By: Sean Crose
How quickly do we forget. Not long ago there was a time when the boxing community was regularly informed that Vasyl Lomachenko was probably the greatest boxer ever. That was never. And, sure enough, the Ukrainian is absolutely, truly a boxer’s hell. Just ask Guillermo Rigondioux, Nicolas Walters, or Jason Sosa or Miguel Marriaga, all four of them left unfinished when faced with the man known as “Hi Tech” due to his advanced training methods and ability to turn opponents. like faucet. However, times have changed and so has Lomachenko’s reputation.
Of course he’s older now. And although 34 is no longer old in boxing, it is not young either. Lomachenko also lost his last big fight, a close battle with Teofimo Lopez emerging then. It was a match that Lomachenko could conceivably have avoided or stopped indefinitely. However, he agreed to fight the older, younger Lopez and was defeated in a close but decisive manner. Now, two years and two games later, Lomachenko is gearing up for his first bout in nearly a year when he takes on the undefeated Jamaine Ortiz this Saturday night at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden.
If Lomachenko wins as expected this weekend, chances are he’ll soon be up against undisputed lightweight champion Devan Haney. After all, both fighters have ambitions and both fighters perform in the same battle for the Top Rated. With that said, Lomachenko could very well enter a match against Haney as the underdog. Haney is older, younger, and extremely good. On top of that, lightweight has never been Lomachenko’s best division. The lightweight Junior seems to be more suitable for the man’s size. Of course Lomachenko wouldn’t have to worry about Haney if he was upset by Ortiz on Saturday night.
Although not much known, Ortiz 16-0-1 defeated former famous player Jamel Herring last spring in a match that proved to be the final battle of Herring’s career. 26-year-old Ortiz is also significantly younger than Lomachenko 16-2. On top of that, the Ortiz is an inch taller than its premium rival, and has a significantly longer range. However, this is the Lomachenko we are talking about here. He may have been overrated, but there’s no doubt that man is an all-time great. However, is he still at or close to his peak? That’s what the world could find out this weekend in New York.
