LOMACHENKO’S BACK
Lomachenko and Usyk prepare for title defences, writes George Gigney
Vasyl is set to shine against Sosa while Usyk should star on the undercard
TWO of Ukraine’s best ever amateurs are currently whipping up a frenzy in the paid ranks, and this Saturday (April 8) they box on the same bill at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Topping the show – promoted by Top Rank and Peltz Boxing, and televised on Boxnation (UK) and HBO (US) – is WBO super-featherweight champion and allround fistic genius Vasyl Lomachenko,
7-1 (5), In chief support is WBO cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk,
11-0 (10), who recently joined the same gym as Lomachenko under the tutelage of Vasyl’s father, Anatoly Lomachenko.
They respectively face Jason Sosa,
20-1-4 (15), and Michael Hunter,
12-0 (8), two good fighters in their own right but who are not on the sparselypopulated level which Lomachenko and Usyk operate at.
As an amateur, Lomachenko achieved Lord Voldemort levels of notoriety, gathering two Olympic gold medals, two World golds (and one silver), and one European gold, striking fear into his fellow feather and lightweights whenever they saw his name anywhere near theirs on a tournament bout sheet.
It was not then surprising that his decision to turn professional with Top Rank in 2013 created a buzz in world boxing. After thrashing Jose Ramirez on his debut, he was thrown straight in with then-wbo featherweight ruler Orlando Salido. Losing his title on the scales, Salido roughed up and bullied “Loma” enough in the early stages to scrape the decision and hand Vasyl his only pro loss.
The brilliant Ukrainian won the title in his next fight by outpointing Gary Russell Jnr who, in Lomachenko’s absence from the division, has since proven himself the best featherweight in the world.
A trio of wins over reasonably obscure opposition frustrated fans who wanted to see Lomachenko let loose on more of the best and brightest, but in his last two
fights he has stormed into the poundfor-pound rankings.
A sublime knockout of Roman Martinez in June earned him the WBO super-feather crown, and he followed that win with a dominant November display against the heavy-handed Nicholas Walters in a contest most thought would be more competitive.
Sosa fought Walters in December 2015 and came away with a draw after some poor judging prevented Walters from being granted a well-earned victory. The Camden, New Jersey native then scored a career best win when he travelled to China and handed Javier Fortuna his first loss, coming from behind to stop him in the 11th and lift the secondary WBA title.
He last fought in November when, after a strong start, he warred with Stephen Smith to prevail on the cards over 12 hard rounds.
“I would like to thank Jason Sosa who, unlike the other champions, agreed to take this fight to determine the best in this weight division, even though everyone knows I am the division’s Papi,” said Lomachenko. “I moved up to 130lbs hoping champions in this division were not cowards like those at 126lbs. It looks like I was wrong.”
Sosa is brave, bullish and not afraid to get hit, and for all those reasons he is likely to be stopped on Saturday. Lomachenko is a masterful technician and should finish things around the eighth.
Having just missed out on the 2008 Olympic Games, Las Vegas-based Hunter – a former sparring partner of Wladimir Klitschko – qualified for London 2012 as a heavyweight but failed to medal. His progression as a pro has been decent since he turned over in 2013, but he hasn’t fought since May, when he outpointed then-unbeaten Isiah Thomas.
The majority of Usyk’s paid career has taken place in his home country, though last year he trekked to Poland to soundly defeat Krzysztof Glowacki and become the WBO champ and division leader. He also made his American debut when he knocked out Thabiso Mchunu in Inglewood, California in December.
Like Lomachenko, Usyk is a hardhitting southpaw with sublime skill. When it became clear he would not pulverise Glowacki, he stuck to his boxing and bossed most of the rounds. Rather than simply walk through his opponents, he gets them exactly where he wants them before crushing their chances of victory.
Usyk is currently leading the pack in one of boxing’s most exciting divisions, and this fight will once again expose him to a wider audience – he should look imposing and impressive while halting Hunter around the midway point of the fight.
Another former Ukrainian Olympic medallist, light-heavyweight Oleksandr
Gvozdyk, 12-0 (10), takes a step up in class against Yunieski Gonzalez, 18-2 (14), further down the bill. In his last three fights, Gvozdyk has beaten three ex-world title challengers – Nadjib Mohammedi, Tommy Karpency and Isaac Chilemba – inside the distance, though Cuba’s Gonzalez will likely take him the full 10-frame course.
Touted Philadelphia supermiddleweight Jesse Hart, 21-0 (17), and exciting Lithuanian welter Egidijus
Kavaliauskas, 15-0 (12), also feature.
THE VERDICT It should be a successful night for the Ukrainian talent on display in Maryland.