A jab
step. A foot feint. Quick side-to-side movement. A quarter-step back. A spin. A
triple uppercut-left hook combination. Punches from all angles and trajectories raining down
with heavy frequency. Jason Sosa couldn't adequately defend himself
against Vasyl Lomachenko because he didn't know where or when to expect incoming fire.
A specific sequence in the eighth round illustrated Lomachenko's
singular brilliance in this area. Moving blindingly fast from the left side of
Sosa's body to his right, Lomachenko successfully got Sosa turned around the
wrong way. Lomachenko then unloaded a straight left hand that was completely
undefended: the free shot the fighters dream about! Lomachenko detonated the
blast and Sosa was rocked. Sensing an opportunity to end the fight, Lomachenko
upped his attack with maximum ferocity. He followed up with a fuselage
of power shots. Sosa stumbled around the ring, clinched, but somehow found his
way out of the round. However, he wouldn't be long for the fight; his corner
mercifully stopped the bout after the ninth.
If there is one flaw with Lomachenko, and this may or may not be
of importance as his career continues, the sequence I noted above, although brilliant in execution, demonstrated
it. With a free shot against a defenseless opponent, Lomachenko couldn't get
the KO. He's just not a huge one-punch knockout artist. Credit Sosa's chin and determination but this instance was a perfect illustration of Lomachenko's
power deficit. Yes, he inflicts damage and hurts opponents, but he lacks a true
eraser. Again, this only might be a factor later in his career
because a number of boxers who have ascended to the top of the sport weren't
one-punch knockout guys. Mayweather rarely knocked anyone out at welterweight.
Hopkins wasn't a KO guy during the latter part of his middleweight reign.
Whitaker was never known for his power. Lomachenko's lack of a true knockout
punch might hurt him in a fight down the road, but maybe he won't have to worry
about it.
However, let me back up for a moment. This potential flaw of
Lomachenko's has already manifested. In the 12th round against Orlando Salido,
Lomachenko had Salido badly hurt and in survival mode. The fight was
neck-and-neck and if Lomachenko could land a finishing blow, surely he wouldn't
have to sweat it out on the judges’ scorecards. But he couldn't end the
fight; he would go on to lose a split decision.
Salido was just Lomachenko's second pro opponent and
surely Vasyl has gained experience and ring maturity since that March night in
2014. However, as Lomachenko continues to face better fighters and potentially
at higher weights, it's certainly possible that he will find himself needing a
knockdown or a knockout to cement a victory.
But for now, let's just enjoy the ride.
Watching Lomachenko in-person for the first time, I was amazed by
his footwork. He moved with such grace and commanded the ring. His movement
left Sosa confounded; Lomachenko looked like he could've been a dancer or a
fencer. In fact, Lomachenko took years of dancing lessons in the Ukraine and
that training certainly has paid off in his boxing career. Sosa, a hard-working, blue-collar
fighter, lacked the foot speed or athleticism to find Lomachenko consistently,
let alone compete with him.
Sosa used his stablemate, Tevin Farmer, as a chief sparring
partner for Lomachenko. Like Lomachenko, Farmer is a slick southpaw who is hard
to hit cleanly. However, Farmer is essentially defensively minded and isn't the
type of fighter to average upwards of 60 shots in a round. What separates
Lomachenko from a boxer like Farmer, who is an incredibly talented fighter, is
the offensive temperament that accompanies his strong defensive foundation. Yes, Sosa
might be able to track a defensive cutie who only wants to throw 35 punches a round, but he doesn't have the defensive chops to remain on the front foot
against a volume-puncher like Lomachenko.
A fighter can't press Lomachenko if he's constantly in defensive
mode. At points, Sosa landed on Lomachenko but he couldn't get much on his
shots because he wasn't confident where Lomachenko would be. And unlike the
Salido fight, Lomachenko wasn't compliantly standing in front of Sosa, giving
him his body to pound. Lomachenko has learned a lot from the Salido loss and he seldom remained
stationary on Saturday. He refused to provide Sosa with a way into the fight.
Lomachenko is an elite talent who now remains in a holding pattern, waiting for
tougher opponents to fight him. At this point, Lomachenko may
not yet bring the money for prospective top fighters to face him. Hopefully, Top Rank and HBO continue to support Lomachenko and
provide potential foes with attractive financial inducements. Lomachenko's
current abilities are among the best in the sport. We wait with rapt anticipation for his opportunity to face greater talents.
***
In the HBO opener, cruiserweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk won a
competitive battle against Michael Hunter. Usyk, the 2008 heavyweight Olympic
gold medalist, has moved fast as a pro, winning a world title belt
in just his 10th fight. Hunter was himself a 2012 Olympian and
although he was getting a title shot in only his 13th pro bout, he lacked
Usyk's strong slate of developmental fights. He had defeated the previously
unbeaten Isiah Thomas in 2016 but that was the only good fighter on his resume
prior to Usyk.
Hunter started on Saturday very confidently. Featuring a hard jab, clever
footwork and quick combinations, he flummoxed Usyk for portions of the first
four rounds. Hunter would step in with quick one-twos and deftly get out of the
pocket. He displayed significant boxing skills and a true fighting spirit.
Throughout the match, whenever he got roughed up, he refused to capitulate and continued to fire back.
However, as the fight progressed, Hunter's lack of experience led
to his undoing. In the second half of the bout, he ceded control of the ring
generalship battle. Hunter got dragged into Usyk's fight and he didn't have the experience or ring IQ to regain control of the match. When Hunter should've clinched or left the pocket, he was too game and instead
decided to exchange. Lacking a big punch, Hunter couldn't match Usyk's power. In addition, Usyk's constant pressure and high-volume attack started to wear him down.
Usyk had huge offensive rounds in the 10th and 12th, tattooing
Hunter with right uppercuts, right hooks and straight left hands. In fact, the
fight should've been stopped at several points but referee Bill Clancy – a
sadist if I've ever seen one – permitted Hunter to take an unnecessary beating.
Yes, Hunter had won a few early rounds but the fight wasn't in the balance in
the bout's final third. By the end, Hunter was cooked and only his pride, his fighting
instincts and Clancy's cruelty permitted him to hear the final bell.
Since turning pro, Usyk has developed a rabid, cult-like following
among many in boxing's cognoscenti. With his considerable boxing skills, constant pressure and offensive temperament, Usyk possesses traits that many observers believe could lead to an
elite boxing career. More than a few have suggested that Usyk ultimately could
become a genuine heavyweight contender.
I won't say that Usyk disappointed on Saturday. He beat a
determined and talented foe who offered the type of tricky angles, hand speed
and footwork that can make many fighters look ordinary. However, Usyk's defense
just wasn't good enough on Saturday to make heavyweights start to worry. Usyk
had little defense for Hunter's jab. Usyk couldn't effectively counter it and
featured little head movement. In addition, he struggled with Hunter's
rhythm. Stepping in and out of range, Hunter landed frequently. Now, imagine
those same shots from a much bigger puncher.
If you haven't noticed, the heavyweight division is changing over.
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are not the plodders of yesteryear. They use
their feet and move around the ring. Usyk could fair well against a stationary
fighter but if he decides to move up, he'll have to beat an athletic, powerful
heavyweight to emerge as the top guy in that division. At this point, his
defense is too porous and his straight-line movements won't help matters.
Usyk, whom many regard as the best cruiserweight in the world at
the present moment, still has unfinished business in the division. Fellow
titleholders like Murat Gassiev and Mairis Briedis could present some
difficulties for him. Usyk is 30 and his prime is now but if he truly wants to
become an elite heavyweight, he should use his current division as a finishing school. Let's see his defense against Gassiev's power bombs. Can he
overcome Briedis' boxing fluidity? If he emerges from those contests unscathed,
he will be ready for tougher fights at heavyweight, but for now, he still needs
some refinement.
***
Oleksandr Gvozdyk dazzled on Saturday with a third-round knockout
of rugged Yunieski Gonzalez. Gvozdyk, like his fellow countrymen Lomachenko and
Usyk, also was an Olympic medalist, and although he might not engender the same
effusive praise in boxing circles that his compatriots do, he certainly provided
some indelible moments on Saturday.
In the third round, he had a masterful sequence that led to the
first knockdown. Connecting with a powerful combination, Gvozdyk then took a
half step back to avoid Gonzalez's counter. After allowing Gonzalez to miss
wildly, Gvozdyk stepped back into the pocket and unleashed a peach of a left
hook that shook Gonzalez to his foundation. Within moments, Gonzalez was on the
canvas. Later in the round, Gvozdyk uncorked a massive overhand right that
ended the fight. Earlier in his career, Gonzalez had taken some huge shots from
Jean Pascal and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, but he was unable to withstand Gvozdyk's
combination of intelligence, power and timing.
Gvozdyk continues to improve. In July of last year, he was dropped
by trial horse Tommy Karpency. Although Karpency isn't a big puncher, he caught
Gvozdyk in an overconfident moment with his hands down. Gvozdyk subsequently
finished off Karpency but he had learned his lesson. Gvozdyk pounded out a win
later in 2016 against Isaac Chilemba, a fighter who makes opponents look
terrible. However, Gvozdyk maintained his composure and work rate and continued to win rounds. Ultimately, Chilemba's corner decided to end the fight.
On Saturday, Gvozdyk successfully neutralized Gonzalez's overhand
right. Instead of getting caught with punches, like he had in the past, Gvozdyk
avoided punishment and inflicted his own. Gvozdyk has considerable offensive
skills and packs a big punch. If he remains committed to defensive
responsibility, he could emerge as a major player in the light heavyweight
division. At the very least, with Saturday's performance, he’s now on the map.
Adam Abramowitz is the founder/head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com.
Adam Abramowitz is the founder/head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com.
He's a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
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