Vasiliy Lomachenko

At the age of 30, Vasiliy is a five-year pro. A three-division world champion – and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s “2017 Fighter of the Year” – he won the WBO featherweight world title in his third pro fight in June, 2014, and made three successful title defenses, then vacated the title to move up in weight. He won the WBO junior lightweight world title in June, 2016, and made four successful title defenses before again vacating the title to move up in weight. He won the WBA lightweight world title in May, 2018.

Before his debut, Vasiliy was a dominant force at the elite level of international amateur competition: a two-time gold medalist at the Olympic Games and World Championships, and a gold medalist at several other prestigious international competitions. He is widely considered the greatest amateur boxer of all-time.

Vasiliy’s goal now is to be the best professional boxer in the world, and after only five years and 13 pro fights, he has already reached elite status. He is already universally considered to be one of the best at any weight, and many already consider him to be the best – ESPN.com and The Ring both rank him at No. 1 pound-for-pound.

He has also become “must-see TV” – his fights have very strong television viewership. In a December 9 press release, ESPN reported: Last night, Top Rank on ESPN witnessed Vasiliy Lomachenko accomplish another career highlight. The overall event delivered a 1.4 metered market rating according to Nielsen, making it the second highest-rated boxing telecast in 2018 across all broadcast and cable networks, only behind Crawford-Benavidez on ESPN in October 2018. [End ESPN item]

In his last fight on December 8 in New York, Vasiliy made the first defense of the WBA title and unified the WBO lightweight world title with a 12-round unanimous decision win against WBO champion Jose Pedraza.

ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael reported from ringside [excerpts]: Pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko had accomplished so much in his first dozen pro fights by winning world titles in three weight classes and setting a variety of all-time boxing records along the way, but there was one thing that had eluded him: unifying belts.

The brilliant Lomachenko can now check that box on his bucket list.

Lomachenko scored two knockdowns in the 11th round and methodically dominated Jose Pedraza to unify two lightweight world titles in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

The sellout crowd of 5,312 cheered wildly when Lomachenko decked Pedraza twice in the penultimate round to put the cherry on top of his overwhelming display. In the end, one judge scored the fight 119-107, and the two other judges had it 117-109.

Lomachenko was fighting for the first time since May 12 in the main arena at Madison Square Garden, where he survived a sixth-round knockdown and knocked out Jorge Linares in the 10th round to win a lightweight world title in his first appearance in the division.

He accomplished that despite tearing the labrum in his right shoulder when he dislocated it and then popped it back into place during the second round. Soon after the fight, Lomachenko underwent surgery to repair the injury, which he and his doctor pronounced healed, allowing him to take the fight with Pedraza. He showed no issues with the shoulder and threw his right hand liberally.

Besides the knockdowns, Lomachenko dominated in terms of throwing and landing punches….

The fight began slowly with the fighters sizing each other up, but Lomachenko connected with a clean left hand, followed by a body shot late in the round. While Lomachenko, a southpaw, stayed busy in the second round and connected with his left hand, Pedraza was also busy but missed almost everything, as he was out of range and coming up short of the target.

Lomachenko knocked Pedraza off-balance with a left hand in the third round, and then Pedraza switched to a southpaw stance in the fourth round. It did not help. Lomachenko easily adjusted and landed a right hook and kept a jab in his face.

Pedraza was extremely busy in the fifth round, and perhaps Lomachenko was taking a bit of breather, but it was Pedraza’s best round of the fight.

Lomachenko had a big eighth round, landing an assortment of punches from all angles, including a flush straight left hand that had Pedraza off-balance, seemingly frustrated and backing up.

Lomachenko continued to regularly land his straight left hand in the ninth round, once again forcing Pedraza to back up.

Pedraza landed combinations in the 10^th round, and one shot elicited a nod from Lomachenko as if to say that he had indeed been caught with a solid punch.

Lomachenko had a huge 11^th round, scoring two knockdowns and nearly stopping Pedraza.

He hurt Pedraza with a left hand and went after him. He landed left after left as well as uppercuts and had Pedraza in deep trouble and reeling.

Pedraza was trying to roll with the shots, but Lomachenko was catching him and finally put him on the mat with a right hand to the body as Pedraza took a knee. Lomachenko continued to pound him in the long flurry before landing a left hand to the body to drop him for the second time late in the round.

Lomachenko continued to go after him in the 12^th round, but Pedraza showed a big heart and made it to the final bell. [End Rafael item]

In his post-fight interview, Vasiliy said, “It was my dream to unify titles. It was my next goal. I can now focus on my next chapter. I didn’t have a problem – I’m healthy, 100 percent. He is a veteran. He did a very good job, and I respect Pedraza and his team.”

The Boxing Writers Association of America voted Vasiliy the “2017 Fighter of the Year.” His father, Anatoly Lomachenko, was voted “2017 Trainer of the Year,” and manager Egis Klimas was voted “2017 Manager of the Year,” the second consecutive year Klimas has won the award.

BWAA President Joseph Santoliquito wrote: The Boxing Writers Association of America is proud to announce that its Sugar Ray Robinson 2017 Fighter of the Year is Vasiliy “Hi-Tech” Lomachenko, who made history in becoming the first Ukrainian to earn that distinction in the 80-year history of the award.

Lomachenko earned the BWAA’s coveted prize by beating solid contenders Jason Sosa and Miguel Marriaga in 2017, then closing the year by making two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux quit after six rounds.

Lomachenko’s selection is the crowning moment for Team Lomachenko, which won a rare BWAA triple crown by winning the BWAA’s fighter, trainer and manager of the year awards for 2017. The last trio to complete the BWAA’s triple crown was in 1992….

The second winner of Team Lomachenko’s BWAA triple crown is Loma’s father, Anatoly Lomachenko, who was voted the BWAA’s 2017 Eddie Futch Trainer of the Year.

For the second-straight year and completing Team Lomachenko trifecta is the BWAA’s 2017 Cus D’Amato Manager of the Year, Egis Klimas…. [End Santoliquito item]

Vasiliy is a very special talent. He wants to fight only the best opposition and to him, that means all of the other world title-holders. If they’re not available or willing to fight, he wants to fight the highest-ranked contenders.

He wanted to challenge for a world title in his pro debut but when that was not possible, he did challenge for one, unsuccessfully, in his second fight. He won a world title in his third fight in June, 2014 – only eight months after his debut – which tied the record for winning a world title with the fewest fights. Saensak Muangsurin of Thailand also won a junior welterweight world title in his third fight in 1975.

Vasiliy made history again by becoming the first fighter to win world titles in two weight divisions in only seven fights. The previous record was eight, held by 23-year-old Naoya Inoue of Japan, who won the WBC light flyweight title (108 pounds) in his sixth fight in April, 2014, made a successful defense five months later in September, then won the WBO junior bantamweight title (115 pounds) in his eighth fight three months after that in December, 2014.

In an earlier interview, Vasiliy said through an interpreter, “I like to know every single detail about my opponent before we fight. It doesn’t matter if my opponent is strong, it doesn’t matter if my opponent is not strong – I always want to know every detail. I study every opponent very closely.”

Regarding his nickname, he said, “I think I got it during the Olympics. I was training somewhere and one of the reporters was talking about high technology, and he said that I was a ‘high tech’ boxer.”

AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Vasiliy said through an interpreter, “I was born and raised in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine. I have one sister. She’s a gymnast. My father is a boxing trainer – he was also a schoolteacher – and my mother is a gymnastics trainer, so my whole family is involved in sports. My father was an amateur boxer when he was young.

“I can’t even remember how old I was when I first started boxing, but I was very, very young. When I was born, I think they took me straight from the hospital to the gym.

“I had 396 amateur wins, with one loss.

“I eat with my right hand, I write with my right hand, but I fight left-handed. When I first started, my father trained me and put me in the left-handed stance.

“I’m married. My wife’s name is Elena (pr. yel-LAY-na) and we have two children. My son’s name is Anatoly. He was born on November 17, 2011. Our daughter was born on August 26, 2012. Her name is Victoria. I named her that for the victory – she was born on the same day I signed with Top Rank.”…

ESPN’s Mark Kriegel wrote [Dec. 6, 2017 – excerpts]: Vasily was just three days old when his father, a physical education teacher and boxing coach, put his hands in a pair of gloves. It’s not that Vasiliy can’t remember the first time he went to a gym. He doesn’t remember not being in a gym.

Anatoly thought deeply about athletic performance, ideas eventually crystalizing into convictions. It was important for Vasily to maintain good grades, as an educated body was governed by an educated mind, intellectually stimulated and capable of decision-making under stress. Anatoly never believed in the kind of early specialization so prevalent today. Even as he boxed, Vasily also played soccer and hockey and wrestled.

At 10, he began traditional Ukrainian folk dance.

Vasiliy danced two hours every day after school. Then he’d go home for a bite and head to the gym. That was his routine, almost four years in pantaloons. But it endowed him with what he has today, the finest footwork in boxing.

Unlike most fighters, Vasily’s was a balanced, harmonious youth. He read a Russian translation of “Tom Sawyer” in grade school. He learned to hunt for pheasant and duck and to fish for carp. [End Kriegel item]

Since boxing was first included in the modern Olympic Games in 1904, only 12 boxers have won two gold medals: Ariel Hernandez, Angel Herrera, Mario Kindelan, Oliver Kirk, Jerzy Kulej, Boris Lagutin, Vasily Lomachenko, Harry Mallin, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Oleg Saitov, Zou Shiming, and Hector Vinent. Three boxers have won three Olympic gold medals each: László Papp, Felix Savon and Teófilo Stevenson. All of the fighters won their gold medals in consecutive Olympics except Kirk, who won both the bantamweight and featherweight titles in 1904 with only one fight in each division…

From a Top Rank press release [May 30, 2018 – excerpts]: Vasiliy Lomachenko underwent arthroscopic surgery this morning at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder suffered during the second round of his May 12 bout against Jorge Linares.

The surgery, performed by world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, will preclude Lomachenko from fighting Aug. 25 as originally scheduled. Said Dr. ElAttrache: “Vasiliy had the anticipated injuries in his right shoulder, resulting from a dislocation event that he sustained during his fight on May 12.

“In particular, he had an extensive labral tear, approximately 270 degrees with a small amount of cartilage damage and a bone impaction injury, all resulting in instability of the shoulder. He underwent an arthroscopic repair of the labrum as anticipated with no complications.

“Based on the result of the surgical repair, we are optimistic for an excellent prognosis and for him to return to competition at his previous level of performance.” [End press release item]

AMATEUR HIGHLIGHTS:

2013 WORLD SERIES OF BOXING – on 1-11-13 in Kiev, Ukraine, he won a 5 round unanimous decision against Samuel Maxwell, scored 50-45 on all three scorecards…on 2-8-13 in Brovary, Ukraine, he won a 5 round unanimous decision against Charly Suarez, scored 50-44 on all three scorecards…on 3-1-13 in London, England, he won a 5 round unanimous decision against Samuel Maxwell, scored 50-45 on all three scorecards…on 3-30-13 in Baku, Azerbaijan, he won a 5 round split decision against Albert Selimov, scored 48-47, 48-47 Lomachenko, 48-47 Selimov…on 4-19-13 in Kiev, Ukraine, he won a 5 round unanimous decision against Domenico Valentino, scored 50-45 on all three scorecards…on 5-10-13 in Astana, KAZ, he won a 5 round unanimous decision against left-handed Samat Bashenov, scored of 49-45, 49-45, 50-44…

2012 OLYMPIC GAMES – London, England, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 8-2-12 he won a 15-3 decision against Wellington Arias of Dominican Republic; in the quarterfinals on 8-6-12 he won a 14-9 decision against Félix Verdejo of Puerto Rico; in the semifinals on 8-10-12 he won a 14-11 decision against Yasniel Toledo of Cuba; in the finals on 8-12-12 he won a 19-9 decision against Han Soon-Chul of Republic of Korea…

Vasiliy’s teammates on the powerhouse 2012 Ukrainian Olympic team were heavyweight gold medalist Aleksandr Usyk, light welterweight silver medalist Denys Berinchyk, light heavyweight bronze medalist Oleksandr Gvozdyk, and welterweight bronze medalist Taras Shelestyuk; middleweight Eivgen Khytrov and bantamweight Pavlo Ishchenko were the only team members who did not medal…

2012 NIKOLAY MANGER MEMORIAL – Kherson, Ukraine, 141 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in the quarterfinals (his first fight) he won a 16-3 decision against Vilen Seitosmanov of Ukraine; in the semifinals on 5-18-12 he won a 14-3 decision against Fedor Vinogradov of Russia; in the finals on 5-19-12 he won an 18-5 decision against Vyacheslav Kislitsin of Ukraine…

2011 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Baku, Azerbajian, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 10-1-11 he stopped Lomalito Moala of Tonga in the 1^st round; in his second fight on 10-3-11 he won a 16-9 decision against José Ramírez of the U.S.; in his third fight on 10-4-11 he won a 19-18 decision against Robson Conceicao of Brazil; in the quarterfinals on 10-5-11 he won an 18-10 decision against Fazliddin Gaibnazarov of Uzbekistan; in the semifinals on 10-7-11 he won a 17-11 decision against Domenico Valentino of Italy; in the finals on 10-8-11 he won a 17-12 decision against Yasniel Toledo of Cuba…

2011 MAKAR MAZAY MEMORIAL – Mariupol, Ukraine, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 7-5-11 he won an 18-4 decision against Mohammad Momevand of Iran; in the quarterfinals on 7-6-11 he stopped Soon-Chul Han of Korea in the 2^nd round; in the semifinals on 7-8-11 he won a 25-7 decision against Fazliddin Gaibnazarov of Uzbekistan; in the finals on 7-9-11 he won an 18-5 decision against Gani Zhaylauov of Kazakhstan…

2011 NIKOLAY MANGER MEMORIAL – Kherson, Ukraine, 141 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight he stopped (1^st round) Joshgun Aliyev of Azerbaijan; in the quarterfinals he won by walkover against Abderrazak Haouia of Tunisia; in the semifinals on 5-4-11 he won a 17-7 decision against Denis Berinchik of Ukraine; in the finals on 5-5-11 he stopped Nikolay Bochkov of Ukraine in the 2^nd round…

2011 UKRAINIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Kharkov, Ukraine, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 3-22-11 he won a 4-0 decision against Artem Sereda; in his second fight on 3-23-11 he won a 17-0 decision against Gyunduz Guseinov; in the quarterfinals on 3-24-11 he won a 6-1 decision against Andriy Rudenko; in the semifinals on 3-26-11 he won an 11-3 decision against Volodymyr Matviychuk; in the finals on 3-27-11 he won and 8-1 decision against Dmytro Bulenkov…

2010 PRESIDENTS CUP – Astana, Kazakhstan, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 6-28-10 he won a 6-0 decision against Mahmoud Eshaish of Jordan; in the quarterfinals on 6-30-10 he won a 5-0 decision against Asylbek Talasbayev of Kyrgystan; in the semifinals on 7-1-10 he won a 13-4 decision against Samat Bashenov of Kazakhstan; he won a 5-0 decision against Aidar Amirzakov of Kazakhstan…

2010 UKRAINIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Sumy, Ukraine, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 2-9-10 he defeated Dmytro Vedmedenko; in his second fight on 2-10-10 he won an 11-0 decision against Loma Aidarov; in the quarterfinals on 2-11-10 he stopped Vitaliy Maiboroda in the 2^nd round; in the semifinals on 2-13-10 he stopped Andriy Kolesnik in the 3^rd round; in the finals on 2-14-10 he won by walkover against Serhiy Kravets…

2009 EUROPEAN STUDENTS CHAMPIONSHIPS – Elista, Russia, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in the semifinals (his first fight) on 10-15-09 he won a 4-0 decision against Ural Karslioglu of Turkey; in the finals on 10-17-09 he won a 4-0 decision against Valeriy Pluyaskin of Russia…

2009 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Milan, Italy, 125 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 9-6-09 he won a 16-2 decision against Mario Aleksic of Bosnia and Herzegovina; in his second fight on 9-8-99 he won a 15-1 decision against Craig Evans of Wales; in the quarterfinals on 9-9-99 he won an 8-2 decision against Branimir Stankovic of Serbia; in the semifinals on 9-11-09 he won a 12-1 decision against Oscar Valdez of Mexico; in the finals on 9-12-09 he won a 12-1 decision against Sergey Vodopyanov of Russia…

2009 MAKAR MAZAY MEMORIAL – Mariupol, Ukraine, 132 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 7-8-09 he won a 14-4 decision against Ismat Eynullayev of Azerbaijan; in the quarterfinals on 7-10-09 he won a 4-0 decision against Serhiy Kravets of Ukraine; in the semifinals on 7-11-09 he won a 10-1 decision against Volodymyr Matviychuk of Ukraine; in the finals on 7-12-09 he won a 7-1 decision against Dmytro Bulenkov of Ukraine…

2009 UKRAINIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, 125 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 3-17-09 he stopped Yuriy Shevchenko in the 3^rd round; in the quarterfinals on 3-18-09 he defeated Ilya Zhuravel; in the semifinals on 3-20-09 he won a 10-0 decision against Viktor Makaritskiy; in the finals on 3-22-09 he won a 10-0 decision against Maxim Tretyak…

2008 WORLD CUP – Moscow, Russia, 125 pounds: in the quarterfinals (his first fight) on 12-11-08 he lost by walkover against Bohodirion Sultanov of Uzbekistan…

2008 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS – Liverpool, England, 125 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on the 11-9-08 he won a 10-0 decision against Vladimir Nikiforov of Estonia; in the quarterfinals on the 11-12-08 he won a 10-2 decision against David Oliver Joyce of Ireland; in the semifinals on 11-13-08 he won a 2-1 decision against Hicham Ziouti of France; in the finals on 11-15-08 he won a 7-1 decision against Araik Ambartsumov of Russia…

2008 OLYMPIC GAMES – Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 125 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST / Won Val Barker Award for “Outstanding Boxer”: in his first fight on 8-11-08 he won a 14-7 decision against Albert Selimov of Russia; in his second fight on 8-15-08 he won a 13-1 decision against Bahodirjon Sooltonov of Uzbekistan; in the quarterfinals on 8-18-08 he won a 12-3 decision against Li Yang of China; in the semifinals on 8-22-08 he won a 10-1 decision against Yakup Kiliç of Turkey; in the finals on 8-23-08 he stopped Khedafi Djelkhir of France in the 1^st round…

2008 KLITSCHKO BROTHERS TOURNAMENT – Kiev, Ukraine, 125 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight on 5-19-08 he won by disqualification (4^th round) against Denis Tereshkov of Bulgaria; in the quarterfinals on 5-20-08 he won a 14-5 decision against Idel Torriente of Cuba; in the semifinals on 5-21-08 he stopped Han Soon Chul of Korea in the 3^rd round; in the finals on 5-23-08 he stopped Sergey Ignatiev of Russia in the 3^rd round…

2008 UKRAINIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Evpatoriya, Ukraine, 125 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in the quarterfinals (his first fight) he stopped Denys Levakov in the 3^rd round; in the semifinals he won a 21-2 decision against Oleg Malinovskiy; in the finals he defeated Maxim Tretyak…

2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – Chicago, Illinois, 125 pounds – SILVER MEDALIST: in his first fight on 10-24-07 he won a 26-9 decision against Abner Cotto of Puerto Rico; in his second fight on 10-27-07 he won a 19-5 decision against Theodoros Papazov of Greece; in his third fight on 10-30-07 he won a 21-6 decision against Mikhail Bernadski of Belorussia; in the quarterfinals on 11-1-07 he stopped Arturo Santos Reyes of Mexico in the 3^rd round; in the semifinals on 11-2-07 he had a 13-13 draw, but won the tiebreaker against Li Yang of China; in the finals on 11-3-07 he lost a 16-11 decision against Albert Selimov of Russia…

2005 SEMEN TRESTIN MEMORIAL – Odessa, Ukraine, 112 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST [incomplete results]: in the finals on 8-7-05 he won a decision against Vyacheslav Goyan of Moldavia…

STRENGTHS: A left-hander with exceptional skills, speed and movement…is versatile – can pressure his opponents or box and move…a sharp, accurate puncher, punches in combinations…is always in top condition, has great stamina…had a tremendous amateur background…has a strong family boxing and athletic background…

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 13 fights…115 total rounds…111 world championship rounds…

AVERAGE LENGTH OF BOUTS: 8.8 rounds…

KNOCKOUT PERCENTAGE: of total fights – 69 %…of wins – 75 %…

DISTANCE FIGHTS: 12 rounds – 4 (3-1)…10 rounds – 2 (2-0)…