By Radio Rahim
According to WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KOs), he is ready, willing and able to fight WBA super bantamweight titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux (18-0, 12 KOs) in the fall.
The two fighters are currently two weight divisions apart. If Rigondeaux wants the fight, he will have to move fast as Lomachenko is already mulling another move in weight, to the lightweight limit of 135-pounds.
A few weeks back, Lomachenko's manager, Egis Klimas, called on Rigondeaux to come up to 130-pounds to show that he was actually serious about the fight. Rigondeaux responded, and accepted the super featherweight limit of 130.
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum, who promotes Lomachenko, claims his office has yet to receive any communication from Rigondeaux's handlers to make the fight a reality. Arum tried to make the fight happen in the past, on HBO, but claims Rigondeaux wanted an extraordinary amount of money.
The contest would match two A-class boxers who both captured two Olympic gold medals and are widely regarded as two of the best amateur boxers of all-time.
Lomachenko would like the contest to take place sooner than later.
"I've told my promoter for a long time that I want to fight him. When he first brought up the subject.... the very first time we started talking on Instagram or Twitter, that he wanted a fight with me - I called my manager right away and told him 'make this fight happen.' What else do I have to do? I don't know. But I'm ready to fight him," Lomachenko told BoxingScene.com.
Next up for Lomachenko is an ESPN televised world title defense, on August 5th, against Miguel Marriaga at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.
2023-10-19 00:12:06
