Vasyl Lomachenko is being compared to the late, great Muhammad Ali after yet another stunning victory in his esteemed career.
Widely regarded as the greatest amateur boxer of all time, Lomachenko added another notch to his impressive professional career, dominating Miguel Marriaga after seven rounds on Saturday night while defending his WBO 130-pound title for the third time in nine months.
Lomachenko (9-1, 7 KOs), the two-time Olympic gold medallist from Ukraine, showcased his virtuosic technical skill and athletic prowess in another one-sided victory.
The victory led renowned boxing promoter Bob Arum to heap high praise onto the 29-year-old.
Lomachenko knocked down Marriaga (25-3) in the third round and systematically broke the Colombian’s will with precise punching and graceful footwork in the ensuing rounds.
Lomachenko floored Marriaga again in the waning seconds of the seventh, and the challenger’s corner stopped the bout after the bell.
“He’s the most unique guy around, and I said it before, but he’s a throwback to Ali,” Arum said.
“Not only does he have the knowledge, but he has the skillset that I have never seen before. He’s got the fast reflexes, the defence, everything.”
Saturday’s main event was another showcase for Lomachenko, whose superior abilities have made him a favourite of knowledgeable fight fans ever since his amateur career. Given a U.S. showcase on ESPN, he put on a show in breaking down Marriaga with skill and violence.
Lomachenko started to land big shots in the second round, and he sent Marriaga sprawling backward onto the canvas with a straight left hand in the third. He also put on a show, backing into a neutral corner and confidently beckoning Marriaga toward him with a flair that recalled his similar gesture to Russian amateur world champion Albert Selimov in his dynamite first fight at the Beijing Olympics.
A clash of heads left a cut near Lomachenko’s left eye in the fourth, but the champion shrugged it off and kept slugging. He hurt Marriaga noticeably in the fifth and sixth rounds, and Marriaga finally couldn’t keep his feet.
Lomachenko became the greatest amateur boxer of his generation with a 396-1 record and gold medal victories in Beijing and London. He turned pro in 2013 and rocketed to the top, winning a 126-pound belt in his third fight in 2014. He moved up to 130 pounds in 2016 and immediately claimed a junior lightweight title.
2023-10-19 04:00:39
