Chris Algieri, a former WBO light-welterweight champion feels that the 32-year-old Vasily Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs) is fighting in the wrong weight class for his body size at 135 and has a little chance of defeating Teofimo Lopez in a rematch.
“I don’t know if he’ll beat Lopez in a rematch either. I don’t think it’s necessary,” Algieri said when asked if he thinks Teofimo should give Lomachenko a rematch.
“I don’t think Loma is slipping. I just think he’s in the wrong weight class,” said Algieri to Fighthub. “And I think from here, he either goes back to 130 or hang it up.
The former world champion, Algieri expressed his disappointment watching the first half of the hugely anticipated bout.
“There were points in the fight where I was watching it and thinking, ‘He’s not willing to bite down on his mouthpiece and possibly go out on his shield to try and get this win.’
“When you have that in your mind, you don’t believe, you either aren’t willing to do that, you don’t think you can do it, and that could be because he’s outsized.
“Lopez is the bigger guy, or he doesn’t have it that way [mentally], then okay, retire. If you’re not willing to do that, you shouldn’t be in there. Going in half-cocked is very, very dangerous.
“It was a great fight, and I’m curious to see what would happen if Loma started things a little bit earlier. But I don’t know if it’ll make a difference or maybe it’ll make a difference and help Lopez.
“It could create openings for those counters because even when Lopez was fighting off his back foot, he was swinging some very dangerous punches.
“He was getting right there and clipping Loma at times, which gave Loma, ‘Okay, I can’t be completely reckless.’ So I don’t know how much it would make a difference if there was a rematch.
“I also want to see Lopez against all the other top 135-pounders out there. I think the kid is a true superstar.
“Doing what he did and doing it the way he did it too. For him to box that smart, set the traps he set and counter him the way he did and outbox a boxer the way he did, that’s a different thing.” Algieri expressed.
Lomachenko is now relishing a possibility of a rematch with Lopez which Bob Arum is already considering though Teofimo Lopez has other ideas.