actual fact, Lomachenko is two inches taller than Rigondeaux, who stands 5’4.” But in terms of reach, the older man (Lomachenko is 29, Rigondeaux 37) holds an advantage of two-and-a-half inches. So, who wins – which master boxer scores the big victory next month?
It’s a tough fight to pick, even if a good many fans are picking Lomachenko to retain his WBO title, primarily because he is looked at as bigger – and he is of course younger. Again, it’s a fascinating fight and in no way can Rigondeaux be written off in any way. Who is the faster man? Who is the more accurate puncher? Who wants it more? Will we see a KO? Will the winner be looked at by almost all as the best in the world, pound-for-pound?
These questions and more will be answered on December 9.
