Latest news with #Lomachenko
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Boxing great Vasiliy Lomachenko retires after more than 400 wins
Boxing great Vasiliy Lomachenko retires after more than 400 wins (This story originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports.) Two-time Olympic boxing champion Vasiliy Lomachenko has announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 37. Lomachenko won gold for Ukraine in the featherweight division at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, and followed it up with a gold in the lightweight division at the 2012 Games in London. Widely considered to be one of the greatest amateur boxers in history, he amassed a record of 396-1 before turning pro in 2013. "I'm grateful for every victory and every defeat, both in the ring and in life," Lomachenko said in a video posted on Instagram Thursday. "I'm thankful that, as my career comes to an end, I've gained clarity about the direction a person must take in order to achieve true victory, not just in the ring." As a professional, Lomachenko won world titles in three different divisions, but lost a controversial decision to Devin Haney in 2023 in a bid to regain the undisputed world lightweight title. Known by nicknames such as "The Matrix" and "Hi-Tech," Lomachenko's final fight came in May 2024, when he stopped Australian George Kambosos Jr. in the 11th round, running his professional record to 18-3.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Vasyl Lomachenko Announces His Retirement From Boxing
On Thursday, 37-year-old IBF lightweight champion and future Hall-of-Famer Vasyl Lomachenko officially announced his retirement from boxing. He leaves the pro ranks with an 18-3, 12 KOs record, but an amateur mark that was an unfathomable 396-1. Lomachenko will vacate the IBF strap, and the governing body will likely push for a bout to settle their title in the next few months. Loma's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank posted a tribute to him on X. Lomachenko turned pro in 2013, and he could have elected to fight tomato cans to pad his record, but he didn't. The masterful Ukrainian southpaw went directly into world-title contention from Olympic glory in a way that we've rarely seen. After winning two Olympic golds in two different weight classes, he came to the pro ranks with hoopla and a target on his back. Loma quickly validated the hype as he tore through competition from the outset. By his third pro fight, he was a world champion at featherweight. By his seventh, he won a title in a second division. And for most of the next five years, Lomachenko made elite fighters quit—literally. 'No Más Chenko' earned his filthy nickname by making opponents like Nicholas Walters, Guillermo Rigondeaux, and Jason Sosa decide mid-fight that it wasn't worth continuing. Lomachenko, who was trained in classical dance to augment his footwork, was among the most graceful fighters of his era. But as dazzling as his footwork, angles, and punch selection were, the timeline was always against him for a long pro career. Lomachenko didn't turn pro until he was nearly 26. Completely aware of his timeline, he moved through divisions fast, chasing history and world titles. Unfortunately, injuries—especially to his right shoulder—began to catch up. Lomachenko's loss to Teofimo Lopez in 2020, after a year of inactivity during the pandemic, marked a turning point. He waited too long to flip the switch in that fight. The younger, bigger Lopez banked early rounds and held on to claim the victory. After that, Loma recovered and had noteworthy success, even though some of the aura was gone. He stopped Masayoshi Nakatani and defeated Richard Commey convincingly on points. He recovered from a slow start against Jamaine Ortiz to earn a win. But the big goal—undisputed lightweight glory—slipped through his fingers in a razor-close loss to Devin Haney in May 2023. Many believed he deserved the nod that night, but the judges didn't see it his way. Lomachenko rebounded again with one of his best performances in years against George Kambosos Jr., dismantling the Aussie and claiming the IBF title at 135. It was a retirement fight disguised as a bounce-back. While he didn't make the decision immediately and he entertained the thought of a fight with Gervonta Davis, that win allowed him to leave the sport with something in hand. Lomachenko's decision to step away comes with a full résumé. Two Olympic gold medals. Four world titles in three divisions. It's good to see a fighter leave the sport on his terms. If you're wondering who will fight for the vacant title, it makes sense for the winner of No. 3 Andy Cruz and No. 5 Hiroshi Mishiro to face No. 4 Mark Magsayo for the vacant title later this year.
3 days ago
- Sport
Olympic star, 3-time pro champion Vasiliy Lomachenko announces retirement from boxing
Vasiliy Lomachenko has announced his retirement from boxing after a decorated career that included two Olympic gold medals and professional world titles in three weight classes. Lomachenko announced his decision with a video on social media Thursday. 'I am grateful for every victory and every defeat, both in the ring and in life,' Lomachenko said. 'I'm thankful that as my career comes to an end, I've gained clarity about the direction a person must take in order to achieve true victory." The Ukrainian star burst onto the international boxing scene at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, when the 20-year-old prospect steamrolled the competition. He showed off athleticism, footwork and ring intelligence far beyond his years, clearly marking himself as a once-in-a-generation talent. But he eschewed the professional sport and returned to win gold at the London Games four years later alongside Oleksandr Usyk, his close friend and the future undisputed professional world heavyweight champion. After going 396-1 as an amateur, Lomachenko finally embarked on a pro career largely spent in the U.S. Lomachenko won the WBO featherweight title in his third professional fight in June 2014, beating Gary Russell Jr. after ordering his promoters to get him a near-immediate title shot after turning pro. He won the junior lightweight belt in 2016 by stopping Román Martínez, and he added the WBA lightweight world title in 2018, stopping Jorge Linares. Lomachenko finished his pro career 18-3 with 12 stoppage victories, incurring late-career decision losses to Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney. 'It's been an honor for all of us at Top Rank to promote the pro boxing career of Vasiliy Lomachenko," said Bob Arum, Lomachenko's U.S. promoter. "He was a generational champion, and we will all miss his participation in the sport.' Lomachenko paused his career for several months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and he has fought only three times since 2021. He stopped George Kambosos Jr. in the 11th round of his final bout in May 2024.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Olympic star, 3-time pro champion Vasiliy Lomachenko announces retirement from boxing
Vasiliy Lomachenko has announced his retirement from boxing after a decorated career that included two Olympic gold medals and professional world titles in three weight classes. Lomachenko announced his decision with a video on social media Thursday. 'I am grateful for every victory and every defeat, both in the ring and in life,' Lomachenko said. 'I'm thankful that as my career comes to an end, I've gained clarity about the direction a person must take in order to achieve true victory.' The Ukrainian star burst onto the international boxing scene at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, when the 20-year-old prospect steamrolled the competition. He showed off athleticism, footwork and ring intelligence far beyond his years, clearly marking himself as a once-in-a-generation talent. But he eschewed the professional sport and returned to win gold at the London Games four years later alongside Oleksandr Usyk, his close friend and the future undisputed professional world heavyweight champion. After going 396-1 as an amateur, Lomachenko finally embarked on a pro career largely spent in the U.S. Lomachenko won the WBO featherweight title in his third professional fight in June 2014, beating Gary Russell Jr. after ordering his promoters to get him a near-immediate title shot after turning pro. He won the junior lightweight belt in 2016 by stopping Román Martínez, and he added the WBA lightweight world title in 2018, stopping Jorge Linares. Lomachenko finished his pro career 18-3 with 12 stoppage victories, incurring late-career decision losses to Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney. 'It's been an honor for all of us at Top Rank to promote the pro boxing career of Vasiliy Lomachenko,' said Bob Arum, Lomachenko's U.S. promoter. 'He was a generational champion, and we will all miss his participation in the sport.' Lomachenko paused his career for several months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and he has fought only three times since 2021. He stopped George Kambosos Jr. in the 11th round of his final bout in May 2024. ___ AP boxing:
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Olympic star, 3-time pro champion Vasiliy Lomachenko announces retirement from boxing
Vasiliy Lomachenko has announced his retirement from boxing after a decorated career that included two Olympic gold medals and professional world titles in three weight classes. Lomachenko announced his decision with a video on social media Thursday. 'I am grateful for every victory and every defeat, both in the ring and in life,' Lomachenko said. 'I'm thankful that as my career comes to an end, I've gained clarity about the direction a person must take in order to achieve true victory." The Ukrainian star burst onto the international boxing scene at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, when the 20-year-old prospect steamrolled the competition. He showed off athleticism, footwork and ring intelligence far beyond his years, clearly marking himself as a once-in-a-generation talent. But he eschewed the professional sport and returned to win gold at the London Games four years later alongside Oleksandr Usyk, his close friend and the future undisputed professional world heavyweight champion. After going 396-1 as an amateur, Lomachenko finally embarked on a pro career largely spent in the U.S. Lomachenko won the WBO featherweight title in his third professional fight in June 2014, beating Gary Russell Jr. after ordering his promoters to get him a near-immediate title shot after turning pro. He won the junior lightweight belt in 2016 by stopping Román Martínez, and he added the WBA lightweight world title in 2018, stopping Jorge Linares. Lomachenko finished his pro career 18-3 with 12 stoppage victories, incurring late-career decision losses to Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney. 'It's been an honor for all of us at Top Rank to promote the pro boxing career of Vasiliy Lomachenko," said Bob Arum, Lomachenko's U.S. promoter. "He was a generational champion, and we will all miss his participation in the sport.' Lomachenko paused his career for several months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and he has fought only three times since 2021. He stopped George Kambosos Jr. in the 11th round of his final bout in May 2024. ___
