Vasiliy Lomachenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vasiliy LomachenkoВасиль Ломаченко |
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Lomachenko in 2012
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| Rated at |
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| Height | 5 ft 7 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 65+1/2 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 February 1988 Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) |
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| Stance | Southpaw | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Vasiliy Anatolyevich Lomachenko (born 17 February 1988) is a famous Ukrainian professional boxer. He has won many world boxing titles in three different weight classes: featherweight, super featherweight, and lightweight. Since May 2024, he has held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) lightweight title. He was also a unified champion and The Ring magazine champion at lightweight.
Lomachenko is known as one of the most successful amateur boxers ever. He had an amazing record of 396 wins and only 1 loss. He even got revenge for that one loss twice! He won a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships. He also won gold medals at the 2008 European Championships, the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and the 2009 and 2011 World Championships.
He started his professional boxing career in 2013. In only his third professional fight, he won a world title. This tied a record for winning a world title in the fewest fights. People know him for his amazing hand speed, perfect timing, accuracy, and quick footwork.
Many sports groups have given him awards. The Ring and ESPN named him "Prospect of the Year" in 2013. CBS Sports and HBO Sports called him "Boxer of the Year" in 2016. In 2017, the Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring named him "Fighter of the Year."
As of May 2024, The Ring and ESPN rank Lomachenko as the best active lightweight boxer in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Vasiliy Lomachenko's father, Anatoly Lomachenko, was his boxing coach from a very young age. Vasiliy once said that if his father hadn't been a boxing coach, he might have become a professional ice hockey player. Interestingly, his father made him take traditional Ukrainian dance classes and gymnastics before he could even start boxing.
Amateur Boxing Success
Lomachenko had an incredible amateur boxing career. In 2007, he won a silver medal at the World Championships in Chicago. He lost only one fight there, to Albert Selimov, but he would later beat Selimov twice.
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he won a gold medal. He beat his opponents by a huge point difference, showing how skilled he was. He was even named the best boxer of the tournament and won the Val Barker Trophy. That same year, he also won gold at the European Championships.
He continued his winning streak at the World Championships. He won gold in 2009 in Milan. Then, in 2011, he moved up to the lightweight division and won his second gold medal at the World Championships in Baku. This made him a two-weight world champion as an amateur.
In 2012, he won his second Olympic gold medal at the London Games. This made him a rare two-weight Olympic champion. He was a strong candidate to win the Val Barker Trophy again, but another boxer, Serik Sapiyev, won it instead.
Lomachenko finished his amateur career with an amazing record of 396 wins and only one loss. Many boxing fans consider him one of the greatest amateur boxers of all time.
Professional Boxing Journey
After winning his second Olympic gold medal, Lomachenko decided to become a professional boxer. He signed a contract with Top Rank, a big boxing promoter. His first professional fight was on October 12, 2013, where he won by knockout in the fourth round.
Featherweight Champion
Lomachenko tried to make history by winning a world championship in only his second professional fight. He challenged Orlando Salido for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title. Salido, however, did not make the correct weight, so the title became empty. Lomachenko lost this fight by a close decision. He learned a lot from this experience and promised to come back stronger.
On June 21, 2014, Lomachenko fought Gary Russell Jr. for the empty WBO featherweight title. He won the fight by decision, becoming a world champion in only his third professional fight. This tied the record for the fastest boxer to win a world title.
He defended his featherweight title several times. He beat Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo in Macau, even after injuring his hand during the fight. He also defeated Gamalier Rodríguez and Romulo Koasicha, showing his speed and skill.
Moving Up to Junior Lightweight
After successfully defending his featherweight title three times, Lomachenko decided to move up to the junior lightweight division. On June 11, 2016, he challenged Román Martínez for his WBO title. Lomachenko won by knockout in the fifth round. This made him the fastest boxer to win world titles in two different weight divisions.
Later that year, he defended his title against Nicholas Walters. Lomachenko showed his amazing movement and punching skills, and Walters decided not to continue the fight after the seventh round.
In 2017, Lomachenko continued to dominate. He defended his WBO title against Jason Sosa and Miguel Marriaga. Both opponents stopped fighting before the end of the match because Lomachenko was too strong. After his win against Marriaga, boxing promoter Bob Arum even compared Lomachenko to the legendary Muhammad Ali!
His last fight at junior lightweight was against Guillermo Rigondeaux on December 9, 2017. Rigondeaux was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a very skilled boxer. Lomachenko won the fight when Rigondeaux stopped fighting after the sixth round, saying he had injured his hand. This was Lomachenko's fourth opponent in a row to stop fighting on their stool.
Becoming a Lightweight Champion
In 2018, Lomachenko moved up to the lightweight division. On May 12, 2018, he fought Jorge Linares for the WBA (Super) and The Ring lightweight titles. Lomachenko was knocked down in the sixth round, but he recovered and won the fight by TKO in the tenth round with a powerful body shot. This made him the fastest fighter ever to win titles in three different weight classes.
On December 8, 2018, Lomachenko fought José Pedraza to unify the WBA (Super) and WBO lightweight titles. He won by a clear decision, dropping Pedraza twice in the eleventh round. This was the first time Lomachenko unified titles in a weight division.
He continued to defend his titles. On April 12, 2019, he stopped Anthony Crolla in the fourth round. Then, on August 31, 2019, he faced fellow Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell in London. Lomachenko won by a clear decision, adding the vacant WBC lightweight title to his collection.
Challenges and Comebacks
On October 17, 2020, Lomachenko fought Teófimo López in a big unification fight. Lomachenko lost this fight by decision, which was only his second professional loss. After the fight, he had surgery on his right shoulder.
He made a strong comeback on June 26, 2021, defeating Masayoshi Nakatani by TKO in the ninth round. He then fought Richard Commey on December 11, 2021, winning by a clear decision.
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Lomachenko returned to his home country to help with the war effort. He was given permission to leave Ukraine for a fight, but he chose to stay and fight for his country instead.
He returned to the ring on October 29, 2022, winning a competitive fight against Jamaine Ortiz by decision. This win set him up for a big fight against undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.
On May 20, 2023, Lomachenko fought Devin Haney for all the lightweight titles. It was a very close fight, with both boxers landing good punches. Many people thought Lomachenko had done enough to win, especially in the later rounds. However, the judges gave the win to Haney by a close decision. Lomachenko's team later said they would appeal the result because they believed he won. Despite the loss, many praised Lomachenko for his amazing performance against a younger and bigger opponent.
On May 12, 2024, Lomachenko fought George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF lightweight title in Australia. Lomachenko put on a dominant performance, winning by TKO in the eleventh round after dropping Kambosos twice with body shots. This victory made him a world champion again!
Recently, there were talks about a big fight between Lomachenko and Gervonta Davis. However, Lomachenko's manager announced in July 2024 that Lomachenko decided to take a break to spend time with his family and would not fight again until the end of the year.
Personal Life
Vasiliy Lomachenko is married to Olena, and they have two children. He lives in Camarillo, California, and trains in nearby Oxnard, but his permanent home is in Ukraine.
He has a tattoo of his father and trainer, Anatoly Lomachenko, on his body.
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lomachenko joined the Ukrainian army to help defend his hometown. He flew to Romania and then traveled into Ukraine to join the local defense group. He followed other famous Ukrainian boxers, like the Klitschko brothers, who also pledged to protect their country.
Fighting Style
Lomachenko is famous for his unique and exciting fighting style. He is known for his amazing footwork, which allows him to move around the ring very quickly. He also has great head movement, speed, and can switch between different boxing stances easily. He has said that his boxing inspirations include legends like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Roy Jones Jr.
Professional Boxing Record
| 21 fights | 18 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 12 | 0 |
| By decision | 6 | 3 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Win | 18–3 | George Kambosos Jr | TKO | 11 (12), 2:49 | 12 May 2024 | RAC Arena, Perth, Australia | Won vacant IBF lightweight title |
| 20 | Loss | 17–3 | Devin Haney | UD | 12 | 20 May 2023 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, US | For WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles |
| 19 | Win | 17–2 | Jamaine Ortiz | UD | 12 | 29 Oct 2022 | Hulu Theater, New York City, New York, US | |
| 18 | Win | 16–2 | Richard Commey | UD | 12 | 11 Dec 2021 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US | Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title |
| 17 | Win | 15–2 | Masayoshi Nakatani | TKO | 9 (12), 1:48 | 26 Jun 2021 | Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, US | |
| 16 | Loss | 14–2 | Teofimo Lopez | UD | 12 | 17 Oct 2020 | MGM Grand Conference Center, Paradise, Nevada, US | Lost WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles; For IBF lightweight title |
| 15 | Win | 14–1 | Luke Campbell | UD | 12 | 31 Aug 2019 | The O2 Arena, London, England | Retained WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles; Won vacant WBC lightweight title |
| 14 | Win | 13–1 | Anthony Crolla | KO | 4 (12), 0:58 | 12 Apr 2019 | Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, US | Retained WBA (Super), WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles |
| 13 | Win | 12–1 | José Pedraza | UD | 12 | 8 Dec 2018 | Hulu Theater, New York City, New York, US | Retained WBA (Super) and The Ring lightweight titles; Won WBO lightweight title |
| 12 | Win | 11–1 | Jorge Linares | TKO | 10 (12), 2:08 | 12 May 2018 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US | Won WBA (Super) and The Ring lightweight titles |
| 11 | Win | 10–1 | Guillermo Rigondeaux | RTD | 6 (12), 3:00 | 9 Dec 2017 | The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US | Retained WBO junior lightweight title |
| 10 | Win | 9–1 | Miguel Marriaga | RTD | 7 (12), 3:00 | 5 Aug 2017 | Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California, US | Retained WBO junior lightweight title |
| 9 | Win | 8–1 | Jason Sosa | RTD | 9 (12), 3:00 | 8 Apr 2017 | MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland, US | Retained WBO junior lightweight title |
| 8 | Win | 7–1 | Nicholas Walters | RTD | 7 (12), 3:00 | 26 Nov 2016 | Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, US | Retained WBO junior lightweight title |
| 7 | Win | 6–1 | Román Martínez | KO | 5 (12), 1:09 | 11 Jun 2016 | The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US | Won WBO junior lightweight title |
| 6 | Win | 5–1 | Romulo Koasicha | KO | 10 (12), 2:35 | 7 Nov 2015 | Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, US | Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 5 | Win | 4–1 | Gamalier Rodríguez | KO | 9 (12), 0:50 | 2 May 2015 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, US | Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 4 | Win | 3–1 | Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo | UD | 12 | 22 Nov 2014 | Cotai Arena, Macau, SAR | Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 3 | Win | 2–1 | Gary Russell Jr. | MD | 12 | 21 Jun 2014 | StubHub Center, Carson, California, US | Won vacant WBO featherweight title |
| 2 | Loss | 1–1 | Orlando Salido | SD | 12 | 1 Mar 2014 | Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, US | For vacant WBO featherweight title |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | José Luis Ramírez | KO | 4 (10), 2:59 | 12 Oct 2013 | Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, US | Won WBO International featherweight title |
Boxing Awards
- Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year: 2017
- Sugar Ray Robinson Award: 2017
- WBN Fighter of the Year: 2016
See also
In Spanish: Vasyl Lomachenko para niños
- List of featherweight boxing champions
- List of super-featherweight boxing champions
- List of lightweight boxing champions
- List of boxing triple champions
