Vasyl Anatoliyovich Lomachenko vs. Edgar Raymundo Beltrán

August 25th at the Inglewood Forum on ESPN. WBA Super world lightweight title at stake, 1st defense of Lomachenko - and WBO lightweight title at stake, 1st defense of Beltrán. So hath decreed the Bobfather, and so it shall be done.

 

All but official already, yeah.

 

I agree, the major question here is whether Vasyl can stop Ray as opposed to just shutting him out. I lean slightly towards yes.

I know some people think Beltrán is basically Salido writ large, but there's enough difference between them stylistically and enough time has passed since then (with enough improvements to Lomachenko) that I don't think any such comparisons are too pertinent.

 

Now watch, I absolutely 100% guarantee you somebody is going to come in here and without a shred of irony call this a cherry pick and whine about Lomachenko ducking XYZ guys at lightweight.

Call this unification match, coming off a historically fast 3rd division championship gained against someone as widely esteemed as Linares, by way of stoppage of the bigger & impeccably technically skilled as well as blessedly athletic, powerful and fast man - a cherry pick. Evidence of Lomachenko "ducking the best" or following the path of least resistance.

IT WILL HAPPEN. Wait for it.

 

I wonder, exactly who could Lomachenko fight next that haters wouldn't find a way to nitpick and deride as cherry-picking?

• Easter? Would be called a cherry-pick, unproven.
  
• Campbell? Would be called a cherry-pick, Linares' leftovers and has Mendy problems.
• Either of the Ghanaian boxers currently world rated at 135, Tagoe or Commey? Would be called cherry-picks, backwater bums.
• Anthony Crolla? LOL, would be called the biggest cherry-pick of all time, has a loss to 15-119-4 Yousseff Al Hamidi, and was knocked out by a shot Dirty Derry.

Literally anyone, doesn't even matter.

 

If they put this on that stupid ESPN+ app I'm going to just to sit it out and check out the masterclass on YT the next day.

Hoping for regular ESPN with a solid undercard.

 

Ducking him by what, not climbing up to 140lbs? Yeah what a slacker not going for his 4th division title in record speed.

Mikey has made the lightweight division limit just once in the last 4 years, so for people to be calling for that match means they're asking Lomachenko to basically catapult himself up to 140lbs and swim straight into the deep end.

 

Oh it's happening. Arum's plan is to have Lomachenko partially unify in August, then in December meet the winner of García vs. Easter to complete the unficiation process and be THE MAN at 135lbs.