Michel Rivera Returning at 140 Against Sergey Lipinets
In his next at bat, lightweight fighter Michel “La Larza Ali” Rivera (24-1, 14 KO’s) will face Sergey “Samurai” Lipinets (17-2-1, 13 KO’s). The impending duel, which was unearthed in a Q&A with Mill City Boxing, will mark his first match since suffering his first professional defeat.
Just under one year ago, on December 17 , 2022, Rivera was thoroughly undressed and outclassed by Frank Martin. To further salt the jagged wound, La Larza Ali would later be flagged for PED’s use in the aftermath of the fight.
“It’s Sergey Lipinets at 140!”
In many respects, the loss to Martin was just about the worst of all worlds. Ahead of the prizefight, he was an entertaining, charismatic boxing personality with loads of potential. He even had a fun gimmick of pattering his name after the legendary Muhammad Ali, who he does bear a resemblance to. After showing the complete inability to adapt or adjust when in with Frank Martin, his brand took a major hit with the scandalous defeat.
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
Now, Rivera is back to prove that despite his loss, he is still one the best fighters in the world. If La Larza Ali does impress, it will be a huge and influential feather in his cap. He will have to be on his toes, however, because Lipinets is no slouch. Ranked #12 (WBC), Lipinets will also be snapping a fifteen-month stint of inactivity when he dances with Rivera.
Of the two, Lipinets has the better resume, having squared off with: Omar Figueroa Jr., Lamont Peterson, Mikey Garcia and Jaron Ennis. Yet only time will tell if he can parley these past experiences into real-time victory. In fact, Samurai is only one fight removed from the second loss of his professional career. So in this regard, neither he or Rivera can afford to take a backward step or have a shaky night. Luckily, 3Kings Boxing will be on the scene to report all things boxing.
