One of the hottest fighters on the scene today, reigning WBO super featherweight king and pound-for-pound star Vasyl Lomachenko is looking at his next fight in December, and it is promoter Bob Arum’s job to get “Hi Tech” a suitable challenger and challenge.
There can be no more Miguel Marriagas, that’s for sure – both from Lomachenko’s standpoint and from that of the fans. A move up to lightweight is being considered, and there has been plenty of talk regarding a possible Lomachenko-Mikey Garcia fight, but that move, and that fight, looks more likely for next year. Guillermo Rigondeaux appears to be very much in the frame as far as December is concerned, and who wouldn’t want to see Lomachenko face the brilliant Cuban stylist, maybe in a catch-weight bout?
A return bout with teak-tough Mexican veteran Orlando Salido remains intriguing simply as Salido is the only man to have beaten Lomachenko at pro level. Would you prefer to see this rematch over a Lomachenko-Rigondeaux showdown? Or would fight fans prefer to see Lomachenko try and unify the belts at 130 pounds? The idea of Lomachenko going in with either the huge (for the weight) Miguel Berchelt, the WBC champ, or the fast, young and highly skilled Gervonta Davies, the IBF ruler, is hugely appealing.
For his part, Lomachenko, 9-1(7) said on Saturday night, after dismantling Marriaga in just about every possible way a fighter can be dismantled, that he doesn’t care who he fights. Personally, a return fight with Salido aside, I’d love to see Lomachenko and Rigondeaux settle their differences and see who really is the master boxer of the two. It could be something of a chess match, perhaps even a somewhat dull affair over a few rounds, or Lomachenko-Rigondeaux could result in a classic display of beautiful boxing.
Then again, it would be nice to see Lomachenko add another belt or belts to his collection and ever-growing reputation and status, that way, when he does move up in weight, fights against the likes of Garcia and Terence Crawford would be that much bigger. Not that they’re not absolutely mouth-watering prospects right now.