対するロマ、今までならカナダのRival社（その前はVenum）の自身のフラッグシップモデルなのに、白いイラストが施された謎の黒いグローブ。拳のアップになって手首付近の白い文字を確認、えっRival？スポーティでド派手な幾何学的デザインと立体裁断が特徴の、通常のRivalとはイメージが程遠い。続いて拳の甲の部位のイラストが見える、ハッとした。白い手描き調のイラストで、'Love & Peace'と描かれていた…
幼少期よりボクシングを始め、アマ時代の戦績は396勝1敗、オリンピック2階級金メダル。プロ転向後世界最速3階級制覇王者のボクシングサイボーグ。
2022年、ライト級タイトルマッチ・対カンボソス戦を目前に、ロシアのウクライナ侵攻で母国を守るため試合を辞退し、ロマは戦場へ向かった。
そんな理不尽な経緯を乗り越えての、今回のカンボソス戦の実現。グローブに込められたそのメッセージの重さに、目頭を熱くさせられた。さらにダメ押しでシューズは日本製Asics。ロマよ、お前ってヤツは！と、勝手に泣きながらの試合観戦。11RでカンボソスをTKOした36歳のロマチェンコに歓喜した話。
May 12th, Lomachenko vs. Kambosos. Kambosos from Australia rocked the classic combo with Everlast gloves + Nike kicks.
But Loma? Instead of his usual Canadian Rival flagship model gloves, he showed up with these mysterious black ones adorned with white illustrations. Zoom in on the knuckles, and what do I see? Wait, Rival? Not the typical Canadian Rival that I know, with its flashy geometric designs and 3D cuts. Then, peeking out from the back of the hand, a surprise. Hand-drawn-ish white illustrations saying 'Love & Peace'...
Talk about a surprise twist from a guy who started boxing as a kid, amassed a record of 396 wins and 1 loss in the amateurs, snagged Olympic gold in two weight classes, and then went on to become a three-division world champ in record time.
In 2022, he pulled out of the lightweight title match against Kambosos to defend his homeland in Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
Overcoming all that, the fight against Kambosos finally happened. The weight of that message on those gloves got me all choked up. And to top it off, he's rocking Japanese Asics boxing shoes. Oh Loma, you're something else!
So there I was, watching the match, tears welling up, as 36-year-old Lomachenko TKO'd Kambosos in the 11th round.
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