Nick Peet: Lomachenko vs Kambosos preview

WHEN the final punch has been thrown and boxing reflects on the fighting life of Vasyl Lomachenko it’s unlikely the Ukrainian master will receive the adulation his legacy deserves.

With 396 wins against a sole defeat, avenged twice, and a medal haul including two consecutive World and Olympic gold medals, Loma is the greatest amateur boxer the ring has ever seen.

But as he walks to the ring in Perth, Australia this weekend, aiming to become a two-time lightweight world champion, not a single pound-for-pound list in pro boxing bears his name.

Former undisputed champion, Aussie George Kambosos Jr, will be in the opposing corner on Sunday morning as Loma makes the walk for his 17th world title contest in 21 fights.

Already a three-weight world champion, at 36 Lomachenko continues to fight on the road against the toughest opponents possible, and yet his pro legacy is tainted by three defeats.

LOMA & KAMBOSOS FACE-OFF FOR OVER 3 MINUTES 🍿🍿🍿#LomaKambosos | MAY 11 | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/AjiDkmhP20

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 9, 2024

In the relatively new sport of mixed martial arts, fans and media appreciate losses are a part of a fighter’s journey and some of the biggest PPV stars in the UFC have dozens of defeats on their resumes.

But in modern day professional boxing (it never used to be this way) having a loss or two is strictly taboo.

Any respectable pound-for-pound list has the same three fighters at its summit, in one permutation or another; American welterweight Terence Crawford, Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue and Loma’s old roommate and now heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.

All three are unbeaten in their respective careers and are also multiple weight world champions.

In fact, only one fighter with losses on his card consistently places on most media and fan lists; Canelo Alvarez, who seemingly gets a pass as he topped most lists for the best part of a decade.

A technician unlike any other inside the ring ⚡#LomaKambosos | MAY 11 | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/BapUgMv7Yv

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 7, 2024

But when you crunch the numbers with the elite of today, Lomachenko’s stats are undeniable.

Inoue is the only P4P star who boasts world title fight numbers almost identical to Loma, both having fought for world titles in 81% of their career contests. Nobody else comes close.

Both Crawford or Usyk have fought more than half of their careers outside of world championship class, whilst Canelo his just over a third with just 25 world title matchups in 65 fights.

Canelo, incredibly, is a five-weight world champion, a feat only matched by Inoue. But Loma, like Crawford, has won world titles in three weight divisions.

Usyk, meanwhile, is commended for fighting his entire career outside of his homeland, unifying multiple weight titles on the road. Likewise, Loma too has never fought as a pro on Ukrainian soil.

But it’s those losses that seemingly deny him the respect his career deserves.

His first, in just his second pro fight, was a split decision in a world title fight. He bounced back to win that world title, setting a historic record, just 12 weeks later.

Both his 2020 defeat to Teofimo Lopez and last year’s points loss to Devin Haney were also equally as contentious, but also arrived up at lightweight, which is clearly not the Ukrainian’s natural weight division.

He’s giving away all the natural advantages to challenge himself – and admittedly maximise his income – and yet when the cards go against him so do boxing’s plaudits.

A win over former unified champion Kambosos will likely do little to return Lomachenko to the upper echelons of boxing’s leading list of stars.

But make no mistake, he’s one of the greatest champions ever to lace up the gloves and I’m backing him to put on another masterclass Down Under.

TIP: Lomachenko on Points

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