Vasiliy Lomachenko: record, next fight and profile →
The chief support to the welterweight showdown between Timothy Bradley and Bradley Rios is now officially set. Featherweight titlist Vasyl Lomachenko was always a part of the show, but now has a confirmed opponent as he will defend versus Mexico's Romulo Koasicha. Both bouts will air live on HBO. The show takes place November 7 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Former champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (24-1, 17KOs) is hoping to return to the ring before the year is over. At the moment, the Olympic gold medal winner is resolving his promotional situation. On paper Gamboa is promoted by SMS Promotions, which is owned by rapper Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson. A few months ago, Jackson's promotional company filed for bankruptcy. Gamboa is negotiating the terms of his release from SMS and then plans to work with a new promoter.
27-year-old Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko, who holds the WBO world featherweight championship, says WBA/WBO junior featherweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba, 34-years-old, has refused to fight him. The two Olympic champions have been trading messages on the social networks, calling each other out to fight.
The last we saw of Brandon 'Bam Bam' Rios he was crushing the remnants of Mike Alvarado on January 24th. He's been dormant since but it looks like he has his next assignment from Top Rank. "Well, I can't really talk about it till next week but you'll be pleasantly surprised and it'll be in your backyard," said the head of Top Rank, Bob Arum to BoxingScene.com on Wednesday afternoon.
Trainer Freddie Roach would love to see a battle of world champions between two of the best amateur fighters in history Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2KOs) and Guillermo Rigondeaux (15-0, 10KOs). Each boxer has captured two Olympic gold medals. Lomachenko is the WBO's champion at featherweight and Rigondeaux has the WBA/WBO world titles at super bantamweight.
WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2KOs) has placed Guillermo Rigondeaux (15-0, 10KOs) in an awkward position - by aggressively pursing a fight with the Cuban WBA/WBO super bantamweight champion. Talk of the two fighting, both with remarkable amateur records and two Olympic gold medals on their ledger, has gone on for some time. Lomachenko has spoken to his promoter Top Rank, who are willing to put up a six figure sum for both fighters - with an additional $500 thousand to the winner.
If a person can name a single fight he's waiting wholeheartedly for, many will demand to see a showdown between arguably the two best amateur fighters of the modern era (if not ever) – now in the paid ranks. Both WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2 KOs) and Super WBA and WBO super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (15-0, 10 KOs) has been on the collision course over a year since Lomachenko’s record-tying victory over Gary Russell Jr. for a world crown in his third professional fight.
27-year-old Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2KOs) of Ukraine is still being positioned to make a defense of his WBO featherweight championship in the fall. Lomachenko was initially being mentioned as a likely candidate for Top Rank's planned event in Dubai. That plan may have changed as the champion's manager, Egis Klimas, says HBO is ready to set down a televised date for Lomachenko in November - for a big fight.
World champion Lee Selby does not believe Josh Warrington has the requisite class to succeed at the top of the featherweight division. Selby seized the IBF title in May from Evgeny Gradovich, out-boxing the champion until a cut eye forced the referee to stop the fight in the eighth round and go to the scorecards which were overwhelmingly in the Welshman's favour. In his preceding bout, the 28-year-old Barry fighter dispatched Australia's Joel Brunker - who Warrington takes on live on Sky Sports on September 5 - inside nine rounds.
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas - Manager Egis Klimas says his fighter, WBO featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1, 2KOs), is ready to face any of the other beltholders at 126-pounds. Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, is going to return in the fall. One possibility is to have him defend his title as part of Top Rank's planned event in Dubai - which has a tentative date of November 21st.