via Getty
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 29: Vasyl Lomachenko smiles during the Vasiliy Lomachenko and Luke Campbell press conference in the lead up to there WBC, WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Title Fight at the Canary Riverside Plaza Hotel on August 29, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by James Chance/Getty Images)
via Getty
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 29: Vasyl Lomachenko smiles during the Vasiliy Lomachenko and Luke Campbell press conference in the lead up to there WBC, WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Title Fight at the Canary Riverside Plaza Hotel on August 29, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by James Chance/Getty Images)
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?
