By Victor Salazar

New York - In just his 7th pro fight, Vasyl Lomachenko (5-1, 3 KO’s) is aiming to win a world title in his second weight class. To do that he must enter a house full of Puerto Ricans and beat the 130 pound WBO world champion Roman ‘Rocky’ Martinez (29-2-3, 17 KO’s) on June 25th, the eve of the National Puerto Rican day parade inside The Theatre of Madison Square Garden.

Lomachenko was slated to take on Nicholas Walters (26-0-1, 21KOs) on the HBO televised date, but Walters was not satisfied with his purse, so Lomachenko moved on. To the decorated amateur, the move was probably for the best.

“I think it’s even better,” Lomachenko told BoxingScene.com through his manager Egis Klimas. “I would have to fight not just the best fighter of the 130 pound fighter but the one with the world champion.”

Lomachenko feels that Walter did not want the fight for a number of reasons be it weight or money, but feels down the road the fight can happen.

“In the beginning it was Walters, we already agreed to fight at 130 then sometime happened, then he says he got hurt then it was money,” Lomachenko explained.

"Can we fight? I don’t know you have to ask him. A possibility he doesn’t want to risk fighting me, I can’t think of it now. Eventually I think the fight can happen in the future. At the end of the day I offered money to make the fight and it didn’t happen. There’s always excuses whether it be weight or money with him.”

Though he is the favorite, he will be the enemy more likely than not in front of 5,000 plus Puerto Ricans. However, that doesn’t faze him and feels that Martinez has more to lose.

“I’m not worried. He’s the one with more to lose. He’s the one fighting to defend his title in front of his people. I’ll be calm and ready.”