The battle between Vasyl Lomachenko and Theofimo Lopez is possibly the most anticipated of the year. In addition to what it offers from a sporting point of view, both fighters have shown a competitive attitude in their speeches demonstrating that their personal pride is also at stake.
“Loma” will defend his WBA Lightweight Super Championship, along with his WBO and WBC championships, while Theofimo’s will expose his IBF title in a bout that will define the grand champion of the category.
López has made it clear that he does not consider Lomachenko a natural lightweight and that he will knock him out on Saturday night. The Honduran-born American has been confident in his options and believes he will keep the pace of the fight.
“When it comes down to it, no matter what’s happening outside the sport, what’s happening with the people and the fans, there are only two people who can determine the outcome: the person I’m fighting against and me”, Lopez said in a phone conference with the media a week ago.
“Nobody can tell me anything. I’m very open because I believe in my abilities. I am the one who is going to rule that fight and put it on the line. If you don’t like the way I am, that’s the way I am. This is the person I am”, he said.
Lomachenko considers several of Lopez’ words in recent months to be disrespectful. He has even had an incident where Theofimo’s father approached him to tell him that his son will knock him out on Saturday.
“At home, if you say something or insult someone, you can get beaten up and get into a fistfight in the street and nothing will happen. Here in the United States, it’s a completely different law. At home, people don’t talk like that because they know they’ll have to respond in some way”, the southpaw fighter said in his video conference with the press.
“I’ve heard this many times from many fighters. Then you step into the ring and you forget your words and your promise. You try to box, you try to fight (but it doesn’t work). For me, that is just talk, just words. We’ll see what happens in the ring”, said the Ukrainian boxer.
This anticipated fight is generating many expectations and the audience expects all the words to be transformed into an emotion-filled fight in which the best boxer will prevail.
