Pedrosa v Lorenzo Boxing: ‘Jorge not in best shape… but weight is weight!’

As the MotoGP paddock digested the surprise news that Dani Pedrosa had taken up fellow Legend Jorge Lorenzo’s offer of a charity boxing match, Pedro Acosta and Francesco Bagnaia were asked to predict the winner.

“I will bet on Dani because he is quite small and for sure if he is close he can start to punch, and when you are quite tall it’s quite difficult to move!” replied MotoGP rookie Acosta, adding: 

“And also Jorge is not in his best physical moment let's say! But anyway, he is training. I saw the video. [But] I will [bet] on Dani.”

Reigning MotoGP champion Bagnaia was reluctant to be drawn in but seemed to suggest that Lorenzo could have the upper hand because “Weight is weight!

“I don't know, it's difficult to answer because…. Difficult to answer!”

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Asked who they would personally like to face in a boxing match, the pair replied:

“From the paddock? I don't know. Maybe Oncu could be a nice show that's for sure!” said Acosta, referring to his former Ajo team-mate and friend Deniz Oncu.

“The smallest one!” quipped Bagnaia. “I don't like to receive punches honestly, or kicks.”

Pedrosa said he hopes to find out more details about the boxing match from Lorenzo during this weekend’s Spanish MotoGP at Jerez, where Pedrosa is competing as a wild-card and Lorenzo is present with media commitments.

"After our differences, both on and off the track, I think the time has come to face each other in the ring," Lorenzo wrote on social media. "I challenge you, Do you accept?"

Pedrosa then posted a video of his own accepting the challenge.