Rigo vs Loma meeting at the middle at 126 would be the perfect way to end the year.

I remember when it was talked about at 126 and a large number thought he was being a weight bully towards Rigo and ducking the larger Walters.

He moves up & destroys the Axe Man at 130, then the goalposts are moved yet again because Nick had one less fight than Loma in the meantime. Somehow, the narrative also starts that he avoided Rigo.

So, he takes the Rigo fight at 130, only to then hear the professional goalpost movers complain that 130's way too much. Nevermind that they were ready to give him no credit for the fight at 126 and would've called him a ducker for putting Walters off for it lol.

Bottom line: There's some vocal mofos out there that can't stand the hype & will twist things 'till the cows come home when it comes to fighters. Loma's not an exclusive member of it by any stretch, but he's part of that club. There's no point in trying to please "fans" like that because they're not looking to be won over. Thing is, haters are good for business - they're plenty useful in building interest because they drum up debate & tend to be as vocal & invested in a fighter than many actual fans.

 

Lol no chance.
If he did win I will hold my hands up and admit I was wrong.

 

Of course everyone can play that game. It's easy and fun, so they do. I wouldn't trust a man who said they didn't. Point is, that minority was vocal enough about it that it's entertaining to point out the catch 22 today. I think it's hilarious when people backpedal and take themselves too seriously to admit it.

Semantics aside, let's be practical: Loma was rehydrating to 138 on fight night vs Gary Russell at 126. He's probably rehydrating to the same weight at 130. Rigo's looking at a ~10 lb disadvantage, give or take, on fight night in either scenario.

 

Rigo wanted the fight... He got it. Lomachenko is finished at 126.

 

He's had a life of boxing including hundreds of amateur fights. Crawford was fighting Andre klimov when lomachenko made his debut in the professional ranks.
Klimov is on a 3 match losing streak right now. So since 2013 I'd say what loma has done equals Crawford.
Now let's compare their careers before 2013...
Lomachenko had a 396-1 amateur record with two Olympic gold medals.
Crawford had 21 fights before lomachenko entered the pros and his opponents had 183 losses combined lol.
So yes don't compare Crawford to a legend of our sport

 

Just stating facts.
Lomachenko is very humble as well. Another reason to hold him in high regard.

 

1) I'll gladly admit I just did use anecdotal evidence, and when I talk out of my ass and it bites me, big deal. No sense not owning it. And yeah, I've been a big Loma fan since his first Olympics when I found out about him, and doubled down after Salido.

So, you might be the one guy who's never, EVER used anecdotal evidence to make a point on here. Bravo. You're something we can all aspire to.

2) Frankly, I don't care about the weight because Loma should win this handily at either weight. I don't give Rigo a serious chance at winning, and if he wins 4 rounds, I'll chalk it up as a moral victory for him. Anyone looking for trash talk fodder post-fight can quote me on that. I'd rather Loma unify then go after Mikey. As far as stay busy fights, it'll do.

3) Good use of hyperbole. Most people flat out don't care whether it's at 130 instead of 126. The few Rigo fans I know that think he's too small for it to happen at 130 thought he was too small at 126. I respect their consistency. Most people are happy to see 2 double Olympic champs squaring off and don't care to nitpick.

And, finally, I couldn't care less about this mythical "credit" you're handing out or how much of it ends up with Loma. I just think it's weird that 4 pounds makes that much of a difference as to your enjoyment of the fight. If Rigo's good enough to win, he's good enough to win. Fair play and good luck to him.