Spectacular. Phenomenal. Impeccable. That is how Vasyl Lomachenko can be described in his conquests of hitherto world champions Rocky Martinez, Nicholas Walters, and just this last Saturday, Jason Sosa. The name of the game is hit and don't get hit and Lomachenko is a great practitioner. Very entertaining to watch because he evades punches not by running but by apparently staying on relative same spot only that his feet are shifting angles at breakneck pace allowing him to evade punches and throw his own at ambush range and at incredible accuracy.
Grounded on his scintillating pugilistic performances so far in his 8-fight career, not a few people - prominently the CEO of world-renowned Top Rank Promotions Bob Arum - regard Lomachenko, current WBO super featherweight titlist, as the best among best fighters walking on the planet today. Arum places the 29-year-old Ukrainian topmost in the world's pound-for-pound list. Ring Magazine places Lomachenko at 6th place.
But putting things into well-considered perspective, maybe it is too early to rush things out on Lomachenko. In his 2nd fight as a pro, he lost to the resilient Orlando Salido. Nonetheless Lomachenko has been really eager to avenge his lone defeat.
Not taking away from Rocky Martinez (29-3, 17 KOs), himself a former world champion, is not particularly singular as a fighter. Champions are either great or ordinary and the Puerto Rican looks like he belongs to the commonplace.
Nicholas Walters (25-1, 21 KOs), former WBA featherweight title holder, on the other hand has a hammer punch but is not that excellent in the area of speed and defense. His inferior footwork and a long lay-off were primary culprits in his disastrous outing with reigning WBO super featherweight champion Lomachenko.
Neither is the recent display of dominance over Jason Sosa (20-2, 15 KOs), former WBA (Regular) super featherweight champion, is sufficient ground for Lomachenko's potential promotion to the topmost of pound-for-pound roster; it does pushed Lomachenko farther to the top. The American came to the fight a 25-1 underdog.
Without a cloud of doubt, if and when Lomachenko (8-1-6 KOs) decides to venture at 135 and beat, not necessarily as dominant, Mikey Garcia (36-0, 30 KOs), three-division world champion; and George Linares (42-3, 27 KOs), four-time world champion, only then Arum and cohorts are arguably right. Lomachenko himself had articulated his awareness of this heavyweight task he needs to accomplish should he concur with his boss and supporters.
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