WASHINGTON — Vasyl Lomachenko easily retained his WBO junior lightweight title, with a dominating boxing display over Jason Sosa, whose corner pulled the plug at the end of the ninth round. The 29-year-old Ukrainian cemented his status as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world with a ninth round TKO in just his ninth pro fight.
"I came into the ring to do my job. I think I did my job really well," said Lomachenko. Lomachenko used his speed, skill and power to improve to 8-1 by outclassing American Sosa who wouldn't quit despite taking a beating from the opening round.
In the fifth round, Lomachenko mocked Sosa by pretending to hold out a cape as if he was a matador toying with an angry bull in the ring. Sosa's trainer stopped the fight after the ninth round, first removing his boxer's mouthpiece in the corner then motioning to the referee.
Sosa was not supposed to be in this fight, coming in as a 25-1 underdog, and it showed. He was a willing participant but was Lomachenko's third choice after the others declined. But he did manage to bait Sosa into this one and no amount of banderillas or mounted picadors could save Sosa from the inevitable.
Lomachenko's inability to get anyone to fight him in the 130-pound division has him seriously considering moving up in class to 135. "I am going to call Top Rank (promoter) Monday and see if I can fight any of the 130 pound champions. If we can't get anybody we can move to 135," he said.
Lomachenko turned pro after a superb amateur career that saw him record 396 wins and just one loss. He won back-to-back Olympic gold medals (in different weight classes) for Ukraine in 2008 and 2012, as well as a pair of amateur world titles.
A brilliant boxer who is above average in every category including power, speed, defense, technique, ring intelligence, the quick start to his pro career has been historic. He won a featherweight world title in his third fight to tie the boxing record for fewest bouts needed to win a world title, and set a boxing record by becoming a two-weight titleholder in his seventh fight.
Lomachenko landed 275 punches compared to just 68 for Sosa. After a tentative opening round, Lomachenko stepped up his offence at the end of the second by landing a flurry of punches.
By the fifth round, it was apparent that Sosa was hopelessly overmatched, putting more energy into ducking punches than throwing them. Lomachenko was teeing off on Sosa at will and if there was a mercy rule in boxing this fight would have been over before the seventh round.
Manny Pacquiao to fight Jeff Horn in Brisbane on July 2
Manny Pacquiao will extend his illustrious boxing career with a fight against a little-known former schoolteacher who never expected he'd get a shot at such a legend of the ring. Pacquiao will take on Australian Jeff Horn on July 2 at Brisbane's 52,500-capacity Suncorp Stadium in a defense of Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title.
Promoters for Horn, a 29-year-old and the No. 2 contender, had been working on a possible deal to fight Pacquiao since January, and finally made the announcement on Sunday with state government officials in attendance. — Agencies
Pacquiao and his camp had attempted to line up a higher-paying fight with Britain's Amir Khan in the Middle East which never eventuated, stalling the negotiations for several months. The 38-year-old Pacquiao is an 11-time world champion over eight weight divisions and is now a senator in the Philippines. He has a record of 59-6-2 while Horn is 16-0-1.
The bout, being dubbed by organizers at "Australia's biggest-ever fight," is expected to be held at the open-air stadium around midday or early afternoon Sunday, July 2, coinciding with a prime-time television audience back in the United States on the Saturday night, July 1.
And although Brisbane has a subtropical climate, July is right in the middle of the southern hemisphere winter, where temperatures should be in the low 20s Celsius (around 68 Fahrenheit).
"Pacquiao and his managers sound a bit confident and cocky," Horn, who fought at the London Olympics in 2012, said at the press conference Sunday, which Pacquiao did not attend.
"It's like 'we will just take this fight, come to Brisbane, knock over Jeff Horn, make their millions and go do the Khan fight'. I hope he keeps feeling that way."
Horn said he may be not well-known but believed the Pacquiao fight would let him make a name for himself. — Agencies
