Boxing: The Arrival of Vasyl Lomachenko

Highlights from @vasyllomachenko's KO victory over @Romancito77. Watch #MartinezLomachenko today at 11:30AM on @HBO.https://t.co/2gL0bhq5xG

— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) June 12, 2016

The arrival of Vasyl Lomachenko came in a dazzling display of art and violence when the Ukrainian boxer demolished the usually durable Rocky Martinez. The amateur standout became the fastest fighter ever to win world titles in two different weight classes. More importantly, it signaled that Lomachenko has effectively transitioned from an amateur standout to professional stud, and that’s downright scary for the rest of the boxing world.

After struggling with Orlando Salido’s weight and tactics en route to his first professional loss, Lomachenko has made the proper adjustments for a world without headgear. Against Martinez, he showcased a mature fighter who isn’t out to win on points. When he wants to, he will demolish opponents.

The footwork, angles and speed were stellar, leaving Martinez as little more than a stick in the mud that couldn’t keep up with Lomachenko. He was deadly accurate and put together wicked combinations that left his opponent blinded. The fifth-round knockout came in a flash as an uppercut-hook combination sank Martinez to the canvas for good.

Lomachenko is only seven fights into his professional career and, at the age of 28, it wouldn’t be premature to call him one of the most frighteningly exceptional fighters in all of boxing.

Widely regarded as the greatest amateur boxer ever, Lomachenko accumulated a 396-1 record and gold medals in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics before turning pro in 2013. During his World Amateur and Olympic runs, Lomachenko handily dispatched of some of boxing’s current up-and-comers, including Oscar Valdez, Jose Ramirez and Felix Verdejo.

But some fighters fail to transition to the professional ranks properly and end up boring their way through fights. (Here’s looking at you, Guillermo Rigondeaux.) Others just cannot point-fight their way through the professional ranks. Lomachenko is different, and there’s a reason why he’s been put in the ring with world-class competition immediately.

Watch 100+ Channels On Pluto TV

There’s really no reason to waste time with a talent like Lomachenko. Many thought the loss to Salido put the brakes on Lomachenko’s career, but all it did was teach him that professional boxing is a different beast. Were Salido and Lomachenko to meet again, it would likely be a totally different fight that would find Lomachenko outclassing Salido. The problems he dealt with in the first fight would be handled differently a second time around. With that being said, Salido needs to stay far, far away from Lomachenko. For that matter, the rest of the 130-pound division needs to be put on notice.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of dance partners for Lomachenko to prove himself against. A fight with Salido or Francisco Vargas would carry a lot of intrigue and would test Lomachenko’s heart against a pair of guys who refuse to quit. There’s also Javier Fortuna and Jose Pedraza. If he decided to bump up to lightweight, old foe Felix Verdejo awaits. There’s also Rances Barthelemy and Jorge Linares hanging around, as well as Dejan Zlaticanin, who just won the WBC world title.

It’s very hard to imagine any of these opponents giving Lomachenko much trouble. He’s far too polished for just about anyone in boxing. He’s arguably the most complete fighter in the sport right now. The advantages in angles, speed, power, fluidity, mobility and whatever else you can think of all belong to Lomachenko. There may be a fighter that’s faster than him, but not one as accurate. If power is the issue, Lomachenko can point-fight them to death. It’s scary to think about how good he could be if given the right opponents. There’s really no need to waste time feeding him subpar fighters just so he can get rounds in. He’s way past that.

Lomachenko is a unique combination of Roy Jones Jr. and Naseem Hamed, but he is also fundamentally sound. He looks like he fights with his hands down and puts himself in danger, but his footwork is impeccable and can get him out of danger in a hurry.

What’s not to like about the 28-year-old Ukrainian sensation? Well, I could be putting the cart before the horse, but it seems safe to say that boxing hasn’t seen anything like him in quite some time. Whether that translates into one of this generation’s greats has yet to be seen, but on the eye test alone, Lomachenko’s got what it takes.

Andreas Hale is the editorial content director of 2DopeBoyz.com, co-host of the boxing, MMA and pro wrestling podcast “The Corner” and a regular columnist for Sherdog.com. You can follow on Twitter for his random yet educated thoughts on combat sports, music, film and popular culture.