Promoter Bob Arum heralded Vasiliy Lomachenko as one of the all-time greats following his 11th-round stoppage win over George Kambosos Jr. in Australia on Sunday.
Lomachenko claimed the vacant IBF lightweight title to improve to 18-3 (12 KOs) and looked as good as ever, becoming the first man to stop the tough Australian Kambosos.
They fought at the RAC Arena in Perth, and Ukraine’s Lomachenko dominated the contest, leading 99-91 (twice) and 98-92 on the scorecards at the time of the finish.
Introducing “Loma” at the postfight press conference, Arum said the fighter is “one of the great fighters of our time, the greatest amateur of all time, and he’s been a blessing to the professional boxing ranks. Nobody fights with the ability of Vasiliy Lomachenko.”
Arum called the 36-year-old Lomachenko’s display a “brilliant performance” and added that he believed he “will be more dominant in future fights.”
Lomachenko would not be drawn on what might come next in terms of opponents, instead saying he wanted to go home and spend time with his family.
“I’m happy because I’m a world champion again,” said the winner. “It was my goal, it was my motivation, and now I’m champion again. I’m very happy.”
Lomachenko, a future Hall of Famer, thanked Top Rank, his team, his father and coach (Anatoly) and his manager Egis Klimas, and when asked about Kambosos (21-3, 10 KOs), said: “I expected a little bit more, but everything he did, we were prepared for, and I saw it during the fight and I needed to adjust during the fight, round by round. And I felt during the fight I can finish him.
“[Winning by stoppage] was not a goal, but this was a world championship and we needed to finish strong. This is what I did. … We prepared very seriously for this fight, and like I said before, styles make fights, this is what happens. We have two different styles. Today, my style was better.”Questioned about whether he would box again this year, Lomachenko said “maybe” and noted that he had enjoyed Australia, liked the people and hoped to return and go fishing one day.
Lomachenko was then asked who he thought might win Saturday’s heavyweight unification showdown between Tyson Fury and Lomachenko’s countryman Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia on May 18.
“I’m with my friend, I’m with my brother Oleksandr Usyk, and of course I wish him to win this fight, and the best man we will win,” said Lomachenko. “This is a very historical moment for boxing, for people around boxing, and for our Ukraine it’s a very important fight. I will be praying for Oleksandr, and I hope the best man wins.”
