“The fight is intriguing mostly because of what the challenger brings. If that opinion fails to give Lomachenko his due, very well. But by now, a whopping fifteen fights into Lomachenko’s career, one of which he lost, ten of which he ended early, thirteen of which saw him win or defend a title in one of three divisions, there is little to say. If he is not the fighter of his most lustful admirers’ dreams, he is nevertheless better than the fighter his staunchest critics wish he was. “Hi-Tech,” or “Loma,” or whatever moniker most pleases him, is the genuine article. Intrigue, then, is doubly the responsibility of matchmaking.”

Read True Lies: Vasiliy Lomachenko-Teofimo Lopez Preview on Hannibal Boxing.

“Did anyone expect what transpired in the ESPN main event Saturday night? The answer, of course, is No. No one expected Ivan Baranchyk and Jose Zepeda to trade eight knockdowns in five rounds—even half that gaudy number typically brings a definitive end. Did you expect to see Baranchyk so grotesquely stiffened it took minutes to dislodge his mouthguard? No, no you didn’t.”

Read “THIS IS BOXING”: Jose Zepeda Ices Ivan Baranchyk on Hannibal Boxing.

“Mayorga spent six of his teenage years in a gang, an experience that twice left him looking down the barrel of a gun that miraculously jammed. He is covered in the scars of a person for whom there is only the now—this thrill, this fight, this temptation. But the guns didn’t kill him, the lead pipe that split open his head didn’t, neither did the drag races, the Via de la Suerte, the daily pack of Marlboro Reds. And so why stop? Maybe he thought he was invincible. Maybe he hadn’t succeeded yet.”

Read Vulgar Display of Power: On Ricardo Mayorga on Hannibal Boxing.