but Salido is a big step. Would be even for Rigo, let alone a guy who hasn't gone past 5 rounds and looked like he needed a tiny bit of polishing last night. As for Salido, he's a proven tough guy who can get through the defenses of just about anyone who isn't way bigger than him and isn't Mikey Garcia (who's also way bigger than him...) As for Cruz, what can we say? It was my first time watching him. I liked his support for breast cancer but his clown outfit was just silly! (Does anyone know why he was wearing that lol ??? Looked like a slow, odd-looking Hector Camacho imitation.) He had a funny way of fighting too, sticking his chin up and whatnot. Not sure what he was doing fighting for the title but what the hell. Salido-Lomachenko will be interesting. Salido can go 12, Lomachenko can but hasn't yet so pacing will be off. salido can take a beating, but can be dropped by pinpoint punches. Lomachenko can do that, but Salido has fought the best (especially southpaws) and is still tough. And yes, I think eventually AIBA semi-pro pro rules fights will be counted as pro fights on boxers records.
Will be very impressed Lomachenko wins this.. Winning a world title in only your second pro fight? thats unprecedented.. even if he loses, he can just take a few steps back and get another shot at gold in a year or two. really he has nothing to lose, and everything to gain in this one.
I was pretty impressed with Lomachenko. I really like his style and chances against Siri. It'll be super interesting fight for me.
That means amateur fights will need to count as well because they're exactly like WSB fights other than the number of rounds.
I know Loma is getting lots of praise, and he should be. The strides he is taking so early in his pro career is something special. But I saw some serious cracks in his game (understandably), whether they will appear against Salido or not, idk. Salido is so past it in my eyes.... its hard to say what he has left against a solid solid foe, who hits him hard and fast. And Loma will probably iron those out within the next few fights, given his caliber of fighter. I am super excited to see how his career pans out.
The APB is different from standard pro-boxing. Rules are different (different sized gloves for one, also 5 rnd bouts - payment is for participation in the competition and not on a fight by fight basis) and in addition including the APB fights on a boxers' pro-record would unfairly penalise them in the pro-ranks where a zero is so very important in this day and age (which I believe is the intention of this exercise). In the APB fighters will be fighting a level of competition higher than that of 20-30 fight pro veterans, fight-in fight-out and do not have the luxury of being able to pick and choose their opponents. This initiative is a political maneuver to discourage boxers from becoming involved with AIBAs efforts to integrate more with the pros.
