NEW YORK — The Olympic boxing gold medal. It signifies the champion of a particular weight class in the most prestigious amateur tournament.
In professional boxing, many former gold-medal winners have faced each other. For example, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman had a legendary round-robin. Ali also faced Floyd Paterson and Leon Spinks. Oscar De La Hoya met Pernell Whitaker. Lennox Lewis met Tyrell Biggs. Wladimir Klitschko boxed Alexander Povetkin and Anthony Joshua.
But never before have two-time Olympic gold medalists squared off as professionals. That is a big part of what is so intriguing about its impending first occurrence, where junior lightweight world titleholder Vasyl Lomachenko faces junior featherweight titleholder Guillermo Rigondeaux, who is moving up two divisions, for a historic fight on Saturday night at the sold-out Theater at Madison Square Garden.
So intriguing was the four gold medal angle to the fight, not to mention that Lomachenko and Rigondeaux are considered perhaps the two greatest amateur fighters in history and elite pound-for-pound pros, that it sold out two months ago. The fight, along with three undercard bouts, will air on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 9 p.m. ET with the entire card streaming on the ESPN App beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
“It is a historical bout. It is very, very interesting and all of the boxing fans wanted to see the bout, and finally we can deliver it,” Lomachenko said. “A lot of people, a lot of media, a lot of fans want this fight. If it’s important for them, it’s important for me. This bout is special.”
Rigondeaux said through a translator, “It is going to be a very good fight. It’s going to be a great fight for the fans and it’s going to be a great historical fight that fans will forever look back on. I have been anticipating this fight for a long time, and now everything is concrete and the fight is on its way.”
This is your ESPN.com Ringside Seat for the fight:
Vasyl Lomachenko (9-1, 7 KOs) vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs) Staggering stats
Between them, the two southpaws have won 859 amateur fights. Lomachenko, 29, of Ukraine, compiled a record of 396-1, avenging the loss twice. He won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012. Rigondeaux, 37, went 463-12 as an amateur and won Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004 for Cuba before defecting and settling in Miami, Florida. They also each won two world amateur championships.
As a professional, Lomachenko won a featherweight world title in his third fight, tying the record for fewest bouts needed to win a title. Then he moved up to junior lightweight and won another world title in his seventh pro fight, the record for fewest needed to win titles in two weight classes. He has easily defeated quality opponents such as Gary Russell Jr., Roman “Rocky” Martinez and Nicholas Walters. This will be his fourth title defense.
Rigondeaux, who has not lost since a 2003 amateur fight, won a junior featherweight world title in his ninth professional fight and has made eight defenses, including unifying two belts in his signature 2013 victory against 2012 fighter of the year Nonito Donaire. If Rigondeaux beats Lomachenko, he’ll be the first reigning 122-pound titleholder to jump up to 130 and win a title.
Both fighters are extremely confident of victory.
“I am going to walk through him like a tank and knock him out,” Lomachenko said. “I am like every single fighter — going into the ring, I have in my mind [finishing] the bout before all the rounds are over and to get the victory. There is a good possibility that the fight will end before the 12th round. I am not promising to knock him out, but I am promising to squash him.”
Said Rigondeaux: “It’s going to be a masterpiece. People should anticipate a masterpiece. I’ve got to do my job, and I have to win convincingly so they can’t rob me.”
Does size matter?
Lomachenko is the bigger man. He’s got at least two inches in height on him and Rigondeaux, unable to get significant fights in his weight class, or even at featherweight, is moving up eight pounds to fight a much younger and more active opponent. Rigo, as many call him, said he is not concerned.
“No, not at all,” Rigondeaux said of the size difference. “If this is what it takes to fight the big fights, then you guys are going to see on [Saturday] if I am ready or not. This fight isn’t about the size of us or who weighs what. It is man against man. He knows I have the power. He knows who is going to get hurt real bad. I am anxious to face him. Let’s get this on.
“I feel stronger than ever. Moving up has had no negative effect whatsoever on my speed or power.”
Perhaps the size didn’t matter to Rigondeaux, but his promoter, Roc Nation Sports, negotiated a Saturday morning weight check at which neither man can weigh more than 138 pounds — only eight over the division limit — without facing a stiff financial penalty. Lomachenko, the favorite, said this is the kind of high-level fight that excites him.
“I came to New York to prove who I am. This is a major step into boxing history,” he said. “I have the biggest weapons in my hands. I can go a full 12 rounds at high speed. Rigondeaux is a high-class boxer. He is smart, has speed and skill. It’s not going to be easy in the ring. I expect some hard times, but I fought many Cubans as an amateur, and all had a defensive style of fighting.
Lomachenko has made his last three opponents — Walters, Miguel Marriaga and Jason Sosa — quit.
“Would I be surprised if Rigondeaux quit in the ring? Not really.”
Lomachenko: Eight-fight win streak (six consecutive knockouts) ▪
Lomachenko: Connects on 49.4 percent of power punches, third-highest rate among CompuBox tracked fighters ▪
Lomachenko: Opponents land 17.0 percent of their total punches, lowest rate among CompuBox tracked fighters ▪
Lomachenko: 83 percent of landed punches in his past four fights are to the head of his opponents ▪
Rigondeaux: Has not lost a fight (pro or amateur) since the 2003 World Amateur Championships, according to CompuBox ▪
Rigondeaux: 56 percent of landed punches in his last four fights are to the right side of his opponent ▪
Rigondeaux: Opponents land 5.1 punches per round, fewest among CompuBox tracked fighters ▪
Rigondeaux: Opponents land 17.1 percent of their total punches, second-lowest rate among CompuBox tracked fighters
Styles make fights
Despite his enormous talent, Rigondeaux has drawn the ire of many because of his incredibly defensive style that has rarely been crowd-pleasing. He has let many overmatched opponents hang around deep into fights because he is rarely aggressive.
When he fought Joseph Agbeko in 2013, the fight was so unwatchable that most of the crowd left midfight. That got him essentially banned from HBO and forced him to fight overseas. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who used to promote Rigondeaux, said that when he brought Rigondeaux’s name to network executives after he stunk out Donaire to unify junior featherweight belts in a very disappointing fight, they would “throw up.”
So when asked if he was concerned that Rigondeaux might try to stink out Lomachenko, Arum explained why he thought that wouldn’t happen.
“What you are looking at here are two different schools of boxing, the Cuban and the Eastern European,” Arum said. “The Eastern European — let me start with Lomachenko: He is very technically proficient and very good and when he is fighting he is very defensive-minded, looks for an opening, but always with the goal in mind, not only to win a points victory but also to hurt, or knock out or make his opponent quit. He is looking to destroy his opponent. That’s pretty much the Eastern European style.
“The Cuban style is different. They pile up points then they stink you out until the end of the fight because all they care about is winning the fight on points. So in this fight, Vasyl will not allow Rigondeaux to pile up points, so Rigondeaux, to win the fight, will have to be more aggressive than he wants to be. When you watch Rigondeaux fight, you will see a fantastic fighter who is aggressive, piles up points and then stinks you out by just coasting to victory. That’s the Cuban style — just win, brother. Win by the points — a different style from the Eastern European.”
Those who believe Rigondeaux will win generally point to his defensive mastery — although Lomachenko is right there with him — and his powerful straight left hand. But he is also smaller, older and has been very inactive. Rigondeaux fought only once in 2015, once in 2016 and has fought once so far this year. His past two fights have lasted a combined three rounds.
Rigondeaux said he does not anticipate any rust.
“I can assure you 100 percent that I am at 100 percent, and I am going to show the world what I have been preparing for,” he said.
Lomachenko also didn’t put much stock in the inactivity. “He always trains and is sparring. I think he prepared very good and strong for this fight, and it will be good fight,” he said. “He’s a very smart boxer; he’s got a lot of speed and power. And, of course, his defense is good, so it will be interesting.”
Arum achievements
“I think this is going to be a very, very good fight, a very interesting fight because Rigondeaux is not going to be able to gut out a big lead on points on Vasyl, therefore he will have to fight the entire fight as long as it goes to win a victory.”
Arum, who turns 86 on Friday, considers the fight one of the most historic of his 50-plus year career, and it will add to his list of milestones. Lomachenko-Rigondeaux will be the 30th event Arum has promoted at Madison Square Garden.
Thursday was also the 47th anniversary of Arum’s first promotion at MSG, Ali vs. Oscar Bonavena. Arum has often said that Lomachenko is the most talented fighter he’s seen since a young Ali.
“This [fight has] the greatest fighter since Muhammad Ali,” Arum said. “A guy that I can’t wait to see in a historic fight that has never happened before — in each corner a fighter having two gold medals. This is an historic battle, and it’s going to be one of many historic battles for Vasyl Lomachenko, who I have said from the beginning he is the best fighter I have seen since the early Muhammad Ali.”
Arum is also the only promoter to stage shows at five iconic New York venues: old Yankee Stadium, new Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden, the Theater at Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall.
Rafael’s prediction: Lomachenko by decision.
