There’s no question that today, Vasyl Lomachenko is the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. No one comes close to the precision, high level of technique and skill set that the Ukrainian brings into the ring.
In his last four fights, each opponent retired in between rounds. Guillermo Rigondeaux, Miguel Marriaga, Jason Sosa and Nicholas Walters gave up in their corners as it made no sense to continue the carnage. Instead of Lomachenko, some wise guy started to call him No-mas-chenko. Lomachenko is not a one-punch knockout artist like a Lucas Matthysse but he’ll wear you down with an accumulation of punches to the point where you surrender because you’re battered and there’s no hope of winning. Ring Magazine described Matthysse’s brand of dominance as humiliating.
Lomachenko, 30, boasts a 10-1 record with 8 KOs. He’s been a pro only for five years but with a wealth of amateur experience. Lomachenko won two Olympic gold medals and two AIBA World Championships before turning pro in 2013. He lost on a split decision to roughhousing Orlando Salido in his second pro fight then bounced back to win the WBO featherweight crown on a majority verdict over Gary Russell in his next outing. Lomachenko has now won the WBO featherweight and superfeatherweight titles.
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On May 13, Lomachenko will move up in weight and challenge WBA 135-pound king Jorge Linares of Venezuela at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It’ll be a big test for Lomachenko because he’s up against a grizzled warrior with a record of 44-3, including 27 KOs. Lomachenko has never fought in the lightweight division and only twice, scaled 130 for a bout so this is unfamiliar territory. In contrast, Linares has campaigned as a lightweight since 2010.
It’s not easy bringing up your power to a higher weight division. Manny Pacquiao, for instance, hasn’t scored a knockout since halting Miguel Cotto in 2009 because it appears the bigger fighters are able to take his power. Lomachenko isn’t a big puncher to begin with so his power may diminish considerably in terms of impact in the lightweight division.
What’s a positive for Lomachenko is Linares’ career seems to be on the decline. He’s 32 with a lot of mileage in his engine. He’s figured in 47 fights compared to 11 for Lomachenko. His three losses were by knockout to Juan Carlos Salgado, Tony DeMarco and Sergio Thompson. Linares’ last four fights went the distance and in one contest, he escaped with a split decision.
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Lomachenko is known for his footwork, his variety of punches, his precision, his technique, his speed, his balance. As The Ring’s Michael Rosenthal said, he’s not perfect but he’s special. On the other hand, Linares is considered one of the top counterpunchers in the fight game. He’s won world titles in three divisions and he’s what is called a “fluid boxer.” “The talented Venezuelan has so many weapons at his disposal that he can win fights convincingly without going through his entire repertoire,” said The Ring’s Tom Gray.
The Linares-Lomachenko fight will be aired live via satellite on ESPN5 from the Garden. Two or three undercard fights will be shown ahead of the main event in a program that starts at 10 a.m. on May 13, Sunday. Then, at 3 p.m., ESPN5 will continue its boxing coverage by shifting to the SM North EDSA Skydome for the “Survival Instinct” card. Former WBO superflyweight champion Marvin Sonsona will see action just before the ESPN5 coverage takes a break for a PBA doubleheader. The fights on “Survival Instinct” will continue to be shown on Aksyon TV. After the PBA twinbill, ESPN5 will return to the Skydome for the fights of A. J Banal against Indonesia’s Master Suro and Mark Anthony Barriga against Colombia’s Gabriel Mendoza in an IBF minimumweight title eliminator.
What makes the Linares-Lomachenko fight even more interesting is the Ukrainian is being mentioned as a future opponent for Pacquiao. Lomachenko, however, has to beat Linares and Pacquiao must defeat Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur on July 15 for that to happen.