By Carlos Boogs
WBC lightweight world champion Mikey Garcia (36-0, 30 KOs) is not impressed with the career accomplishments of WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (7-1, 5 KOs).
Two months ago in Las Vegas, Garcia became a three division world champion after a brutal three round knockout of undefeated Dejan Zlaticanin.
Lomachenko, regarded by some as the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing, is back on April 8th when he defends his title against former WBA world champion Jason Sosa.
Lomachenko, who won two Olympic gold medals and is regarded as one of best amateur fighters of all-time, is looking to move up in weight in the near future and wants to get Garcia in the ring.
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum, who promotes Lomachenko, told BoxingScene.com that he'd have no problem working out a deal for a fight with Garcia.
Last year, Garcia and Arum's company settled a contract dispute after a long two year legal battle.
"Of course [I would do that fight]. The past is the past. I would agree with Vasyl, that Garcia-Lomachenko would be a very good fight, that Garcia is one the few fighters around who would even be a test for Lomachenko. So of course I would be happy to do that fight. One thing, you don't stay in this business for 51 years and keep grudges," Arum said.
Garcia is not overly impressed with Lomachenko and believes the critics are poverhyping his wins. Garcia defeated Orlando Salido, who handed Lomachenko the sole defeat of his career, and Garcia knocked out Roman Martinez two years before Lomachenko did.
“He got beat by an experienced, rugged fighter [in Salido] and after that, he has improved a lot,” Garcia said. “He has a lot of credibility. But even at that, he’s only doing stuff that I already did three, four years ago," Garcia told Brian Campbell of CBS Sports.
“He couldn’t beat Salido, who I completely dominated. He wins his second world title, a title I had vacated that ends up going back to Rocky Martinez, the guy who I had previously knocked out. Then Vasyl Lomachenko knocks him out and all of a sudden he’s this greatest star because of victories that I already accomplished? Well, I don’t give him credit for that.”
