WBO world super-featherweight champion Roman ‘Rocky’ Martinez is out to wreck Vasyl Lomachenko’s plans of making history.
Martinez defends his title against the WBO featherweight champion and former amateur great at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden on June 11.
If Lomachenko wins, he would become a two-weight world champion in just his seventh fight – a boxing record – but Rocky does not plan on letting that happen.
“I am only thinking about beating him. I don’t care if I stop his dreams or whatever,” he said.
“I just have in my mind that I have to beat him and to be ready to beat him and I’m sure that I’m going to win the fight. I don’t care right now if he is thinking that he is going to make history or something like that.
“I think it is a great fight for me. Many people don’t believe that I can beat this guy but I feel that I am the man in this fight. I am the stronger guy and have the experience and I prepare myself very well physically and mentally and I am ready for this fight.”
Despite being the defending champion, Martinez is a significant underdog with the bookies against the two-time Olympic champion.
Lomachenko’s sole pro defeat came to a much bigger and more experienced Orlando Salido in 2014, who Martinez spent 24 rounds warring with in his last two outings. Rocky has studied Lomachenko and feels he is ready for whatever the Ukrainian tries on the night.
“I am going to fight smart. I am going to box when I have to box and I am going to pressure him also,” he claimed.
“I know that Lomachenko knows how to hold and he knows how evade punches to get good position and get me out of good position. We are working on a full plan against Lomachenko.
“The key to the fight is not letting Lomachenko think. You have to pressure him and attack him because he is a very good technical boxer and he knows how to attack. So when he wants to come in you have to be smart about it and let him come in and exchange but the key is attacking the body and not let him think.”
Salido is set to face WBC champion Francisco Vargas tomorrow night (June 4) despite Vargas failing a drug test during his training camp. The WBC and the California State Althletic Commission – who sanction the contest – agreed to let Vargas defend his belt as long as he came up clean in every other test leading up to and after the fight, which he has so far.
When asked for his views on the fight still going ahead, Rocky gave nothing but does feel it will be an entertaining affair.
“I don’t really have anything to say about that [the failed drug test],” he said.
“I really don’t know what is going on with the guy. I don’t know who can get affected. Maybe Salido can get affected or if Vargas’ team knows what they are doing. But I don’t really have anything to say about that situation.
“It’s definitely going to be a great fight – two warriors in the ring. These two guys will leave everything in the ring that night and it is a very even fight. I don’t really have a winner. It’s a very even fight.”
