With surprising ease
IT WAS billed as another one of those age-old compelling struggles between power and technique. But I must say, what I saw in the Vasyl Lomachenko-Nicolas Walters fight was one of the most impressive displays of ring generalship I’ve seen in years.
LOMACHENKO. With a sterling amateur record of 396-1, Lomachenko won gold medals in the Beijing and London Olympics.
He turned pro in only in 2013 and entering last week’s fight against Walters, only had seven pro fights to his name , garnering a record of 6-1, 4KOs.
That lone blemish came in the form of a disputed split decision loss against former world champion Orlando Salido, and only added fuel to the doubters’ refrain that he might not be ready for a champion of Walter’ caliber. Turns out we were dead wrong.
THE FIGHT. Southpaw Lomachenko had earlier predicted that it would take him about four rounds to figure out Walters and after that he would make his move. And scarily, he did just that. It was a good two-way chess match in the first two rounds. Walters ( 26-1, 21KOs) who was still fresh and strong lashed out with his jabs and occasionally landed those brutish right hands.
Lomachenko was the busier fighter with an equally busy work rate. He continued throwing combinations from that southpaw stance and using lateral movement.
It was close in the early goings but even then I gave the nod to Lomachenko on account of that nifty footwork. And then he made his move. At around the fifth round, Loma began to impose his superiority.
He would constantly beat Walters to the punch and not only that--would land three to four punches in rapid succession.
In the sixth, the “Axeman” appeared dumbfounded and helpless against the brillant attack unleashed by the defending champion.
Loma would land right jabs and left straights, then pivot seamlessly to re-position himself to land more combinations on a hapless Walters.
No wonder Bob Arum was very bullish about Lomachenko (7-1, 5KOs)
In the seventh, Loma flummoxed Walters with punches from all angles which had more power in them than power puncher Walters’ ineffective and tentative blows.
Walters was repeatedly stunned and hurt leading him to cry uncle and waive the flag of surrender before the start of the 8th round.
STATS. CompuBox would accurately bear out Lomachenko’s superiority as he landed 114 of 437 total punches thrown (26.1 percent) to 49 of 264 (18.6 percnet) for Walters.
Lomachenko also out-jabbed Walters 36 of 238 (15.1 percent) to 15 of 155 (10.4 percent).
In the power punch department, where Lomachenko landed 78 of 199 (39.2 percent), while Walters landed 34 of 120 (28.3 percent).
EASE. There’s a new entrant to boxing’s pound for pound elite and this guy has less than 10 fights to his name.
And that’s the scary part because that simply means Loma has yet to reach his peak.
The surprising ease by which he handled the previously undefeated Walters was a true marvel to behold.
VERBATIM. “It wasn’t about quitting. If you look at the last round, he caught me with some pretty good shots. It would be stupid to come out (for the eighth round).” --Nicolas Walters (www.forbes.com)
LAST ROUND. It’s on my prolific friend Engr. Junjun Dumadag who celebrates his birthday today. Cheers!