BoxRec

"Pacquiao Says He is Targeting a Lomachenko Showdown" (Source: Boxing Scene):

According to eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao, his camp is discussing the possibility of a catch-weight bout with WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko, who is widely considered as one of the best "pound-for-pound" fighters on the planet.

Pacquiao, 39, is looking to return to the ring in April during a break from his duties as a Philippines senator.

His promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, revealed on Tuesday to the Las Vegas Review Journal that he's looking to stage Pacquiao's return on April 21, as part of the same card which is going to feature Terence Crawford challenging Jeff Horn for the WBO welterweight title.

The plan for Pacquiao, unless things have changed, is to fight the Crawford vs. Horn winner in the fall.

Even if Pacquiao is negotiating for a fight with Lomachenko, that contest will not happen on the same card as Crawford-Horn - especially for budgetary reasons.

Pacquiao says they are trying to work out the catch-weight.

"There are negotiations now about the number one pound-for-pound (boxer) which is Lomachenko," Pacquiao said in an interview on ABS-CBN television.

"There are still talks on the weight, reducing the weight," said Pacquiao, who has been fighting as a welterweight.

Lomachenko (11-1, 8 KOs), 29, is looking to move up to 135-pounds this year - but that is still quite a weight gap to Pacquiao, who is fighting at 147.

The idea of Pacquiao vs. Lomachenko fight has been mentioned - but there were issues with weight from the start. Lomachenko's handlers had no intention of taking the fight above 135-pounds, and Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, will not allow his boxer to go under 140-pounds.

Thoughts?

MP is between a rock and a hard place if he wishes to continue boxing. I like the match-up between him and Loma better than him vs Crawford/Horn. I would rather see him with a weight and strength advantage at his age....something that Floyd very rarely got at a similar age. Will Loma go to 140 though? Manny has said many times he can make 135 easily still. It may be a better fight than most think against either guy with the style match ups.

Arum is determined to use Manny to launch one of his new cows no matter what. I'll definitely watch.

Manny is still very good, but it is time to hang gloves.

Pacquiao would look like the walking dead at 135.

Even 140 is a stretch for the now 39 year old Pac man.

He's a small welter but he's a welter nevertheless.

Like so many veterans before him, Pacquiao would have nothing in the tank if he cut weight at this late point in his career.

140 is a stretch??? He is usually weighing in around 143-145, so how is 140 a stretch?

Paquiao started his career at Light Flyweight and he's shorter than Lomachenko.
If Manny really wanted he can definitely drop the weight and probably carry much better power at the lower weights.

Technically he should never have went up to Welterweight, but he has always been a freak athlete and that's why he is the only boxer in history to win a belt in 8 different weight divisions.

It's more interesting to me than Crawford vs Manny. I'm down

boxing_rocks wrote: ↑17 Jan 2018, 12:45 140 is a stretch??? He is usually weighing in around 143-145, so how is 140 a stretch?

Like I said, the guy is a welterweight. He has been one for nearly 10 years.

At his age even cutting 4-6 lbs is unnatural. Pac's body has adjusted to the weight he's been carrying since Cotto.

And even 2 fights earlier against de la Hoya.

And speaking of Oscar, recall how he fared when he dropped from super welter down to welter for his showdown with Pacquiao.

Before that fight, ODLH was even fantasizing about going down to 140 and taking on Hatton.

Of course that never happened because Oscar had nothing at 145.

The same fate awaits Pacquiao if he's foolish enough to come down to 140.

And forget about 135. They would have to carry him both in and out of the ring.

SenorPipino wrote: ↑17 Jan 2018, 15:06

boxing_rocks wrote: ↑17 Jan 2018, 12:45 140 is a stretch??? He is usually weighing in around 143-145, so how is 140 a stretch?

Like I said, the guy is a welterweight. He has been one for nearly 10 years.

At his age even cutting 4-6 lbs is unnatural. Pac's body has adjusted to the weight he's been carrying since Cotto.

And even 2 fights earlier against de la Hoya.

And speaking of Oscar, recall how he fared when he dropped from super welter down to welter for his showdown with Pacquiao.

Before that fight, ODLH was even fantasizing about going down to 140 and taking on Hatton.

Of course that never happened because Oscar had nothing at 145.

The same fate awaits Pacquiao if he's foolish enough to come down to 140.

And forget about 135. They would have to carry him both in and out of the ring.

Its not a good comparison with Pac and DLH. DLH's ring weight for example against Floyd was 164 or 167 if I remember right. Walking around weight is normally higher than that. Melting DLH to 147 is much, much harder than Pac sweating off a few pounds for 140. They claimed for years Pac has to eat 6 or 7 meals a day just to maintain the mid 140's.

Anyone that has ever trained and competed where you had to lose weight for competition knows the last few pounds are the hardest, but if you are starting at say 143 without cutting, sweating off 7 or 8 pounds is not that big of a deal.

"Arum Reacts To The Chatter of a Pacquiao vs. Lomachenko Bout"

While Lomachenko's manager, Egis Klimas, has rejected the idea of the fight - Bob Arum, the the founder of Top Rank (which represents both boxers) told BS.com on Wednesday that there had discussions, but the catch-weight became the main sticking point.

Lomachenko is heading up to the lightweight division in the near future and the unbeaten boxer's father and head trainer did not want him moving up too high for that fight,

"There had been discussions to fight Lomachenko but the father of Lomachenko didn't want him to jump two weight classes. Lomachenko will fight first at lightweight and then what we're trying to do is have Manny fight a keep-busy fight and then fight Lomachenko in the fall," Arum told BS.com.

Lomachenko, back on December 9th at the Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York City, stopped Guillermo Rigondeaux in six round of their heavily hyped bout in a junior lightweight contest. Rigondeaux, who at the time held the WBA world title at 122-pounds, move up by two weight classes to take the fight.

A match-up between these two whirlwind southpaws would take place at 140-pounds.

"But the father said to jump from 130 to 140 was a bridge too far,"Arum reiterated.

No way this happens.

Manny can't safely make 135 at this stage, and no way Lomo moves straight to 140

Pacman could conceivably do it, but he'd have to take of the weight slowly, losing muscle mass naturally, whilst doing cardio and no strength training, maybe in 6 months, but he'd have a very different physical makeup to now, because it would all be muscle tissue he'd be losing. Roy Jones did it the wrong way, and clearly paid the price for it.

manny looks tiny at 147, would 135 really not be doable

No it wouldn't be doable. Pacquiao would be a depleted weakling at that weight.

And anyway, Lomachenko's manager, Klimas now says that no talks have taken place between Pacquiao and Loma's camp.

And in addition, he says the weight difference between the 2 fighters is too much at this time.

Klimas added that a Lomachenko win over Pacquiao would mean little because the Filipino is now an aging fighter and his skills have deteriorated.

"Lomachenko beating him takes him nowhere," Klimas says. "If the fight happened they'll all say that Lomachenko beat an old man and made him come down in weight."

Obviously Klimas is still sensitive about the negative reaction many had to Loma fighting the aging Rigo and having him rise 2 weight divisions.

So outside of the big paycheck, Loma would be in a lose/lose situation fighting Pacquiao.

Win and he beats an over the hill, weakened fighter. Lose and he lost to an over the hill, weakened fighter.

Lomachenko needs to deal with fresh meat if he wants to advance his legacy.

Loma beating Manny convincingly would be a much greater achievement than his win over Rigo, who is much smaller and nearly as old as Pacquiao. Manny said himself he can make 135 no problem, but it is Roach saying no lower than 140, and mainly for an advantage. Manny also said talks were in fact going on, so maybe he is just lying?

It sounds to me like the old Pac huggers are hoping Manny doesn't fight either Loma or Crawford, and get beaten bad. Whatever.

Badhusker wrote: ↑18 Jan 2018, 21:53 Loma beating Manny convincingly would be a much greater achievement than his win over Rigo, who is much smaller and nearly as old as Pacquiao. Manny said himself he can make 135 no problem, but it is Roach saying no lower than 140, and mainly for an advantage. Manny also said talks were in fact going on, so maybe he is just lying?

It sounds to me like the old Pac huggers are hoping Manny doesn't fight either Loma or Crawford, and get beaten bad. Whatever.

Other than fights like that I really don't know what else is really out there for him. I doubt he wants to tangle with Thurman and Spence. Also from a promotional standpoint those fights would be hard to make.

jamamb wrote: ↑18 Jan 2018, 09:58 manny looks tiny at 147, would 135 really not be doable

No it wouldn't be doable! He could do it yeah but it would leave him fucked up!

Stuarty30 wrote: ↑18 Jan 2018, 21:57

jamamb wrote: ↑18 Jan 2018, 09:58 manny looks tiny at 147, would 135 really not be doable

No it wouldn't be doable! He could do it yeah but it would leave him fucked up!

Exactly.

I don't care what Manny says. Dropping to 135 more than 10 years since he last fought at that weight would be suicide.

And I'm certain that even 140 is too low to go for the aging Pacquiao.

A Pac-Loma fight will probably never transpire. And that's good news for Pacquiao unless Lomachenko suddenly agrees to rise to welter.

But that's very unlikely to happen for several years. And by then, Pacquiao will be safely into retirement.

jamamb wrote: ↑18 Jan 2018, 09:58 manny looks tiny at 147, would 135 really not be doable

He doesn't look tiny... He IS tiny... 147 is to big for him... Roach has been saying for YEARS that Manny can't make 147 because he has to eat 5000 calories daily to maintain 145... (what he weighed for Mayweather) and he will move him to 140...

Manny can make 135 easy... He needs to take a few months off weight training and massive eating and his weight will dissipate substantially... He weighed into the ring at 140 when he was a 26-year-old Featherweight (126)

I don't see a problem.

You would see the problem when Pacquiao looks like De La Hoya did at 145 against Manny himself; Chris Byrd at 174 vs. Shaun George; Eddie Chambers at 196 against Mchunu.
And even Roy Jones returning to light heavy after a one fight stint at heavyweight. A struggle against Tarver and then a brutal KO loss.

All veteran fighters who foolishly dropped weight at a late stage of their career and suffered humiliating defeats.

Anyone can drop weight. Being able to do it and compete successfully is another matter.

SenorPipino wrote: ↑19 Jan 2018, 12:23 You would see it when Pacquiao looks like De La Hoya did at 145 against Manny himself; Chris Byrd at 174 vs. Shaun George; Eddie Chambers at 196 against Mchunu.
And even Roy Jones returning to light heavy after a one fight stint at heavyweight. A struggle against Tarver and then a brutal KO loss.

All veteran fighters who foolishly dropped weight at a late stage of their career and suffered humiliating defeats.

Anyone can drop weight. Being able to do it and compete successfully is another matter.

Most.......

But not all.

Rather recently Braehmer dropped down to a division he had not been in for 10 years at 37 & beat an unbeaten American middleweight in the Super Six.

Just saying.....

...and George Foreman can regain the heavyweight title 20 years after losing it.

Yes, even the inconceivable sometimes appears possible.

But the odds of an aging fighter successfully finding the fountain of youth by cutting weight are historically remote.

Instead they discover a deep poisoned well.

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑17 Jan 2018, 05:39...
Thoughts?

Thoughts are:

Loma is an inch and a half taller than Pacman and over nine years younger. Lomachenko last fight weight 129; Pacman 146. Seventeen pounds difference. That's 13% heavier than Loma. Why not? They expect heavyweights to fight guys weighing 25% more, 50% more, 100% more, sky's the limit. Weight isn't everything. Very big money show. Especially in the Philippines. Phil. population over 103 milion, plus many overseas Filipinos. Loma smaller but 50-1 favorite.

x2x wrote: ↑19 Jan 2018, 15:23

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑17 Jan 2018, 05:39...
Thoughts?

Thoughts are:

Loma is an inch and a half taller than Pacman and over nine years younger. Lomachenko last fight weight 129; Pacman 146. Seventeen pounds difference. That's 13% heavier than Loma. Why not? They expect heavyweights to fight guys weighing 25% more, 50% more, 100% more, sky's the limit. Weight isn't everything. Very big money show. Especially in the Philippines. Phil. population over 103 milion, plus many overseas Filipinos. Loma smaller but 50-1 favorite.

There was a 138lbs weight rehydration limit imposed on Lomachenko for the Rigondeaux fight. The Ukraine was 137.4lbs compared to Guillermo’s 130lbs for their bout.

I could be wrong, but I believe the Lomachenko usually enters the ring somewhere between 140lbs to 145lbs.

Manny Pacquiao usually weighs between 148lbs to 152lbs for his bouts.

Therefore, the size difference between Lomachenko and Pacquiao is no greater, in fact probably less, than Vasyl’s physical advantage over Rigondeaux.

From purely a physical perspective, I don’t see a reason why this fight should not take place. However, with the Filipino legend considered far past-his-prime, he’d simply become a sacrificial lamb, a big name being exploited by Top Rank to help promote their new rising super-star/cash cow, in what would be sold as a “passing of the torch” type fight.

It would simply be a one-sided beat-down, much akin to Pacquiao’s bout against De La Hoya.

Both don't need that fight. Pac is past prime and has nothing to prove. Loma is already a star boxer and doesn't need a big old name. Loma should fight some young competitor from the today's elite.

x2x wrote: ↑19 Jan 2018, 15:23

Enlightened-One wrote: ↑17 Jan 2018, 05:39...
Thoughts?

Thoughts are:

Loma is an inch and a half taller than Pacman and over nine years younger. Lomachenko last fight weight 129; Pacman 146. Seventeen pounds difference. That's 13% heavier than Loma. Why not? They expect heavyweights to fight guys weighing 25% more, 50% more, 100% more, sky's the limit. Weight isn't everything. Very big money show. Especially in the Philippines. Phil. population over 103 milion, plus many overseas Filipinos. Loma smaller but 50-1 favorite.

A 50-1 favorite? What are you smoking?

It depends on the weight, of course. At 135 (but that won't happen) I'd make Lomachenko a 2-1 favorite.

At welter, Pacquiao is a 13-5 choice.

Manny wouldn't be a 50-1 underdog to Wilder or Joshua.