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SPORTS Saturday 9 december 2017
A23

Olympic boxing greats Lomachenko, Rigondeaux fight as pros

By BRIAN MAHONEY beaten pro career hasn’t
AP Sports Writer brought yet.
NEW YORK (AP) — Vasyl Lo- “It’s a very important fight
machenko and Guillermo in my career,” Rigondeaux
Rigondeaux, both cham- said through an interpreter.
pions and two of boxing’s “It’s going to be a great
best, were even more than show and I hope every-
that as amateurs. body appreciates the show
They were the gold stan- we’re going to put on Sat-
dard. urday.”
So a fight between them The Olympic gold medalist
seemed natural, the first for Cuba at 119 pounds in
professional bout pitting 2000 and 2004 would have
fighters who each won two preferred it at a lighter
Olympic gold medals. weight, where he wouldn’t
“It’s obviously a historic be giving up size to a fight-
fight,” promoter Bob Arum er who has the offensive
said. “Two great, great arsenal of Lomachenko.
fighters with two unbe- But 130 pounds was where
lievable pedigrees facing Rigondeaux, 37, had to go
each other.” to get the opportunity that
They fight Saturday at the has eluded him throughout
Theater in Madison Square his unbeaten career, even
Garden for Lomachenko’s when he toppled Nonito In this Aug. 23, 2008, file photo, Vasyl Lomachenko, of Ukrain,e reacts after defeating Khedafi
130-pound title, a popular Donaire in 2013 in a fight Djelkhir, of France, during the men’s featherweight 57 kilogram final boxing match at the 2008
pairing for fight fans who that gave him another title Olympics in Beijing.
marveled at their mastery but not really many more Associated Press
of the craft back when the fans. the preliminary bouts.
prizes were medals around His defensive-minded style Then Lomachenko will try
their necks, not belts was the way to pile up to cap his year by breaking
around their waists. the points as an amateur, through Rigondeaux’s of-
“This fight is very important where on top of his Olym- ten impenetrable defense.
for me because a lot of pic golds he also won world At 5-foot-6, the 29-year-
people who are fans, a lot titles in 2001 and 2005, and old now living in California
of media want this fight,” Pan American Games gold hardly looks intimidating.
Lomachenko said. “It’s a medals in 2003 and 2005. Lomachenko arrived for his
very special fight for them. But it hasn’t done much to news conference Thursday
It’s special for me. It will be make him marketable as a in a button-down shirt and
interesting.” pro, where Lomachenko’s thick glasses, a cerebral
Lomachenko (9-1, 7 KOs) six straight victories by stop- look for what figures to be
won Olympic gold in 2008 page demonstrate the kind a fierce night in the ring.
and again four years later of aggression casual view- Fitting, because this is a
in London fighting at a dif- ers favor. fight he’ll have to win as
ferent weight, the high- “Rigo has had a historic, much with his mind as his
lights of an amateur ca- legendary career as an muscle.
reer in which the Ukrainian Olympic fighter and now “Of course, it’s going to be
compiled a 396-1 record. as a professional and this is a very intelligent fight. Two
He won a 126-pound belt a fight that he’s been wait- guys meeting who really
in just his third pro fight in ing for his entire career, to knows about boxing,” Lo-
2014, has made three de- bring him not just to the top machenko said through an
fenses of the 130-pound of the pound-for-pound list, In this Aug. 23, 2004, file photo, Cuba’s Guillermo Rigondeaux, interpreter.
title he won in 2016, and is where he has always been, left, throws a left to Russia’s Gennady Kovalev during the “So it’s an intelligent fight,
likely headed for a move to bring him the exposure bantamweight boxing quarterfinals in the 2004 Summer Olympic brain fight.”
up to lightweight next year. and the accolades as one Games in Athens. Both fighters thrive in those,
First he has to deal with of the most popular fight- Associated Press part of the reason they
Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs), ers in the world that he’s ing to bring him over that with Lomachenko during can’t land the bigger fights
the 122-pound champion so deserving of,” promoter hump.” camp, as well as former they want.
moving up two weight Dino Duva said. “But he’s The undercard includes Irish Olympic bronze med- They’re tough to even look
classes for an ESPN-tele- never had the chance to American Shakur Steven- alist Michael Conlan. U.S. good against, let alone
vised chance to earn the get there. son, the 2016 Olympic sil- women’s Olympian Mikae- beat, and many opponents
appreciation that his un- This is the fight that’s go- ver medalist who sparred la Mayer also is in one of want no part of that.q