Vasyl Lomachenko vs Guillermo Rigondeaux: Behind The Gloves Staff Picks

Rob Tebbutt ( @RobTebbutt ) - Head of U.K. Operations

Vasyl Lomachenko is, in my opinion, the best fighter in the world. He is a unique, mesmeric talent and my favourite fighter in the sport. That being said, I cannot help but pull for Rigondeaux in this fight. His career has been blighted by inactivity and a lack of opportunity - largely through no fault of his own - and he now sees himself in a position where he has to take a fight against a prime pound-for-pound fighter two weight classes heavier than him, or risk falling completely into oblivion. It's a tough ask against anyone, but against Vasyl Lomachenko it is virtually impossible.

Taking my personal feelings out of the equation, I think the activity of Lomachenko will be enough to see him pull away down the stretch. He has fought regularly and against good - albeit not great - opposition, and is undoubtedly the "form" fighter coming into the contest. I see Rigondeaux being able to be highly competitive in the early rounds, due to his extensive pedigree over the shorter format (not that Lomachenko doesn't have the same experience!) - but I feel that Lomachenko's freshness and recent in-ring experience will play a pivotal role in the mid-to-late sessions.

Rigondeaux deserves enormous credit for taking the fight, which should he lose, I am certain he will not  get - but it is just too tall an order for the diminutive Cuban. Should he win, I think there is little doubt that he would become the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing and it would go down as one of the greatest victories in the history of the sport. Lomachenko is young enough and talented enough that he can forge a 'Hall of Fame' legacy - even off the back of a defeat - but for Rigondeaux, a loss would almost certainly spell the end of a career that deserved so much more.

Lomachenko by decision in a very competitive fight.

Paul Lam ( @PaulTheWallLam ) - Staff Writer

For all the criticism he has faced for his supposedly ‘boring’ style, Guillermo Rigondeaux deserves massive respect for moving up not one but TWO weight divisions to face a beast like Vasyl Lomachenko. The Cuban phenom is one of the most talented fighters of his generation, but in Lomachenko, he will face an opponent boasting a skill-set and athleticism comparable to his own and who happens to be the bigger, younger, stronger man. Loma rarely gets hit flush, but when he has taken shots, from fully fledged featherweights and super featherweights who can punch, he has taken them well. On the other hand, we have seen Rigondeaux hurt by the likes of Robert Marroquin and Hisashi Amagasa. Moreover, he is not known for a high work-rate, whereas Lomachenko has volume to complement his punching accuracy. I expect Rigondeaux to hold his own and set Lomachenko problems that he has never had to deal with in a professional ring, but ultimately I believe the age-old adage that ‘the good big man always beats the good little man’ will hold true in this fight.

Lomachenko by unanimous decision or late stoppage in a competitive, compelling fight .

Gareth Gonet ( @garethgonet ) - Staff Writer

I’m expecting a fascinating chess match between the pair, in which each will be looking to set traps for the other. If Rigondeaux is to win, he will have to take the initiative: something he is unaccustomed to doing. I cannot see him winning by sitting back and picking single shot counters. Lomachenko is likely to land at a higher connect percentage than any previous Rigondeaux opponent, and thus the Cuban will need to exceed his average punch output to win the fight.

I don’t envisage size being as telling a factor as some are making out, due to both Rigondeaux’s defensive awareness and the fact that Lomachenko is unlikely to enter the fight with a view to imposing his physical advantages on the naturally smaller man. That said, Rigondeaux has been dropped several times at 122lbs. However, if he is to be hurt by Lomachenko, I believe that it will be down to skill rather than size.

A Rigondeaux victory would see him go down among the best ever to lace up the gloves. As I touched on previously however, this would require him to put it all on the line by taking the fight to the Ukrainian. All things considered, I give Lomachenko the edge on account of the fact that he is the naturally busier fighter, and it is unlikely that Rigondeaux will be able to completely neutralise his attack as has been the case against each of his previous opponents.

Lomachenko by decision in twelve rounds of pugilistic pornography.

Navi Singh ( @hombre__obscuro ) - Staff Writer

I'm backing the underdog, but he has a tremendous obstacle to overcome in the volume-punching Lomachenko. I think Rigondeaux's key to victory is to slow the overall pace of the fight down, by somehow keeping the Ukrainian honest and gaining his respect, preferably early on. Rigondeaux's strategy, in my opinion, should be to deter his opponent's forward advances with sharp, accurate counter-punching. However, realistically, I think at the end of the day Lomachenko will be too big, too busy and too dynamic for Rigondeaux - who is definitely punching above his weight - and will provide the Cuban with the first loss of his career.

Lomachenko via a lopsided decision or a mid-to-late stoppage.

Daniel Gregory ( @mrdanielgregory ) - Staff Writer

As they always say - a great big guy beats a great small guy, and I expect Lomachenko to win this one. The fact Rigo has taken this fight just goes to show how much he is avoided at his own weight, which is a shame. I'm predicting Lomachenko to take a wide points decision from a technical, tactical fight.

Lomachenko by decision.

Matt Bevan ( @Matt_Bevan68 ) - Staff Writer

Lomachenko will win it but Rigondeaux will not be overwhelmed by the dynamic Ukrainian. Rigondeaux has the ability to stink out the joint or flatten you with a single left hand, however landing cleanly on Lomachenko is a challenge in itself. He has made good fighters look like rank novices, but to just call Rigondeaux a good fighter is disrespectful to the Cuban star. If Rigondeaux can neutralise the movement of Lomachenko then he can pull this off, but that is about as difficult a thing to do as there is in world boxing. It won’t win any fight of the year contests but you won’t be able to do anything else but admire the skills that are on display with this pair.

Lomachenko will take it on points in a fight you won’t be able to take your eyes off.

Luke Madeira ( @lukemadeira15 ) - Staff Writer

For me, Lomachenko is simply going to be too big for Rigondeaux. The fight will be an intriguing one as the pair are without doubt the best technical boxers in the world, but Lomachenko has all of the natural attributes in his favour. Rigondeaux has shown he can beat bigger opponents (most notably in Hisashi Amagassa) but with the ability that Lomachenko possesses, there are very few (if any) people that can beat him, in my opinion.

Lomachenko by decision.

Isaiah Benjamin ( @Mr_IsaiahG ) - Staff Writer

I expect a cautious, chess match type of start with both looking to set traps and establish a rhythm. It’d be surprising if Rigondeaux were to change his style, the world class operator out of Cuba won’t waste any punches, will throw them when he is least likely to be hit and look to land with great precision.

Lomachenko is renowned for his entertaining style but can leave himself open and Rigondeaux, the bigger puncher of the two, is capable of exploiting that. For that reason I feel Lomachenko will begin patiently and up the tempo as the fight progresses, using his lateral movement and work rate to overwhelm the unbeaten 37-year-old. Rigondeaux moving up two weight divisions to Super Featherweight will play a part in this fight and I predict Lomachenko to win on points.

Lomachenko by decision.

Emmily Simcock ( @emmily_jane ) - Staff Writer

I think this will be a very interesting tactical fight for the boxing fans. Lomachenko, the bigger fighter, has amazing footwork and will attack from all angles, whereas Rigondeaux has some of the best defensive skills in the business making him an elusive target. He also enjoys a three inch reach advantage over Lomachenko.

I think the fight goes 12 rounds with Lomachenko winning by decision.

Michael Rueda ( @wolf2988 ) - Staff Writer

This match-up is a hardcore boxing fans dream. It is a fight with many intangibles. Who is the better technician? Can Rigondeaux neutralise Lomachenko's offensive strengths? And after showing vulnerability throughout his career, can he handle the power of the naturally bigger man? For Lomachenko, can he land cleanly on the elusive Cuban maestro? If Rigondeaux's power carries up and he is able to catch Lomachenko, how will the Ukrainian react? Will the size difference play as big a part as many expect? In my opinion, I believe it will be a chess match in the beginning, and Rigondeaux will frustrate Lomachenko en route to building an early lead. I believe the constant pressure from Lomachenko will start to tell in the mid-to-late rounds, with Lomachenko being the more active fighter working to his advantage.

Lomachenko by ninth round stoppage.

Will Lott ( @WillLott27 ) - Staff Writer

I’m going to go for a Lomachenko stoppage win. I feel Rigondeaux’s inactivity and against top opposition - through no fault of his own - will play a part in his downfall. Lomachenko will be too fast, throwing powerful combinations and displaying superior ring IQ. However, I cannot take anything from Rigondeaux: he is still a smart fighter with solid power, but I think Lomachenko will be just too good.

Lomachenko by stoppage.

Jaime Ingleby ( @jaime_ingleby79 ) - Staff Writer

Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux are difficult to split. Both men are double Olympic champions, professional World champions and personal favourites. A look at history offers evidence to back both men for the victory. Lomachenko starts as the favourite, with many people pointing towards his size and weight advantage. While Rigondeaux undoubtedly has the skill to counteract his physical inferiority. In the end: they are both that good. I’ve long been a fan of the Cuban style of boxing and one of its greatest exponents in Guillermo Rigondeaux: and I am picking the little man to upset Bob Arum once again, as he did against Nonito Donaire.

Rigondeaux by decision.

Allan McGoldrick ( @AMCGUK ) - Staff Writer

Lomachenko is the naturally bigger man, having won a lightweight gold medal in the 2008 Olympics before beginning his professional career at Featherweight - still heavier than Rigondeaux has been at any stage of his boxing career. However, Nonito Donaire was also significantly bigger and came up well short against the Cuban in their heavily-hyped 2013 clash. Rigondeaux brings something else to the table than Lomachenko’s previous opponents, and I believe he will pull off the upset with a shocking points win.

Rigondeaux by decision.

Jack Hopgood - Staff Writer

Lomachenko comes into the fight with nearly every advantage, and even Rigondeaux at his very best would have a tough time winning. My prediction is Rigondeaux is not able to set up any real offense, and after the first three rounds, Lomachenko picks up the pace and stops him around the 6th to 9th round. The many hardcore fans hoping for a great technical chess match will be disappointed when Lomachenko makes Rigondeaux look old. I think the cracks have been showing for a while now, and this may be Rigondeaux’s final fight.

Lomachenko by mid-rounds stoppage.

TOTAL: 

Lomachenko - 12

Rigondeaux - 2