Guillermo Rigondeaux gives up on his stool as Vasyl Lomachenko breaks down Cuban in title fight
Lomachenko was easily winning boxing’s first pro match between two two-time Olympic gold medallists when Rigondeaux threw in the towel
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 two-time Olympic gold medallists 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.
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.
“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.
“[Rigondeaux]’s a good fighter, he’s a top fighter,” said Lomachenko. “He’s a king in boxing but he’s king in his weight category. It’s not a big win for me because it’s not his category.
“I need a rest, maybe one month, and then I’ll prepare for my next fight.”
