I've remade the poll with the newly rescheduled date (October 17th). The legacy thread with the original poll (set to end on April 18th as per the original plan) remains archived with results viewable: https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/vasyl-anatoliyovych-lomachenko-vs-teófimo-andrés-lópez.641487/
Why? It'll be a chess grand master versus a ...idk, neighborhood park champion (or runner-up maybe) in checkers? Stylistically and in terms of class/the levels they're on, I don't really see why people believe this will be the least bit interesting, or competitive.
I think age and inactivity might Make Loma seem vulnerable, I dont know, I got this feeling in my stomach.
Eh, it would have to be a pretty steep and sudden decline to close the gap in quality between them. And yeah, I realize that López would be his physically biggest and most imposing opponent to date (and probably most dangerous so far at lightweight; if not heavier-handed then at the very least squarely in his prime unlike the rest), but...he's just so basic, in ways that we know Loma can handle on more or less autopilot.
A lot of emphasis is being put on Lomas age right now but I don't think 32 is what it used to be in boxing.. consider Rigondeaux got his best win & one of the best wins of the 10s (Donaire) at 32. Consider too that a fighter like JMM was getting some of his best wins of his career in his early to mid 30s.. Casamayor, Diaz, Barrera, Juarez etc.. in fact I think he was about 38 when he sparked PAC. I think Loma will probably know when the games up, hes smart enough to know & doesn't need the money. I think we've got him for another 2/3 years tops. Appreciate a sporting genius while he's around.
Still not up on BoxRec (or Top Rank's event page, with the usual spot for the downloadable bout sheet PDF just reading "stay tuned") yet, but the officially announced undercard thus far includes: Clay Jordan Collard vs. Quincy Frank LaVallais II, middleweights* Josue Vargas Perez vs. Kendo Castaneda, light welterweights Dmytro Yuriyovich Mytrofanov vs. TBA, middleweights *they fought to a six round split draw in June 2019
Mytrofanov here? interesting. the last time he fought outside Ukraine on Usyk-Bellew undercard, nothing good came of it
Disclaimer: I probably should've listed him separately, actually. Mytro is conjectured to be a late addition, not officially announced like Collard-LaVallais II and Vargas-Castañeda. IB Funfact: they used to be sparring partneres, when Vasyl weighed 57kg (featherweight) and Dmytro weighed 75kg (super middle). As in, Lomachenko was ¾ the mass of Mytrofanov...and often got the best of him (though he considers it his toughest sparring ever).
I read on Ukrainian websites that Lomachenko sparred with Mytro before this fight. apparently, that's why he fights in this undercard, not Usyk-Chisora
Yep, he is his gym archnemesis - which tells me he is taking López very seriously (bringing in the guy he knows will bring out his inner beast during camp) and may well go turbocharged and plow straight through him.
(that, or get a stupid injury or detached retina or something and come in fragile, and thus give Teo a small opening...)
