I don't like, but love Arguello in this. That Futch touch would have him ready and prepared for this bout. And I think that devastating left hook to the body and pinpoint straight right hand are 2 big punches Loma is not going to avoid. Especially the second half of the bout when fatigue sets in. Arguello was really something at staying with his gameplan and just not getting discouraged by how early rounds went. That skill would raise its head here because I think Loma gets out of the gate well but things start to change around the 5th round.
Arguello had some issues against movers so I think Loma would pose some stylistic problems for him, but I also don't think Lightweight is Loma's best weightclass and seeing how he was overly cautious against Lopez's power and size. Then Arguello's imposing 5'10 frame and danger of 1 punch KO power would certainly have Loma double guessing himself. I'll go with Arguello by decision.
Basically the way I see it. Also, Linares had Loma down & gave him a battle before Loma pulled it out w/ that body shot.
I think Lomachenko is too slick too fast and his footwork is too good for Arguello but would def be a competitive fight.
I actually think 130 is Arguello’s best weight but he carried 135 well. I don’t see him losing to a 17-3 guy.
Loma actually had to have surgery on his shoulder after that fight because he'd injured it and that was the reason he gave up the early rounds. Just to shed a bit of context.
The latin style tends to be the one Loma has found the most problematic stylistically (Salido, Linares, Jamaine). Nonetheless, I'd pick Loma to edge out a decision over El Flaco. I just can't see Arguello being able to get his jab going against a southpaw who keeps getting foot position on him, who's feinting all the time, and who's slipping and sliding with those weird movements of his. Loma would just be so alien to anything Arguello had fought before and wouldn't allow him to get leverage on his right hand or allow Arguello to dictate the pace. Loma has a knack for beating guys bigger than him (especially after the Teo fight) and is so varied in his defence that he seldom gets caught clean by big punchers (Walters, Rigo, Teo) and even if he does get caught by a single shot his chin is good enough to ride it out (though it might not hold up to the murderous power of Arguello, who knows). Pryor gave Arguello all kinds of problems with his pressure, as did an ageing Olivares. Loma's pressure is more layered and composed than someone like Pryor imo. Good hypothetical though and I wouldn't disagree with anyone who sees it differently.
Lomachenko would have problems with Arguello for several reasons, and the straight right hand of Arguello is not the first thing on the list. Maybe third or fourth. First, Arguello is much longer and he used that well against southpaws. Even with his foot on the inside position, he would throw a long straight armed looping punch over the southpaw jab. I teach that punch, when appropriate, and it thuds when it lands. Even if it doesn't, it is very effective for keeping the southpaw in front of you. We will come back to that in a second. Second, Arguello can jab over the top of the shorter man. Arguello was very effective with his his jab- when he landed it his jab was a jolting punch but he used it to set up other punches, specifically his left hook. For example, he can take the inside foot position and jab and Lomachenko would have to move in to land his left, and Arguello is in perfect position to counter with that short, hard left hook that he threw. Third, his right uppercut to the body. Ask Andy Ganigan about this. This is where we come back to the first punch I mentioned. Even when you 'miss' that punch, you lay it on the other guy's shoulders and pull him down and hit him with a right uppercut in the body. Something I would like to point out. Arguello got the reputation of 'having trouble with movers' after he fought Vilomar Fernandez. When he was good, a lot of people had trouble with Fernandez. Roberto Duran had trouble with him. He had skills and he was smart. Conversely, Lomachenko gained his reputation as having "the best footwork of all time" and 'the matrix" against guy far below Arguello and I reckon Vilomar Fernandez would beat just about everybody Lomachenko did, but he would go the distance with them.
