THERE have been many phony so-called Fights of the Century yet when a genuine one comes along it?s virtually ignored by most fans and the media.
Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux, two superbly skilled master craftsmen in a match that?s been made in purist paradise hold a summit meeting in New York?s Madison Square Garden?s Theatre, tomorrow night.
Ukrainian Lomachenko is defending his WBO super-featherweight title against Cuban Rigondeaux, who holds the WBA super-bantamweight belt.
With Floyd Mayweather and Andre Ward, having recently retired, the winner can justifiably claim to be pound-for-pound the greatest fighter on the planet.
This clash deserves to be held before a 90,000 Wembley stadium crowd rather than in a modest auditorium in front of 6,000 spectators.
But I?m afraid it?s always been the case, on both sides of the Atlantic, the paying customers would much rather see blood and bluster than the more sophisticated skills the Noble Art has to offer.
Lomachenko and Rigondeaux are considered by a number of good judges to be the two finest amateurs of all-time.
And this is is the first occasion two double Olympic champions have met in a professional ring.
Before they threw away their vests the pair of them had amassed unbelievable records.
Vasyl who won his golds in Beijing in 2008 and London four years later had 396 contests and lost just ONE ? a defeat he avenged twice.
Guillermo before he defected to America via Brazil, eight years ago, was the 2000 Sydney Olympic champion- a feat he repeated in Athens in 2004. He had 462 bouts and lost just 12.
Freddie Roach, who has trained 37 world champions including Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and Amir Khan, will be in Rigondeaux?s corner.
Roach who never makes rash statements emphatically said: ?Rigo is without doubt the greatest talent I?ve ever seen.?
Bob Arum, 86 this week, who promotes Lomachenko is equally fulsome in his praise and regards Vasyl as the greatest fighter he?s been associated with since the early days of Muhammad Ali, more than 50 years ago.
So just how good are they?
For a few clues they are both blessed with blinding hand-speed, extraordinary timing and accuracy, creativity, athleticism, ballet-like footwork and more than enough power to put opponents away when the openings present themselves.
That?s why Lomachenko was a double world champion after just seven fights and Rigondeaux won his championship in his ninth. Attempting to differentiate between them is like being asked whether you prefer the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci or Michaelangelo. But there is a marked difference in styles as you would expect when an Eastern European comes face-to-face with a Cuban.
