Reigning WBO super-featherweight king Vasyl Lomachenko looked utterly unstoppable in halting a brave but outclassed Jason Sosa last night. Forcing Sosa’s corner to retire their warrior after nine wholly one-sided session, “Hi-Tech” looked for all the world like an unbeaten fighter.
As we know, however, Lomachenko, 8-1(6) is not unbeaten; as hard as it may be to believe when you see such utter dominance over good fighters who are made to retire on their stool against him – Sosa being retired this time, Nicholas Walters quitting last time. One man has beaten Lomachenko as a pro, in tough Mexican warhorse Orlando Salido, but that came in the dazzling Ukraine boxer’s second pro outing.
It’s clear to see, Lomachenko has improved immeasurably since then. If the southpaw is not your pick for the current pound-for-pound ruler, then he must at least be in your top-5 – at least. Who is there that can give Lomachenko a hard fight, much less have a real chance of beating him? A Salido return remains interesting, but it’s extremely likely Lomachenko would enter such a bout as a considerable favourite to get his revenge.
For his part, Lomachenko said post-fight last night that he only wants to fight world champions at 130, and if he cannot get them into the ring with him, he will move up to lightweight.
“I’m going to call Bob [Arum] and tell him I only want to fight champions,” Lomachenko said to ESPN. “I am going to ask if we can get any of the 130 pound champions. If they refuse, I’m gonna move up to 135. I’d love to fight [Terry] Flanagan in England. [Mikey] Garcia would be a great fight. I’d like to make that fight soon.”
A Lomachenko-Garcia fight could just be something special if it got done, but will a deal be made? Garcia, the WBC champ, might be the best lightweight in the world today, and if Lomachenko could beat him, well! Flanagan, who retained his WBO 135 pound belt last night in Manchester, has said he would welcome a massive fight with Lomachenko. And the superb Jorge Linares would be a very interesting rival for Lomachenko.
But as good as these fighters are, it would likely take a brave fan to pick either of them over the 29 year old who resides in Oxnard.
