Not only has Vasyl Lomachenko become one of the most impressive fighters in the world in just over three years as a pro, he also likes to make people laugh.
Lomachenko was asked this week if, when he looks in the mirror, he sees the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
“It is very hard to answer the question because when I look in the mirror I don’t think about who the pound-for-pound fighter is,” he said. “I am usually working on my hair at that moment.”
Funny, but there won’t be any laughing when Lomachenko defends his super featherweight world title against Jason Sosa on April 8 at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. (on HBO).
That fight was formally announced during a conference call Wednesday. There was no trash talk, just respect.
“He is the closest fighter to perfection in boxing,” Sosa said of Lomachenko.
This is no exaggeration. Lomachenko won the gold medal at featherweight in the 2008 Beijing Games and the gold at lightweight in the 2012 London Games. He is regarded by many to be the best amateur boxer in history.
Lomachenko tried to win a world title as a pro in just his second bout, but he lost a split decision to Orlando Salido in March 2014. Lomachenko did win the featherweight championship in his third fight with a victory over Gary Russell, made three defenses and then moved up in weight to take Rocky Martinez’s super featherweight title via fifth-round knockout.
Perhaps his most impressive victory came in November, when he forced Nicholas Walters to quit after seven rounds at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. Walters entered undefeated and also had won titles in two weight classes. But Walters, who had become known as one vicious dude in the ring, was reduced to something much less than that by Lomachenko.
That’s probably why Lomachenko was so willing to praise Sosa for getting into the ring with him. Keep in mind that Sosa vacated his WBA title before he was to be stripped of it for signing to fight Lomachenko for his WBO belt.
“I understand that this is not Sosa’s decision — it is the WBA and they took the title from him,” the Ukrainian star said. “Of course, I would rather unify titles. At this point, I am happy to fight one of the best in the division and he is the one that took this opportunity.
“The other champions were running like rats from a sinking ship and not coming into the ring. Nowadays, it’s not about the sport — all of the boxers have become businessmen and they are looking just to get the money and not the glory.”
Top Rank Inc., Lomachenko’s promotional company, offered former champion and No. 1-ranked Salido a rematch with Lomachenko. Top Rank also made a pitch to fellow champion Jezreel Corrales. Both were rejected.
Sosa (20-1-4, 15 KOs) accepted. Is he bummed out he had to lose the title that he won with an 11th-round TKO of Javier Fortuna in June? Sure, but that will go away if he somehow manages to upset Lomachenko (7-1, 5 KOs).
Talk about glory.
“We want to fight the best, and Lomachenko is the best in our weight division right now,” said Sosa, of Camden, N.J. “That’s what boxing is all about. At the end of the day, a world champion wants to take on a world champion.”
Sosa is good. His draw with the aforementioned Walters in December 2015 bears that out. But he won’t beat Lomachenko.
For the record, Sosa gave up the WBA’s “regular” title, not its “super” title. The organization is the only one that has had two titles for each weight class. It has vowed to eradicate all of its “regular” titles.
Broner no longer trash-talking?
Adrien Broner has had a big mouth during his career. He swears those days are behind him. No kidding.
He said as much Thursday at the final news conference for his welterweight fight Saturday against Adrian Granados at Cintas Center in Cincinnati (on Showtime).
“I know everyone is used to me coming up here and being boastful,” said Broner, of Cincinnati. “That’s not me anymore. I have a lot of respect for Adrian Granados and he’s a great fighter.
“A businessman that can fight. That’s what I am nowadays. I’m not a (expletive)-talker anymore.”
That’s a heck of a turnaround, assuming Broner keeps to that credo.
One thing’s for sure: He can fight.
Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) has won titles in four weight classes, but Granados (18-4-2, 12 KOs) is confident he can hand Broner his third loss.
“People that think I’m an underdog, don’t know me,” said Granados, of Cicero, Ill. “They don’t know the tricks I have up my sleeve.”
Etc.
• We’re a week out from the Feb. 25 heavyweight title fight between champion Deontay Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) of Tuscaloosa, Ala. and Gerald Washington (18-0-1, 12 KOs) of Vallejo from Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala. (on Fox).
• A week later, Keith “One Time” Thurman (27-0, 22 KOs) of Clearwater, Fla., and Danny Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs) of Philadelphia will tangle in a welterweight title-unification bout March 4 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on CBS).
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