March 28, 2024

Lomachenko, Rigondeaux agree to rehydration limit for Dec. 9 showdown

The two, two-time Olympic gold medalists will go head-to-head next month.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

130lb world titleholder Vasyl Lomachenko (9-1, 7 KOs) will be putting his WBO strap on the line next month when Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KOs) jumps up two weight classes to meet him. The bout, scheduled as a Dec. 9 Top Rank ESPN card, will mark the first time in history that two, two-time Olympic gold medalists go up against one another in the professional ranks.

The fight is expected to be a high-level chess match for the ages, but there’s been at least some lackluster response from fans who believe that Rigondeaux is simply too small to compete with Lomachenko at 130lbs.

But while Rigondeaux is taking a chance to be great by moving out of his comfort zone to make this fight happen, he did manage to get Lomachenko to acquiesce to a second day weight-check where he won’t be able weigh more than 138lbs, as Top Rank’s Carl Moretti confirms to ESPN.

“It was one of the original negotiating points, and we had no problem with it,” Moretti said. “I don’t think there will be that big of a difference when they stand next to each other in the ring. There isn’t a big physical size difference between them, and Lomachenko doesn’t put on a lot of weight after the weigh-in anyway. Size is not what will determine the outcome of this fight.”

Both Rigondeaux and Lomachenko currently sit on most, if not all, pound-for-pound lists and the winner could have a case to be recognized as #1. Lomachenko is most recently coming off astoppage win over Miguel Marriaga in August while Rigondeaux is coming off a knockout-turned-no-contest in June.

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