We get back-to-back weeks of top-level boxing, but hopefully we don’t get back-to-back weeks of horrible judging. Tonight in the main event on HBO, Vasyl Lomachenko (6-1, 4 KOs) puts his WBO featherweight belt on the line against Nicholas Walters (26-0-1, 21 KOs) at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
It looks like HBO has set aside a two-hour block, so we’ll probably get an undercard. I’ll get you the details when those guys hit the ring.
As always, scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for the preview from HBO.
Lomachenko (6-1, 4 KOs) is as close to a perfect boxer-puncher as there is in the sport. He’s a brilliant technician who can also rattle your brains with blistering combos, sometimes as many as four or five punches at a time. Although the Ukrainian goes by the alias “High-Tech,” a more apt description would be “Energizer Bunny.” Lomachenko keeps going and going with such a seemingly endless supply of energy that it’s almost exhausting for a fan to watch him, let alone for an opponent to keep up with him.
Walters (26-0-1, 21 KOs) is a fearsome puncher with dazzling hand speed and a very high motor. He has superstar potential, but first he’ll have to step up in class and defeat Lomachenko. The Jamaican junior lightweight has defeated high-quality opponents such as Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan, but Lomachenko is a whole different breed of boxer.
It’s highly doubtful that Walters can outbox the masterful Lomachenko, and the Jamaican fighter seems aware of this. He has said repeatedly in the lead-up to this bout that he’s approaching it with one strategy in mind: to knock out the Ukrainian and not let the fight go to the scorecards.
Walters faced Donaire two years ago and scored a stunning sixth-round TKO upset. It was the first time the former four-division champion had ever been stopped, and the victory vaulted the Jamaican from prospect to serious contender.
While there’s no question Walters has the power to KO virtually anybody in the 130-pound division, Lomachenko poses a unique challenge in that he’s very difficult to hit.
The Ukrainian uses incredible foot work and body movement to prevent his opponent from finding a clear opening. He can be in front one moment, and then in a blink of an eye will spin around behind him, forcing the opponent to turn in order to find him. But in that instant, Lomachenko will tag his opponent with a stinging combo before the fighter has his feet set and balanced.
Grant sees only one way for Walters to beat Lomachenko, and that’s for the Jamaican to put his power on display as soon as possible. “The key for Nicholas is to hurt Lomachenko early, get his respect, and don’t let him settle into a rhythm and his comfort zone. I don’t think Lomachenko has ever been hit solid or clean. He never puts himself in a difficult position. He’s so elusive, so fast and so unorthodox.”
The fight is on HBO at 10:35 p.m. EST. You should watch it with me.
