Lomachenko stops Rigondeaux in bout between Olympic greats
Vasyl Lomachenko, of Ukraine, celebrates after defeating Guillermo Rigondeaux during a WBO junior lightweight title boxing match Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
NEW YORK — Vasyl Lomachenko beat Guillermo Rigondeaux on Saturday night when Rigondeaux’s corner stopped the fight after six rounds because the boxer was complaining of pain in his left hand.
Lomachenko was easily winning boxing’s first pro match between two-time Olympic gold medalists when Rigondeaux’s trainers called for the match to be stopped.
They said their fighter told them he believed he broke something in the hand in the second round.
Lomachenko (10-1, 8 KOs) earned his seventh straight victory by stoppage and defended his WBO 130-pound title.
And for the fourth straight time, his match ended with his opponent quitting.
“I guess I should change my name now to NoMaschenko,” Lomachenko said.
Rigondeaux lost for the first time in his 18 pro fights and was loudly booed afterward by a crowd that was supporting both fighters early in the match.
But it was quickly apparent that Lomachenko was too much for the 37-year-old Rigondeaux, the 122-pound champion who was moving up two weight classes for the historic match.
Long one of boxing’s best defensive fighters, even he couldn’t find a way to defend himself against Lomachenko’s onslaught.
“He frustrates them, he begins to come on, looks like he’s going to knock them out, they quit because they can’t answer back,” promoter Bob Arum said of the Ukrainian.
