By Alexey Sukachev
Vasyl Lomachenko, the best active amateur fighter for the last several years, considered by some to be the greatest boxer ever to lace up gloves at unpaid ranks, was a vital part of a huge success for his team "Ukrainian Otamans". The Ukrainian franchise became the first finalist of this season of the World Series of Boxing, a semi-pro tourney, conducted by the AIBA, by beating the "Italian Thunder" 5-0, thus hugely overturning the score following a convincing (1-4) away loss.
Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic champion and a two-time world titlist, looked as dominant as ever against an old rival in Italian veteran Domenico Valentino, sweeping all five rounds with visible ease: 50-45 - on all three cards. Adding points to the team's score were: bantamweight Nikolay Butsenko (on a walkover), middleweight Dmitry Mitrofanov (48:47, 48:47 and 49:46), light heavyweight Olexander Gvozdyk (47:48, 48:47 and 48:47) and heavyweight Rostislav Arkhipenko (48:47 x3).
The "Ukrainian Otamans" will now compete in the final, which will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, on May 10 and May 11. The second finalist will be defined on April 20 in a heated collision between the Kazakh team ("Astana Arlans") and their Mexican counterparts from "Mexico Guerreros". Meanwhile, lightweight megastar Lomachenko is expected to make an announcement, regarding his future plans, after the finish of this season of the WSB, still fueling numerous fans, who are eager to see him at pro ranks.
