Vasyl Lomachenko and Mikey Garcia, who should be on a collision course to stage the most compelling boxing match under 147 pounds in the near future, met each other for the first time Thursday.
They were in separate rooms at ESPN offices in Los Angeles until Garcia, the unbeaten World Boxing Council lightweight champion, walked down the hallway to greet Lomachenko, the World Boxing Organization super-featherweight champion.
After Garcia’s victory by unanimous decision over former four-division world champion Adrien Broner on Saturday on Showtime, both fighters are members of the top-five pound-for-pound list.
Garcia extended his right hand and said, “How you doing, champ? Best of luck to you.” Lomachenko defends his belt against Miguel Marriaga on Saturday night at 7 on ESPN.
Both men agree a matchup between them would be the next big megafight fans will demand:
They both said they can feel the momentum building for their own bout.
“This is the fight to be made. No other fight creates as much attention and buzz. I’m more than happy to work at it,” Garcia said.
Said Lomachenko: “I’ve waited for the top fighters, and this is Mikey. It will be a great fight.”
Would be a tremendous matchup. Garcia might just be too big for Lomachenko, but Loma is EXTREMELY talented so it's gonna take crazy challenges like this to make his fights intriguing to people.
gilgamesh wrote:Would be a tremendous matchup. Garcia might just be too big for Lomachenko, but Loma is EXTREMELY talented so it's gonna take crazy challenges like this to make his fights intriguing to people.
The pictures with the article really surprised me. Standing right next to each other Garcia seems much broader in the shoulders and torso than Loma.
gilgamesh wrote:Would be a tremendous matchup. Garcia might just be too big for Lomachenko, but Loma is EXTREMELY talented so it's gonna take crazy challenges like this to make his fights intriguing to people.
The pictures with the article really surprised me. Standing right next to each other Garcia seems much broader in the shoulders and torso than Loma.
He has every physical advantage in this matchup. He's taller, he's longer, he's bigger, he's stronger. Vasyl is just gonna have to be overwhelmingly better to overcome all that.
BoxRec has both men at 5'6" but in the pictures Mikey looks like he might have an inch or so on Loma. I agree Garcia looks significantly bigger in every other way...chest, arms, torso, shoulders, etc.
And I also agree that Loma will have to make up for that size differential with edges in speed, accuracy, technique, power, etc and I'm not so sure he can do that.
Mikey is a Hell of a lot bigger and stronger physically -- has fought in 4 different weight classes so far -- and is willing to go 5-divisions.
From the photos and story these 2 guys admire and respect each other tremendously.. That's what Boxing should be.. More Joshua vs Klitschko buildups where there is mutual respect instead of trash talking -- which turns many potential fans off.. Serious people don't have time for juvenile behavior.
crusader wrote:Garcia doesnt seem taller in these pictures, but he looks broader.
Are you sure that either one or both of them are not sat down?
Lomachenko doesn’t seem much taller than the chair that is right behind him… and in the second photo, his left hand appears to be resting on an arm rest.
Lomachenko would outclass Garcia thoroughly in my opinion but i would like to see the fight. Did anyone notice how Garcia reacted to getting hit in the nose again late in the Broner fight? I'm starting to think that he's got some serious issues with that nose since the Salido fight and maybe the nose had more to do with the hiatus than his contract with TR. Watch the late rounds again and you'll see what i mean..he was seriously affected and fought differently in those later rounds because of it. Loma won't wait until the 9th to hit that nose...I guarantee it. There's something wrong with Mikey's shnazzola, I guarantee it.
crusader wrote:Garcia doesnt seem taller in these pictures, but he looks broader.
Are you sure that either one or both of them are not sat down?
Lomachenko doesn’t seem much taller than the chair that is right behind him… and in the second photo, his left hand appears to be resting on an arm rest.
Are you sure that either one or both of them are not sat down?
Lomachenko doesn’t seem much taller than the chair that is right behind him… and in the second photo, his left hand appears to be resting on an arm rest.
I'm 60-40 Garcia would win this. Though Loma is the better boxer of the 2, and Garcia is a real sharp boxer too btw, I just think the extra strength and power of Garcia gives him the edge.
Loma is tremendous, but he's feather come super feather, Garcia is comfortably bigger now
Are you sure that either one or both of them are not sat down?
Lomachenko doesn’t seem much taller than the chair that is right behind him… and in the second photo, his left hand appears to be resting on an arm rest.
Loma has a serious speed and quickness advantage that is being understated in my opinion, Garcia isn't slow but he does not have the foot speed or hand speed that Loma does and I think that is a bigger factor than Garcia's power. Mikey is great at controlling distance but that will be harder than ever against Loma.
I thought Loma wasn't interested? He said MG wasn't even an A class opponent and not a name? Top Rank didn't seem interested either. Regardless, I hope it happens. In a perfect world they will fight, then we will see MG vs Crawford at 140. My guess is Arum will find a way to keep both from happening.
