Jessie Vargas Thinks Pacquiao Might Be Too Big For Lomachenko

By Ryan Burton

Vasyl Lomachenko's dominant performance on Saturday evening in Las Vegas against the previously unbeaten Nicholas Walters created quite a stir in the boxing world.

While Lomachenko (7-1, 4KOs) was a sizable favorite and most insiders felt he would win, no one could have predicted that his victory would be so one sided to the point that Walters would say "no más" and not answer the bell for the eighth round.

Former two-division champion Jessie Vargas was in attendance and was very impressed with his performance. He feels the Ukrainian's footwork is what sets him apart from the pack.

"He's a very intelligent fighter and he uses a lot of lateral movements. He's a very unique type of fighter that is for sure," said Vargas.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum is very eager to stage a 2017 showdown between Lomachenko, currently the WBO super featherweight champion, and WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao.

The biggest stumbling block in making that fight is the catch-weight. Lomachenko is unwilling to go any higher than the lightweight limit of 135-pounds, while Pacquiao's team appears to be firm on the junior welterweight limit of 140.

Vargas feels that the two-time Olympic gold medalist might be biting off a little more than he can chew. 

"In my opinion he's a 130-pounder and that's a big difference but who knows. You never know for sure. We have to wait and see," Vargas stated.

After the fight Arum said that he would like Lomachenko to get revenge against Orlando Salido in his next fight and then face Pacquiao in be fall of 2017.

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