By: Sean Crose
As war continues to ravage his homeland, the legendary Vasyl Lomachenko returned to the ring on Saturday. After spending time back in Ukraine to join the effort against Russian forces, Lomachenko crossed the ropes at the Madison Square Garden Theater this weekend to fight for the first time in more than a year. His opponent? undefeated native Jamaine Ortiz of Massachusetts. A win would put Lomachenko in line for a major fight against one of the light division’s bigger names. A loss, to put it simply, will break you down. The fight is scheduled for 12 innings.
16-2 Lomachenko tries to get inside for the first time while 16-0-1 Ortiz uses a strong jab. Is Ortiz’s size advantage a problem for the gladiator known as Loma? Between rounds he clearly had a significant bruise near his right eye. The second round was interesting. Lomachenko fiercely lunged at him, but Ortiz was able to land well. Ortiz’s blistering shot continued to serve him well into the third inning, although Lomachenko was able to land well on several occasions.
The fourth game ended up being a brutal, high-octane affair, which Ortiz could have done with a series of late hits. The fifth part is three minutes of gripping action. Lomachenko is the better puncher, but Ortiz is much more proactive than the two boxers. Lomachenko proved to be very sharp in the sixth game, although Ortiz was most certain of the fight. In season seven, Ortiz develops a bruise around his eye. However, is Lomachenko dynamic enough to win the innings?
The eighth bout was loud, looking more like a brawl than a showdown between two highly skilled boxers. The ninth saw each man slow down a little. The problem, however, is Ortiz’s belligerence versus Lomachenko’s accuracy. Finally the tenth also saw Lomachenko emerge to dominate. The man’s perseverance paid off? Round 11 looked like many in the past, with Loma attacking and Ortiz trying to get him in. The twelfth and final inning saw Lomachenko continue to shoot sharp while Ortiz attempted to land effectively on his men.
The judges ultimately handed down the verdict to Lomachenko by unanimous decision.
