Lomachenko open to fighting Rigo at 126 no BS CW
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VL: Tell me your thoughts on Guillermo Rigondeaux?
Lomachenko: I think he's a good boxer, a strong boxer. He also had a great amateur career. He's a very smart fighter. Very technical too.
VL: I had a chance to ask Rigondeaux about a potential fight with you and he said he's not considering you and won't fight you unless you come down to his weight class.
Lomachenko: Well, then that's his problem. As far as I know his people called me to fight him. We never reached out to him. For me, I don't think it's nice to talk about someone smaller than me. At that time I wasn't going to tell him to come up to my weight. I didn't really have any professional experience at the time so who was I? Now that I'm a world champion and things are different I feel like I have a say. If he wants me come down to his weight or to some catchweight then I am not interested.
VL: Why not meet in the middle at a catchweight?
Lomachenko: I believe in official weight categories. I respect the belts in all the weight classes. The categories are there for a reason. He keeps saying everyone is afraid of him and no one wants to fight him at 54 kg (122 pounds). Well here I am at 57 kg (126 pounds). If you are the best, as you say, and you cleaned out the division then come on up 3 kg and fight me. I don't think 3 kg is that big a deal to come up. We have boxers like Manny Pacquiao who fought in eight different weight classes. I just don't see the problem for him to come up. He thinks he's the best, pound for pound. Who has he really fought besides Nonito Donaire? Tell me.
VL: Did you watch his last fight against Hisashi Amagasa in Japan?
Lomachenko: Yes, I watched him get knocked down twice. What did he really show?
VL: So you will never come down in weight?
Lomachenko: No. I will never come down. I already came down to my current weight class in the Olympics. How much can I really go down? Lets say even if I physically can do it so then what? I will have no strength, no power. It's up to him at this point. If he wants to fight me and prove he is the best then he will come up, but I can't force him. If he does then I will be very happy to fight him. It would be an honor.
VL: Tell me your thoughts on Guillermo Rigondeaux?
Lomachenko: I think he's a good boxer, a strong boxer. He also had a great amateur career. He's a very smart fighter. Very technical too.
VL: I had a chance to ask Rigondeaux about a potential fight with you and he said he's not considering you and won't fight you unless you come down to his weight class.
Lomachenko: Well, then that's his problem. As far as I know his people called me to fight him. We never reached out to him. For me, I don't think it's nice to talk about someone smaller than me. At that time I wasn't going to tell him to come up to my weight. I didn't really have any professional experience at the time so who was I? Now that I'm a world champion and things are different I feel like I have a say. If he wants me come down to his weight or to some catchweight then I am not interested.
VL: Why not meet in the middle at a catchweight?
Lomachenko: I believe in official weight categories. I respect the belts in all the weight classes. The categories are there for a reason. He keeps saying everyone is afraid of him and no one wants to fight him at 54 kg (122 pounds). Well here I am at 57 kg (126 pounds). If you are the best, as you say, and you cleaned out the division then come on up 3 kg and fight me. I don't think 3 kg is that big a deal to come up. We have boxers like Manny Pacquiao who fought in eight different weight classes. I just don't see the problem for him to come up. He thinks he's the best, pound for pound. Who has he really fought besides Nonito Donaire? Tell me.
VL: Did you watch his last fight against Hisashi Amagasa in Japan?
Lomachenko: Yes, I watched him get knocked down twice. What did he really show?
VL: So you will never come down in weight?
Lomachenko: No. I will never come down. I already came down to my current weight class in the Olympics. How much can I really go down? Lets say even if I physically can do it so then what? I will have no strength, no power. It's up to him at this point. If he wants to fight me and prove he is the best then he will come up, but I can't force him. If he does then I will be very happy to fight him. It would be an honor.
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