Is Vasyl Lomachenko the current best in the sport, pound-for-pound? This seems to be the general consensus, and not only that, but many fans, and experts, are wondering if the two-weight king will ever be beaten (yes, Lomachenko did lose, in his second pro outing, against an over-the-weight Orlando Salido, who emerged with a razor-close, debatable decision seemingly a millions years ago now).
But if most, in fact nearly all fans are willing to have the southpaw known as “Hi-Tech” recognised as today’s P-4-P best, not everyone agrees. Trainer of the superbly gifted Terence Crawford, Brian McIntyre is one of the boxing people unable to give Lomachenko, 10-1(8) this distinction. Naturally, McIntyre is sticking by his own fighter when it comes to handing out such props, and as he explained to RingTV.com, McIntyre says “Bud” is number-one, not “Loma.”
“He’s definitely not number one,” McIntyre told Ring’s Michael Woods when asked his opinion on Lomachenko’s P-4-P status. “Beating a fighter that’s moving up two weight classes doesn’t make him number one, especially if that fighter (Guillermo Rigondeaux, who Lomachenko made quit after six rounds last Saturday) has never fought in that weight class before.”
Good point, even if many people insist Lomachenko is deserving of being ranked as the best. But if it’s not “Loma” sitting atop your list of boxing’s current best, chances are it is Crawford – an unbeaten boxing master who recently cleaned out the 140 pound division and will soon be facing the big guns at welterweight.
McIntyre has Crawford at NO.1, with Lomachenko second on the P-4-P charts, and middleweight king Gennady Golovkin coming in at NO. 3.
Will Crawford, 32-0(23) gain substantial points if he defeats WBO 147 pound champ Jeff Horn, who is set to challenge in Las Vegas in April of next year? Maybe, maybe not. It will depend on what kind of a job Crawford can do on the unbeaten Australian warrior. Most fans are expecting Crawford to defeat Horn and become one of the world champions at welterweight, but it will perhaps take wins over the division’s elite, Keith Thurman and Errol Spence before Crawford gets major plaudits.
So who is the P-4-P best in the sport right now? It’s either Lomachenko or it’s Crawford. What a shame these two elite boxers are not occupying the same weight class.