Vasyl Lomachenko, one of the hottest, most exciting fighters and for many people also today’s pound-for-pound best, wanted to get a chance to avenge his sole pro loss in his next fight, but a rematch with Orlando Salido couldn’t be made (for whatever reason or reasons) so a new foe had to be found.
According to various reports – ESPN.com first bringing us the news – Lomachenko’s next rival has been located. The frontrunner to face “Hi-Tech” on April 8, on HBO, is reigning WBA super featherweight champ Jason Sosa. According to BoxRec, the fight is happening in Maryland, and it’s a good one. All unification fights are more than noteworthy, and whoever wins on April 8 (assuming there are no last-minute hitches in getting the fight done) will walk away with both the WBA and WBO belts.
Skilled and wickedly powerful southpaw Lomachenko, 7-1(5) will of course enter the ring as a whopping great favourite to win, but Sosa, who promoter Bob Arum says has “a puncher’s chance,” is a good fighter, certainly, as the saying goes, he is no mug. At 20-1-4(15) Sosa, the same age as Lomachenko at 28, has met some good fighters and he is a proud world champ.
Nicholas Walters (who Lomachenko made quit in his last outing) held Sosa to a draw back in December of 2015, but in his next fight, Sosa halted Javier Fortuna to take the WBA belt. Since then, Sosa has retained once, decisioning Stephen Smith last November. Having been stopped in his sole loss – by Tre’Sean Wiggins way back in just his fifth pro fight, in 2010 – Sosa has probably all but forgotten about the early setback.
Can Sosa do anything against Lomachenko? The Ukrainian does seem to be all but unbeatable right now, and it is proving tough getting him the big, big fights. Sosa deserves plenty of credit for stepping up to the plate here.
A Lomachenko win has to be the pick of course, but can he score another devastating KO victory in April?
