CLASSY TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST TO BOOST BRADLEY-MARQUEZ UNDERCARD
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 22 Sep 2013
The two fighters who beat ?Fighter of the Decade? Manny Pacquiao ? Timothy ?Desert Storm? Bradley and Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez got a boost to their title fight at the Thomas and Mack Center on October 13, Manila Time, with the debut of two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl ?The Great? Lomachenko.
The classy Ukranian who has been often described as the best amateur by the AIBA headed by its president Dr. Wu Kou-Ching had hoped that Lomachenko would be in action in the 2016 Brazil Olympics where AIBA has been batting for the inclusion of pro boxers which has come under bitter criticism from the world?s major pro boxing organizations as well as fighters, managers and promoters.
The astute promoter Bob Arum however, signed the top amateur not long after he recruited another two-time Olympic gold medalist and the most popular fighter in China, Zou Shi Ming.
Lomachenko will make his featherweight pro debut against Jose Luis Ramirez of M?xico who is a southpaw with a record of 25-3 with 15 knockouts and in his last fight scored a twelve round split decision of the Philippines Rey ?Boom Boom? Bautista to win the WBO International title will be showcased on the undercard of the eagerly awaited showdown between Bradley who beat Pacquiao in a hugely controversial decision and Marquez who won by a shocking 6th round knockout last December 8.
Giant broadcast network ABS-CBN will telecast the fights ?live? on The Filipino Channel which is widely-watched globally but particularly in the middle-east.
Boxrec.com?s profile says Lomachenko won the Featherweight Olympic Gold medal and was awarded the prestigious Val Barker Trophy for the most 'outstanding boxer' at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Vasyl went on to win the gold medal at the 2009 World Amateur Championships, where he only conceded 7 points in the whole tournament. Also in 2009, Lomachenko won the gold medal at the European Amateur Championships. In 2011, Lomachenko moved up to the lightweight division where he captured the gold medal at the World Amateur Championships. In 2012, he won the Olympic Gold medal at the Olympic Games in London, England.
He finished his amateur career with a career record of 396-1, with his only loss avenged twice. Former Olympic gold medalist Istvan Kovacs said of Lomachenko, ?Thank God there was no Lomachenko in my division at the time, I never saw a fighter like him before.?
After winning the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, Lomachenko entered the World Series of Boxing 2012/2013 as a lightweight representing the Ukraine Ottomans, where he amassed a record of 6-0 in 5-round bouts, scoring knockdowns on most of his opponents.
Photo: Two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasyl Lomachenko flexes his muscles upon his arrival at the Tom Bradley International Airport in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon. Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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