Vasyl Lomachenko retains his WBO Super-featherweight world title after battling for six hard rounds. His adversary, Guillermo Rigondeaux refused to get up from his stool after the sixth round prompting the referee, Steve Willis to stop the fight.
The highly anticipated bout, which took place at the Madison Square Gardens in Las Vegas, marked a key milestone in featherweight boxing. Arguably the two best fighters of the lower divisions went head to head to decide who the better fighter was. Rigondeaux, who went up in weight to take on Lomachenko claimed he had injured his left hand and could not continue on with the fight. Much speculation has surrounded the authenticity of the claim and many fans argue that Rigondeaux in actual fact could not cope with the frantic movement and agility of his rival and decided to quit. The true reason for a premature end to the fight remains unknown but there’s no doubt that this will remain the centre of discussion amongst fans for many years to come.
Lomachenko goes on to be recognized by many as currently the best p4p fighter in the world and one of the best fighters of our generation. Rigondeaux on the other hand may need to consider hanging up the gloves. At 37 years of age, it’s important to question, how much more does rigondeaux have to offer in this brutal sport?