WBO super featherweight champion and WBA lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) answered journalists' questions at a press conference after a victorious fight against Jorge Linares (44-4, 27 KOs).
"I am very happy and I want to thank my great team, as well as Jorge Linares, who gave me another lesson in this interesting sport. I am very pleased that today I created my sports history in such a historic place as Madison Square Garden.
"Knockout can happen or not, but I'm very glad that it happened. I was looking for this punch to the body, and by the end of the fight it happened.
"Linares is a very good boxer and he fulfilled his plan for the fight. He waited and counter-attacked. I played a little and after the sixth round, I probably relaxed a bit and believed that I had already done my work.
"Stoppage of the fight? I do not comment on this, it's the work of referee. If he stopped, then he considered it was necessary. I think if you understand that the referee can stop, you need to get up on your feet and show that you are ready.
"Now there will be a lot more willing to fight me - they saw that I, too, was a man, and also could be knocked down. I think that now it will be much easier - I facilitated the work of my promotion company in the search of rivals.
"Linares' punches? If he could put me on the fifth point and knock me down, then they were effective. As I said it in the ring after the battle, I will give him a rematch without any questions.
"I always said that I want to unify titles. For this, I rose to the lightweights - here it is easier to do it," said Lomachenko.
