I CAN’T recall the last time people got so excited to see a fighter with only 10 pro fights to his name, perform on top of the ring.
Of course we know that Vasyl Lomachenko (10-1, 8 KOs) is one of the most accomplished amateur boxers in history, having amassed an incredible record of 396-1.
But the professional ranks are an entirely different matter and we have seen talented fighters coming from the amateur ranks fall by the wayside once the level of competition increased.
Roy Jones Jr and Floyd Mayweather Jr.--two of the most dominant professional fighters we have seen in recent years--both had stellar amateur backgrounds.
Jones was robbed of a gold medal finish in the 1988 Olympics, while Floyd was a bronze medalist in the 1996 Olympics.
Yet, it wasn’t until Jones fought and defeated Bernard Hopkins in his 22nd fight that the boxing world took notice.
It also took Floyd 25 fights for him to gain acceptance as a potential pound-for-pound entrant when he outclassed the late Diego Corrales.
Yet here we are going ga-ga over Loma in only his 11th outing.
LINARES. Attempting the impossible will be Jorge Linares (44-3, 27 KOs), a tough , no-nonsense banger who likes to stand in front of opponents and trade.
Linares will have the size advantage here but that’s about it. Everything else tilts in favor of the talented Ukranian.
In his last outing, Linares defeated our very own Mercita Gesta who gave a good account of himself, but against Loma--currently among the top 3 in most pound-for-pound lists--Linares will be outgunned and outclassed.
It could be interesting in the first three rounds as Loma tries figure Linares out, but once he gets a good feel of the distance and the angles, he’ll eventually flummox Linares into submission on or before the 9th round.
VERBATIM. “He (Lomachenko) is an elite fighter, and an elite amateur fighter, but as a professional he continues to learn”- Jorge Linares (www.boxingscene.com)
LAST ROUND. It’s on my Baby Ate, Jenya Mary Louise who just entered her teens. Cheers baby!