Ward/Froch? Both my examples I named have included a fighter who is a bit of a caveman, however really elite cavemen who are #2 in the division squaring off with the #1. Gonzalez/Estrada?
Pac has other attributes to make up for what he "lacks" in skill that marks him above some of the fighters who are perhaps more skilled than he is. Lomachenko has absolutely proved that he's a top level boxer, how? He's won two olympic gold medals, a feat accomplished by few and arguably has the greatest amateur record of all time, you don't get that without being supremely technically gifted.
This. 2 of the greatest amateurs ever, let's see what they've got. Winner gets bragging rights for greatest amateur ever.
"you don't get that without being supremely technically gifted..." AS AN AMATEUR. Sorry but I don't give any credit in professional boxing for what someone accomplished in amateur boxing. Literally zero. And it has led to me having a more accurate grasp on fighters than those who get caught up in irrelevant random amateur achievements and how their skills looked in that sport. They are literally different sports. I understand that many of the physical traits and experiences cross over but that doesn't in any way boost my opinion of them as a professional boxer. They have skills or they don't. If you were watching a boxer train it wouldn't matter if they were a great amateur or a lousy one before then. They are what they are. And the accomplishments don't translate over so that is my reasoning to put zero stock into that. "Zou Shiming should have been an ATG... well, ya know, based on his amateur record with 2 Olympic golds!" "Yan Barthelemy is a great pro boxer! Well, ya know, based on his Olympic gold medal, physical dimensions, and amateur record!"
I thought about Gamboa-Crawford but both were too unproven IMO especially Gamboa who had been so inactive.
They're fundamentally the same sport with a slightly different rule-set, boxing is still boxing and if you are a skilled amateur you don't somehow become a caveman pro, that's nonsense. Is it a coincidence some of the most skilled fighters of all time were great amateurs? Tell me who is more skilled, Jake LaMotta or Rigondeaux.
Arguably Yuri's most technically sound performance in quite a while, though. Crawford did well to find range after switching to southpaw. It remains one of my favorite high speed chess-matches of the past few years.
The only thing I don't like about this matchup is the size difference.... I don't like when smaller fighters need to fight bigger guys to prove their worth (in rigos case, because he cant get any good fights with people his size) it completely waters down the matchups for me. Obviously, its an epic matchup based on the skills in the ring and caliber of fighters involved... but should Loma prove to be too big to go along with his quality, what does it prove really? That Rigo has a ceiling weight he cant go past, just like all fighters? Not trying to be too negative its just I feel bad for Rigo in a way that hes put in these situations to get his big fights.