Amateur Career
Vasyl Lomachenko began his amateur career at the 2007 World Championships in Chicago with a win against Abner Cotto in the first round of the featherweight division. He reached the finals by defeating Theodoros Papazov, Arturo Santos Reyes and Li Yang. His opponent in the final was Russian boxer Albert Selimov and he lost to him by 11-16.
He avenged his defeat to Selimov by beating him in the first round at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. He went on to win the gold medal and received the 'Val Barker Trophy' as the tournament's outstanding boxer.
He continued his successful run by winning every match at the 2008 European Championships. The following year, he again won the featherweight division title at the World Championships by easily defeating all his opponents by huge margins.
At the 2011 World Championships, he participated in the lightweight division and went on to earn another gold medal by defeating all his six opponents.
He continued his winning streak at the 2012 London Olympics and bagged his second consecutive Gold Medal by defeating South Korean boxer Han Soon-Chul in the final by 19–9.
Lomachenko, with his impressive amateur record of 396 wins and only one loss, competed in the lightweight division of the World Series of Boxing (WSB) briefly in the early 2013 before turning professional. However, some sources claim that his six WSB fights should be counted towards his professional record as padded headgear was not used and the rounds were scored using the ten-point must system.
Professional Career
Following his second Olympic gold medal win, Vasyl Lomachenko signed a contract with Top Rank and made his professional debut by defeating Mexican fighter José Ramirez via TKO in Nevada, US on October 12, 2013.
In an attempt to make world record, he challenged veteran boxer Orlando Salido for the World Boxing Organization's featherweight title, but lost to him at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on March 1, 2014.
Due to the fact that Salido had lost the featherweight title because of being overweight, the WBO officials arranged a fight between Lomachenko and Gary Russell Jr. to claim the title. Lomachenko defeated his opponent via majority decision in the 12th round at the StubHub Center in Carson, California on June 22, 2014 to become the new featherweight champion.
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His first fight to defend the title was against mandatory challenger, Thai boxer Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo, at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort in Macao on November 22, 2014. He won the fight easily by unanimous decision at the end of round 12, but injured his left hand in the seventh round.
The winner of the mandatory fight was slated to face Puerto Rican boxer Gamalier Rodriguez—who was on a 17-fight winning streak—at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 2, 2015. Lomachenko, who had just signed a five-year-extension with Top Rank, again defended his title by defeating Rodriguez via a ninth-round KO victory, dominating the fight with speed and precision.
On November 7, 2015, he retained his featherweight title by winning an easy fight against Mexican fighter Romulo Koasicha at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Paradise, Nevada. Landing almost half of his punches, he earned a career high $750,000 for the fight.
Vasyl Lomachenko next decided to move to the super-featherweight division by challenging Román 'Rocky' Martínez, whom he knocked down in the 5th round to win the title on June 11, 2016. He dominated his first super-featherweight fight with superior footwork, hand speed and shots from different angles, and became the fastest boxer to win a world title in two weight divisions.
His first super-featherweight title defense was against unbeaten Jamaican boxer Nicholas Walters at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on November 26, 2016, which he won after Walters retired at the end of round seven. In a similar fashion, he retained his title after his opponent, WBA 'Regular' champion Jason Sosa, retired at the end of round 9 on April 8, 2017 at the MGM National Harbor in Washington, D.C.
His third WBO title defense against Colombian former featherweight world title challenger Miguel Marriaga at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on August 5, 2017 also ended in his opponent retiring after seventh round.
On December 9, 2017, in his next fight to defend the title, he fought against Cuban boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux. Guillermo retired prematurely and lost the bout to Lomachenko.
Unable to find opponents, Lomachenko moved up to the lightweight division for his next fight to face 'The Ring Magazine' lightweight champion Jorge Linares at Madison Square Garden, New York City on May 12, 2018. He reportedly looked vulnerable for the second time in his career, surviving a round 6 knockdown, but won the fight via TKO in round 10 to claim the WBA (Super) and 'The Ring' lightweight titles.
With his latest win, he became the fastest fighter ever to win titles in 3 different weight classes. He is slated to defend his belts on August 25, 2018 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, with a likely unification fight against WBO titleholder Raymundo Beltran.
Facts About Vasyl Lomachenko
Vasyl Lomachenko holds a unique record for winning world titles in three weight divisions in just professional fights, the fewest in boxing history.
Lomachenko is known for his exceptional footwork and movement in the ring, often likened to a ballet dancer for his graceful and fluid style.
Outside of boxing, Lomachenko is an avid chess player and has stated that the strategic thinking required in chess has helped him in the ring.
Lomachenko is fluent in multiple languages, including Ukrainian, Russian, and English, showcasing his intelligence and adaptability.
Despite his fierce competitiveness in the ring, Lomachenko is known for his sportsmanship and respect for his opponents, earning him admiration from fans and fellow fighters alike.
