Home

Boxing

Bob Arum on Vasyl Lomachenko’s Upcoming Fight: Nakatani Is Real. He Gave Teofimo Fits

Published 06/11/2021, 7:30 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Getty

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.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

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.

Watch This Story: Shakur Stevenson’s Intense Training Routine for Jeremiah Nakathila Fight

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’.

“They So Competitive Too “- Shakur Stevenson Reveals How Family Turned Him Into a Better Boxer

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

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.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest Boxing stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Former Opponent Reveals Manny Pacquiao’s ‘Number One Attribute’, Ahead of Errol Spence Jr. Fight

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

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?

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Raj Sarkar

3,299Articles

One take at a time

A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.
Show More>