Salido: Lets See Lomachenko Face a True Featherweight

By Luis Sandoval –

Orlando “Siri” Salido was back in vintage form Saturday night as he outworked and dominated Orlando Cruz to recapture the WBO Featherweight championship belt. It’s the same title he lost in January to Mikey Garcia as Salido’s performance against Cruz was night and day compared to how he fared with Garcia.

Now that Salido is once again a champion, he has some great opportunities waiting for him. BoxingScene caught up with Salido and asked who he’d like to face next.

“I want to face the best fighters. Whoever is there. There’s [Nonito] Donaire, there’s the Olympian [Vasyl] Lomachenko. There are various names” Salido would tell BoxingScene.

Two time Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko made his professional debut on the same card as Salido and there are already plans to match both men up for their next fight. Lomachenko is definitely on a fast track as facing a 54 fight veteran champion like Salido is a drastic step up for him in his 2nd professional fight even if he does have one of the most impressive amateur careers.

“I thought [Lomachenko] looked good. He moved but he was fighting a much smaller fighter. We have to see how it looks when he faces a true Featherweight like [myself]” said Salido. “He has a very good amateur career. Olympics, world championships and they say he deserves [a fight with me]. So if he deserves it, we’re here ready for him”.

Another fight that is still on Salido’s mind is a rematch with Mikey Garcia who soundly defeated him in their contest. Salido feels he wasn’t in the right state of mind for that fight and if he got a chance to rectify that loss, he’d take it in a heartbeat.

“The last fight I had some problems and I wasn’t fully focused on what I had to do in the ring. I went in there just to get hit and tonight was different. This time we had a positive mentality to win and to do my job and to look good. I still have that torn in my side and if I get a chance to fight [Garcia] again, then bring it on” said the WBO Featherweight champion.

It was also recently reported by BoxingScene that Gary Russell Jr has been designated as the mandatory challenger for Salido’s title so he immediately gets put in the mix as well. Per the WBO, Russell must be given a title shot within the next 180 days.

Looks like Salido and his team have their work cut out for them as they decide who they will face next.

http://www.boxingscene.com/salido-lets-see-lomachenko-face-true-featherweight–70664

 

 

Photo by Scott Heavey, Gettyimages –

by Lem Satterfield –

WBO President Paco Valcarcel has declared unbeaten featherweight Gary Russell Jr. to be the organization’s mandatory challenger to Mexican Orlando Salido, giving Salido the next 180 days within which to defend against Russell after having won the vacant belt by seventh-round knockout over Orlando Cruz on Saturday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The ruling would not preclude a planned voluntary defense for Salido (40-12-2, 28 knockouts) against Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko for Jan. 25 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a possibility mentioned by Top Rank CEO Bob Arum after Lomachenko’s fourth-round stoppage of Mexican rival Jose Luis Ramirez (25-4, 15 KOs) on Saturday.

Like Salido-Cruz, Lomachenko-Ramirez happened on the undercard of Tim Bradley’s split-decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez. A 25-year-old amateur star, Lomachenko (1-0, 1 KO) was a winner of his second Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Games in London. [Editor’s note: Lomachenko took part in six World Series of Boxing semi-pro bouts that were scheduled for five rounds before officially turning pro.]

“If Salido wants to fight Lomachenko in January, then he could do it,” said Valcarcel. “Because we’re talking (about) Salido having (to) face Russell before April. In the interim, he can fight a voluntary. The mandatory would not be due until around April 12.”

A 25-year-old 2004 U.S. Olympian who is coming off a unanimous decision over Juan Ruiz in August,  Russell (23-0, 13 KOs) said he received the news of the WBO’s mandate last Wednesday.

“On Oct. 9, my team received written confirmation from the WBO that I am the mandatory challenger for their featherweight world title,” said Russell, in a prepared release. “I’m ready for my first world title fight and can not wait for the fight to get made.”

The prospect of making Salido-Russell or Russell-Lomachenko could be complicated since Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer are feuding and are aligned with rival networks, HBO and Showtime, respectively.

In addition, Russell has been promoted by Golden Boy through advisor Al Haymon, with whom Arum also has had an adversarial relationship.

Arum doesn’t believe there will be any trouble in making a fight with Russell.

“If those are the rules, then those are the rules. If the winner of Salido-Lomachenko has to fight Russell, then they’ll fight Russell. That’s no big deal,” said Arum. “If we can’t reach an agreement, then we’ll go to purse bid. That’s what it’s designed for. Golden Boy and ourselves have done a number of fights that way, after either we or they won on purse bid.”

Schaefer said the same.

“If it can’t get done, then it will have to go to purse bid,” said Schaefer. “I think that’s fantastic and I think that Gary is definitely up to the challenge.”

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/181355-russell-jr-may-be-next-if-salido-fights-lomachenko