by Cliff Rold

The rapid ascent of Vasyl Lomachenko is boxing’s professional ranks takes another step. Most assume he’ll win. That assumption would be there against anyone currently rated at Jr. lightweight.

It might not be true. Boxing is a funny sport. Jason Sosa is a solid enough guy and stranger things have happened.

It’s enough to say Sosa is fighting a mystique as much as an opponent this weekend. While Lomachenko has a long way to go in crossing over into mainstream acclaim, amongst some corners of the boxing universe he has taken on the sort of aura a Roy Jones once had. Even with an early loss to Orlando Salido, there is open wondering about whether anyone around his weight can seriously compete.

Jason Sosa thinks he can. We’ll find out Saturday (HBO, 10 PM EST/7 PM PST). 

Let’s go the report card.

The Ledger

Vasyl Lomachenko

Age: 29

Title: WBO super featherweight (2016-Present, 1 Defense)

Previous Titles: WBO featherweight (2014-16, 3 Defenses)

Height: 5’7

Weight: 129 ½ lbs.

Hails from: Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine

Record: 7-1, 5 KO (13-1, 5 KO including World Series of Boxing Contests)?

Record in Major Title Fights: 6-1, 4 KO

Rankings: #1 (BoxingScene, TBRB, ESPN, Ring, BoxRec, Boxing Monthly)

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 3 (Orlando Salido L12; Gary Russell Jr. MD12; Roman Martinez KO5; Nicholas Walters RTD7)

Vs.

Jason Sosa

Age: 25

Title: WBA ‘regular’ Super Featherweight (2016-Present, 1 Defense)

Previous Titles: None

Height: 5’5

Weight: 130 lbs.

Hails from: Camden, New Jersey

Record: 20-1-4, 15 KO?

Record in Major Title Fights: 2-0-1, 1 KO

Rankings: #4 (Boxing Monthly), #5 (BoxingScene, BoxRec), #7 (TBRB), #10 (ESPN, Ring)

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 2 (Nicholas Walters D10; Javier Fortuna TKO11 – Fortuna held the sub-WBA title at 130 lbs; Jezreel Corrales was the higher regarded WBA “Super” champion)

Grades

Pre-Fight: Speed – Lomachenko A; Sosa B

Pre-Fight: Power –Lomachenko B+; Sosa B+

Pre-Fight: Defense – Lomachenko A; Sosa B

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Lomachenko A; Sosa B+

Watching recent fights from both men, it might hard for some to see where Sosa’s real chances for victory lie. He’s proven to be a tough young pro. This isn’t about whether he can fight. While Nicholas Walters appeared to earn the decision against him, ultimately ruled a draw, Sosa gave a good account. He showed toughness in coming off the floor to stop the previously undefeated Fortuna.

Sosa has good fundamentals, remembers his jab, and isn’t reckless. He presses the fight and attacks the body hard. Against most of the division, he’s live.

Against Lomachenko, there are some issues to deal with the rest of the division doesn’t present. The gap in speed looks to be sizable here. So is the gap in fluidity. Lomachenko is an expert boxer who gives very little for opponents to hit. It doesn’t matter whether he’s using lateral movement or staying right in the pocket. Lomachenko’s head and foot movement, and blocking ability, are superb.

Since the Salido fight, he’s settled in more to the pro style though he could still probably do more to sit down on his shots. Outside of the Martinez win, Lomachenko hasn’t seemed to fully unleash the offensive side of his arsenal. He’s so good at winning rounds that it might take away at times from his winning fans. With so few fights, that’s something that will come in time.

It’s not like he’s not getting stoppages. He’s just getting them later than he might with a bit more fire and risk. Sosa has been stopped before, though not since his fifth fight in 2010, and been on the floor. Given the aggression he employs, this could be a night where Lomachenko could concussively delight the crowd but that would also give Sosa chances.

Regardless, this is the third top ten-type opponent in a row for Lomachenko in a career already packed with them. Sosa has fought his way up the hard way and it makes for a fun side to the story. Lomachenko, one of the great international amateurs, has pursued professionalism in a hard way not seen often in the west. That’s a different kind of fun.

The Pick

Lomachenko has more speed, better technique, and despite having fewer fights has faced the higher level of overall competition. Sosa is a good contender/beltholder type in the current class but Lomachenko seems above the fray when it comes to the averages there. This feels less about whether he will win and more about how. Will Lomachenko pick away and slowly dissolve Sosa or does he go for the statement win? The thinking here is Sosa will give the openings for the latter. The pick is Lomachenko by stoppage.

Report Card and Staff Picks 2017: 6-6 

Cliff’s Notes…

This isn’t the only title fight happening Saturday…In the UK, the pick is Terry Flanagan to hold onto the WBO lightweight title with a decision over Petr Petrov in a TV friendly fight. There may even be some controversy when the scores are read…In the HBO co-feature, cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk will face another fellow Olympian in American Michael Hunter in a fight that might steal the show. These two just missed each other at the 2012 Games, Hunter losing to Artur Beterbiev on a tiebreaker one fight before Usyk eliminated Beterbiev. Usyk has fought the better pros to date and attempts his second WBO defense. Hunter sometimes has sloppy feet but he’s quick and he can crack. The pick is Usyk to win but it may end up the closest fight of his career to now. 

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com