It’s one of the most intriguing rematches in boxing and it could happen in March. Vasyl Lomachenko, for many The Fighter of The Year, has been beaten by just two fighters in his entire career, amateur and pro – and the pro defeat, to tough Mexican Orlando Salido, remains the sole unavenged blemish on the super-featherweight champ’s C.V.
But, according to “Hi-Tech” himself, the rematch is very likely for March, in either Las Vegas or Los Angeles.
“My next fight will be against Salido,” Lomachenko said as quoted by Boxing News and Views. “While this is preliminary information , hopefully nothing will change. The fight will take place in the [first] 20 days of March. We consider Las Vegas or Los Angeles, where [there is] a large Mexican representative.”
It was back in his second pro fight, in March of 2014 when an over-the-weight Salido took a 12 round split decision over Lomachenko in a fight that was supposed to have been contested at featherweight (Salido came in heavy, paying a fine so as to allow the bout to go ahead). A lot has happened since.
28-year-old Lomachenko, at 7-1(5) definitely the greatest 7-1 fighter in boxing history, has improved immensely, even appearing unbeatable in his last handful of fights. While Salido, who went on to feature in a number of big fights himself after the win over the Ukrainian southpaw, seems to be as tough and as durable and as hungry to win as ever. It makes for a fascinating return fight.
Can Salido – who insists, fairly, that he is paid what he deserves for the rematch – use his big bag of tricks and all of his experience and toughness to do it again? Will Lomachenko be able to score another chilling KO, in so doing becoming one of only a few men to have stopped the amazing 36-year-old who is 43-13-4(30)?
In his last fight, against Francisco Vargas in June, Salido gave us a FOTY candidate, the 12-round draw being epic, while Lomachenko dazzled against Roman Martinez and Nicholas Walters in his last two outings. What kind of magic will these two special fighters produce if and when they get it on for a second time?