Tag Archives: Vasyl Lomachenko

Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux Odds and Prediction

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Vasyl Lomachenko defends his WBO super featherweight title against Guillermo Rigondeaux at the Madison Square Garden on December 9th, 2017.

This is a fight between two of the best pure boxers in the business and two former amateur superstars. It may not have the appeal as Canelo vs. Golovkin or even Mayweather vs. McGregor, but this is one of the most anticipated bouts of the year.

Undefeated Fighters

Lomachenko enters the fight with a deceiving 9-1 record. Despite just 10 fights under his belt, he’s already won two world titles in different weight classes. Lomachenko has not lost since losing a controversial decision to Orlando Salido in 2014. He will be fighting for the third time this year and making the fourth defense of his title.

Like Lomachenko, Rigondeaux is undefeated as a pro at 17-0 with 11 KOs. He is coming off a no-contest against Moises Flores in June 2017. Rigondeaux has boxed just a total of three rounds after 2015.  He is moving up two weight classes in search of the biggest conquest of his career.

About The Weight

Lomachenko opened as a huge -500 favorite with Rigondeaux coming back as the underdog ay +350. The line may look surprising but actually it is not. Rigondeaux is moving up two weight classes to challenge Lomachenko so more than skill and talent, the odds are about the difference in weight.

Rigondeaux boxed as a bantamweight during his amateur days and has been fighting at super bantamweight in the pros. However, he is skipping the featherweight weight class and will be going straight up to  super featherweight to challenge Lomachenko for the latter’s WBO title.

Can Be Dropped

There is a absolutely no questioning Rigondeaux’s skills and abilities but the sudden jump from 122 pounds to 130 pounds cannot be ignored.

Another factor to consider is that while Rigondeaux is a terrific defensive fighter, he gets dropped when he gets tagged.  Offensive fighters Nonito Donaire, Hisashi Amagasa and Ricardo Cordoba each put Rigo on the floor. Given that he is facing a bigger, stronger and maybe faster boxer in Loma, that might be a problem.

Lomachenko might be the best pound for pound fighter in the sport today. He is the total package. Loma has a very high boxing IQ, quick footwork and is one of the best in boxing from a distance. He is also a very efficient counter puncher because of his head movement and ability to slip punches.

More Punching Power

Rigondeaux isn’t a pushover but given that he’s moving up in weight and fighting perhaps the best boxer today, he’s got his work cut for him. Lomachenko has more punching power than anybody Rigo has faced and that may be the difference here.

This is going to be a great fight, no doubt. But we’ll have to pick Vasyl Lomachenko to win this fight because he is the bigger puncher here. Vasyl Lomachenko by late stoppage or close unanimous decision.

Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Miguel Marriaga Odds and Prediction

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Vasyl Lomachenko ( 8-1, 6 KOs ) will defend the WBO Super Featherweight title against Miguel Marriaga ( 25-2, 21 KOs ) of Colombia on August 5th, 2017 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California USA.

Pound for Pound Recognition

Since losing to Orlando Salido in his second professional bout, Vasyl Lomachenko has been a dominant force. In his last three bouts, he’s made former champions Roman Martinez, Nicholas Walters and Jason Sosa look like beginners. Loma was looking forward to a rematch with Salido but when negotiations fell off, they settled with Marriaga because they couldn’t find a taker.

The 29-year old Lomachenko is a southpaw who stands at 5-6 and has a reach of 65 inches. Lomachenko has won his last five bouts by stoppage and he will be fighting in California, his adopted hometown. This is his third title defense since November and he’s still looking for that pound for pound recognition.

Tough and Aggressive

Miguel Marriaga is coming off a loss to Oscar Valdez and he also lost to Nicholas Walters in the past. Despite that, the Colombian is a tough customer whose aggressive style can give Lomachenko some troubles. Remember that Lomachenko was bullied by a very aggressive Salido during the former’s only pro defeat. If Marriaga can duplicate that attack, he may catch Loma off guard.

Marriaga has not lost back to back fights before and he is hoping to avoid that. He throws with a purpose and he is fundamentally sound. He’s got a good chin, as he withstood 12 rounds with Walters and Oscar Valdez. He’s won seven of his last nine fights by knockout and he’s looking to add the biggest name to his resume. However, he’s facing serious odds against Lomachenko.

A Longshot

Lomachenko is a -10000 favorite here while Marriaga is a +1600 underdog. Many fans are calling this a mismatch, but don’t sleep on Marriaga despite him being a longshot. The Columbian has a two inch height and three inches reach advantage over the two-time Olympic gold medalist Lomachenko. So don’t expect Loma to get into a slugfest with Marriaga.

Meanwhile, Miguel Marriaga will use his aggressive style to try and push Lomachenko back to the ropes and put him on the defensive. While he may have more punching power than Lomachenko, there is no way Marriaga can win this if Lomachenko gets into offensive groove.

The Prediction

Marriaga must fire first and must set a frenetic pace. If he does both, he will put himself in a position where he can pull off this major upset. That’s easier said than done, though. We know what Lomachenko can do inside the ring. We know his ring IQ, intelligence, footwork and hand speed.

Given Marriaga’s reputation, this is guaranteed to be an entertaining fight. Marriaga has everything to gain and nothing to lose. But beating Lomachenko in this weight class at this stage in time is almost impossible. If he won’t be fooled into a brawl, he’s going to make this look like a boxing clinic. We’re picking Vasyl Lomachenko to win on points. A knockout can’t be ruled out if Marriaga becomes desperate and starts throwing caution to the wind.

WBO Super Featherweight Preview: Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Nicholas Walters Odds and Pick

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Vasyl Lomachenko continues his quest for greatness as he defends his WBO Super Featherweight championship against former featherweight champion  Nicholas Walters on November 26th, 2016 at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Greatest Amateur Boxer Ever

Lomachenko enters the fight with a deceptive 6-1 professional record, but behind that seemingly inexperienced resume is who many consider to be the greatest amateur fighter of all-time.

A back to back Olympic gold medalist in 2008 and 2012, Lomachenko also won consecutive gold medals in the World Championships in 2009 and 2011. The 28-year old Ukrainian finished his amateur career with a sensational 396-1 record with his only defeat to Albert Selimov avenged twice.

Since turning pro, Lomachenko has fought in a total of six world title bouts, losing once to Orlando Salido in his first attempt at a world title. Since that defeat, Loma’s won five bouts in a row against rapidly increasing level of opposition He’s captured two world titles in two different weight classes and is coming off a 5th round KO of Roman Martinez last June.

Axe Man

Nicholas Walters will be looking to win his second world title in as many weight classes. Known as the Axe Man, the Jamaican slugger is unbeaten in 27 bouts with 26 wins, 1 draw and 21 wins by knockout. After losing his title on the scales during his fight with Miguel Marriaga in June, Walters has moved up in weight. He was ‘robbed’ with a draw in his super featherweight debut against Jason Sosa. But that did not stop him from pursuing a bout with the great Lomachenko.

Not A Mismatch

Lomachenko is a big -500 favorite over Walters who is at +400 in many sports books. But don’t let the numbers think this is going to be a mismatch. Walters is a legit foe and has exceptional athleticism and overall punching power. He has fast hands, quick feet and has finished all but two of his last eleven opponents. He’s proven that he can take care of a good technical boxer when he knocked out Nonito Donaire in 2014. Against Lomachenko though, he must be wary with counters as his defense has a tendency to slip at times. An interesting fact here is that this will be Walters’ first bout in Las Vegas.

Total Package

Lomachenko is the total package. Not only does he possess a high level boxing IQ, he also has excellent defense. Like Walters, he has quick hands and feet. Between them though, he has the better combinations and is the smarter counter puncher.

Coincidentally, both fighters have a similar connect percentage of 37.9% ( Per Compubox ) but Lomachenko has more output per fight at 177.4 punches landed per fight against Walters’ 159.6. But while they don’t have much difference in offensive numbers, Lomachenko’s defensive prowess stands out. Lomachenko’s opponents only land 16.4% of their punches on him while Walters allows a higher 21.5% Both numbers are good really but in a chess match like this, that could spell the difference.

Who Wins

Given his attributes, it hard not to look at Walters at +400. He may be the smarter bet if you want to gamble. But in the end, it’s likely Lomachenko who gets the victory here. Loma’s just too smart a boxer against Walters. He can adjust his game plan in between rounds and has too many ways to win bouts. Walters only knows one way to fight and that ram right through his opponents. He’s moving up in weight and may not be as powerful as he was in the lower ranks. Having said that, if you’re betting to win go with Lomachenko here.

Vasyl Lomachenko To Face Nicholas Walters on November 26th

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The second time was the charm for Vasyl Lomachenko and Nicholas Walters.

Second Time Was The Charm

After failing to come to terms to a June 2016 bout earlier this year, the camps of Vasyl Lomachenko and Nicholas Walters have come to terms on a November 26 bout:

According to Top Rank VP Carl Moretti, Nicholas Walters finally signed on the dotted line last Tuesday. This after Walters rejected the first offer to fight Lomachenko last June, with the Axe Man rejecting a $550K purse and demanding a sky high $1M to face the greatest amateur fighter of all-time. Lomachenko even went to the point of offering Walters $300K of his purse should the Jamaican beat him. Still Walters decided to sit it out and wait for the right deal.

Conquering Another Weight Class

While Walters decided to wait for a better offer, Lomachenko paraded his greatness last June 11 when he defeated Roman “Rocky” Martinez to win the Junior Lightweight title and capture his second title in as many weight classes. Despite having just seven professional bouts, Lomachenko ( 6-1, 4 KOs)  is now a two division champion after knocking out the durable Martinez in a dominating five round performance.

Walters ( 26-0-1, 21 KOs) meanwhile is coming off a controversial draw against Jason Sosa in his 130 pound debut. Prior to that, Walters lost the WBA featherweight title on the scales against Miguel Marriaga in June 2015. Walters won that title with a sensational knockout of 2012 BWAA  Fighter of the Year Nonito Donaire Jr. in 2014.

Explosive Bout

Lomachenko and Walters will fight for the Ukrainian’s WBO Junior Lightweight title. The bout will be held at the Cosmopolitan Hotel of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is expected to be one of the biggest bouts to close out 2016 and given the explosive nature of both fighters, it’s hard to think it’s going to disappoint.

Walters has an impressive record and a standout career but it’s hard to dispute Lomachenko’s pedigree. Lomachenko finished his legendary amateur career with a record of 396-1 with his only loss to Albert Selimov avenged twice. He fought for a world title in his second professional bout but was derailed by Orlando Salido in a controversial decision. One fight later, he won the WBO Featherweight title by beating Gary Russell Jr. and then went on to defend the belt thrice before moving up in weight to challenge Martinez last June. In beating Martinez, Lomachenko became the fastest fighter in history to win two weight classes.