Let me preface everything with an obvious observation. CLEARLY Loma was the much smaller man and realistically should not be fighting as a Lightweight. They have separate weight classes in boxing ( and wrestling) for a reason. I know it looks great in the record books as Loma gets another title at a third weight division but these ideas that he should go up one more class to fight Garcia is stretching things way too far in my book. Loma is a natural featherweight but as fighters mature their bodies do too so super featherweight is his true station at this point in time. It was jarring to watch as Linares just looked so much bigger.
That said it was a classic fight last night. I was being very CONSERVATIVE in my scoring giving Linares the benefit of all doubts. By the 10th round I had Loma up but not by a big margin. In my mind the fight was still in the balance thinking one rogue judge could end up screwing Loma. As it turns out one judge DID have Linares ahead before the KO.
Considered the "face of boxing" going into the championship fight it is safe to say Loma entered LEGEND status last night. A tense tight fight it was exciting on several levels. There were times I thought Loma was getting to Linares but that 6th round knock down put a quick halt to that. It was a direct blow made even more powerful due to the fact Loma walked right into it. Down he went but he was up in a split second and seemed OK.
Loma recovered nicely and turned up the heat in the 7th and the 8th with Linares bleeding, but I thought he lost that momentum in the 9th which I gave to Linares by a hair.
But as mentioned above Loma went matrix in the 10th and quickly landed some head shot combos before the devastating say good night body shot. Linares, as the fight went on, like the fighters in Loma's last few fights, was having trouble staying focused as the cumulative effect of Loma the GENIUS took it's toll. He was quietly wearing Linares out which set up the 10th round barrage.
There are all sorts of boxing champs. The slippery eel types who wiggle there way to victory without too much adversity. Or the "fake" bully types like Mike Tyson who crumbled up like a cheap suit once somebody stood up to him.
And then there are the legends which is what Loma became last night. There was a lot of bitching about Loma NOT being challenged in his last few title fights. The carping about fighters "giving up" without acknowledging the fact that Loma beat them into submission.
Well all that nonsense talk came to an abrupt end last night. Getting up off the canvas after getting nailed squarely and having enough toughness to come back and win in a KO says more than enough about this great athlete.
His star was already shining bright but last night he managed to climb to even greater heights. One cannot give enough praise to Lomachenko. He is without peer. A Champion for our times!!!
