I am not buying the Lomachenko hype (poll added!)

I don't agree there. Rigo lost to Aghasi Mammadov (he beat him once before) who was a poor man's Loma.
Rigo was also a bantamweight, Loma was a Featherweight and Lightweight (albeit a tiny one).
Counterpunching doesn't work against Loma unless you're a highly awkward, much naturally bigger, highly aggressive counterpuncher who cuts off the ring on Loma...then Loma has a major challenge on his hands.

You want him to fight Rigo, they are negotiating the fight at 130 already, what do you think of that? Would that make you happy?

 

People act like Loma is invincible...

 

at 130lbs rigondeaux gets slaughtered.

 

Good take on the LW division. That division just has extremes - Mikey an extremely good technical fighter with great power, Linares with extremely abundant skill, Easter Jr a 5'11, 76 inch LW up against a 5'6, 65 inch Loma lol.

 

oh and Terry Turbo Flanagan KO1 Loma

 

Flanagan is in a weird position, he wants to fight Loma but Frank Warren is on the Loma hype train, Frank being his promoter doesn't really believe Flanagan can do it.
Flanagan himself is a big, strong LW though.

 

Earned. Key point of your post. These guys are given their status and held to lower standards than most. Kov should've always been ranked higher than GGG. Loma is nice but he's fighting in an echo chamber a la UFC model of guys s who have fought and beat eachother (Walters, Sosa, Marriaga) when there are other more meaningful fights to be made. Showboating on a guy who was significantly smaller and coming off a loss and moving up while still getting nicked up isn't that impressive as some are trying to make it out to be.

These Marriagas are running out and Loma is still not a draw yet. ESPN felt HOF football players was the priority. That should tell you what's up.

 

HALL OF FAME FOOTBALLERS, TRUMPING A LOMA FIGHT?!?! I must confess, I was in the sitting room by myself yelling at the TV!

 

he makes it look so easy

i think hes been matched softly

maybe not his fault

fighters might be afraid to fight him

 

Loma is elite he's the real deal. I hope he can get legacy fights like Garcia though to really show his greatness.

 

I don't think fighters are afraid to fight him. I think Arum is being carefull with him.

 

People tend to have one rule for Loma, one rule for Rigo.
Rigo gets dropped by journeymen, looks lacklustre, doesn't fight anyone anywhere near Top 50, has been given all of the chances in the world to shine, but he gets a pass.
Lomachenko fights Marriaga and the world is up in arms (I was mad myself only because I dont want Loma to waste his prime). He toys his opponent and puts the gameplan on the backburner somewhat and he's all of a sudden 'not impressive'.
Double standards are real. People are pushing for the Rigo fight, KNOWING that it's going to be at 130. I don't want to see Rigo jump 2 weight classes, and Loma has been getting a little bigger lately. Additionally, Rigo is 37 years old next month which is very old for the smaller weight classes (although he has an ultra conservative style so it could be alright). Loma won't get full credit.

 

Loma will only have a couple of marquee names on his resume:
Mikey, Gervonta, Linares and either Russell Jr or Walters as they continue to prove themselves. There's just not enough time for Loma to prove himself at the highest level when you consider Arum is going to milk his prime with Marriaga's and then feed him to someone like Shakur Stevenson when Loma is past prime.

 

Hype has an expiration date, its not a tool you can hangover over a fighters head for their entire career as a criticism.

Loma established himself as the real deal when he beat Russell three years ago, Its no longer question of hype..but how great?