Vasyl Lomachenko’s nearing opponent Masayoshi Nakatani can give him a hard time in the ring. The Japanese boxer has lost only once in his professional career, and that too against Teofimo Lopez, an opponent who has beaten both- ‘Hi-Tech’ and Nakatani.
Hence, boxing fans cannot demean his chances against ‘The Matrix’, and Top Rank Kingpin Bob Arum has expressed a similar opinion. The boxing promoter praised Nakatani and hailed Vasyl Lomachenko for accepting the fight.
Speaking with FightHype.com, Bob Arum said, “I mean look what he [Masayoshi Nakatani] did with [Felix] Verdejo and he also gave Teofimo fits. No, Nakatani is real. I give Loma credit for, Loma would never take a tomato can or an easy fight. He wants the toughest fights.”
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Following a loss to Lopez in 2019, Nakatani beat Felix Verdejo to claim the WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title in 2020. Meanwhile, Vasyl Lomachenko fell prey to Teofimo Lopez in his last fight and lost all his world titles.
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The lightweight battle will happen on June 26 and will help to frame several matchups in the 135 lbs roster. The winner could move closer to a rematch against ‘The Takeover’.
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Vasyl Lomachenko vs Masayoshi Nakatani- the elite battle
The 12-round lightweight thriller will take place at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, in front of a live audience. While Lomachenko would try to regain his lost dominance, a loss against Nakatani might eject ‘The Matrix’ from the championship ride.
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Meanwhile, a win for Nakatani would serve as a stepping stone in his quest for gold. Hence, in just over a fortnight, the duo will collide in what will be a high-stakes bout with championship implications.
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As they gear up for an intriguing scrap, they can also split the boxing world into two halves. And each man would seemingly have a legitimate supporter on board.
Who do you see winning the fight? Vasyl Lomachenko or Masayoshi Nakatani?