How far Vasiliy Lomachenko is willing to go for a good fight
Vasiliy Lomachenko earned his second gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012. On Saturday, he’ll be pursuing a big green belt in London when he faces Luke Campbell at the O2 Arena.
The vacant WBC lightweight championship will be at stake along with the WBA and WBO titles that belong to Lomachenko. The bout will be streamed on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET.
Campbell (20-2, 16 KOs) won a gold medal for Great Britain in 2012 in the bantamweight division, and will have huge support fighting in his homeland. Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs), who is widely ranked among the top three pound-for-pound boxers in the world, isn’t concerned.
“It doesn’t matter where I need to fight,” he said this week. “I saw a third belt. I want to come take my belt.”
At 5-foot-9 with a 71-inch reach, Campbell will have a noticeable size advantage over Lomachenko, who stands 5-foot-7 with a 65-inch reach. But size has never mattered much to Lomachenko, whose wins include a knockout over the taller Jorge Linares.
“Maybe it will be a harder fight for me,” Lomachenko said. “I can’t answer that until after the fight. Luke Campbell is not an easy fight. He’s a tough fighter. He’s a smart fighter and he’s a technical fighter. It will be an interesting, technical fight.”
Lomachenko is a heavy favorite (a 1/16 favorite, per William Hill, which has Campbell as a 9/1 underdog) even though he’s fighting on foreign soil. The Ukrainian established his professional career in the United States after capturing gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics as well as world championships in 2009 and 2011.
After losing his first chance at a world title against Orlando Salido in just his second pro fight, Lomachenko has reeled off 12 straight wins in impressive fashion. His Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum has compared Lomachenko’s skills to Muhammad Ali’s and those of greats such as “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler who built their fame by fighting in the UK.
“People who know boxing know that a fighter isn’t a world-class fighter until he fights in the UK,” Arum said, playing up to the British crowd. “Vasiliy Lomachenko has had all of his fights in the United States, and now comes over to the UK, which really is the country that is most passionate and knowledgeable about the sport of boxing to exhibit his talents before the UK audience.”
Campbell has an impressive amateur pedigree as well. He claimed gold at the 2008 European Amateur Boxing Championships, and he took home silver at the 2011 World Championships. He capped his amateur career and became a national hero by defeating Ireland’s John Joe Nevin at the London Games.
Campbell had a chance at the WBA lightweight title against Linares in September 2017, but lost by split decision. He has won three straight bouts since and likes his chances against Lomachenko.
“I’ve been through a lot, having the experience of the London Olympics, the crowds, the pressure of going out there, getting a medal and winning,” Campbell said. “Coming to America to fight Linares for a world title, I’ve learned from my experiences. Boy, do I love a challenge. I’ve said for years, being in boxing: To be the best you have to beat the best. This is certainly one of those challenges.”
Linares is the glaring common opponent. The defending champion Linares dropped Campbell in the second round of their bout in Inglewood, Calif., but the Englishman fought evenly from there. Campbell was wearing the same boots he wore when he won the gold medal, but they didn’t bring him enough luck. Linares was awarded the decision.
Lomachenko faced Linares in May 2018 at Madison Square Garden and put on a gritty performance. The Ukrainian was knocked down in the sixth round, but rallied to claim a 10th-round TKO and capture the WBA (Super) lightweight belt. It was the first and only time Lomachenko has been dropped in his pro career.
Prediction: Lomachenko by decision
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