Danger Down Under: Lomachenko v Kambosos Preview And Prediction

The legendary Vasiliy Lomachenko looks to add another world title to his Hall of Fame résumé when he faces former champion George Kambosos Jr for the vacant IBF lightweight championship at the RAC Arena in Perth on Sunday, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

5 AM Sunday SA time

Vasiliy Lomachenko (1.13) v George Kambosos Jr (5.75) (IBF Lightweight Championship

One of the all-time greats has touched down in enemy territory eager to strike gold.

Fuelled by an inextinguishable fire that saw him become a two-time Olympic gold medallist, a three-division champion and the pound-for-pound king in his prime, Lomachenko’s storming the gates of the RAC Arena determined to slay Australia’s own Kambosos in a 12-round showdown for the IBF lightweight belt.

The Ukrainian great, now 36, shut down any suggestions that he might be long in the tooth when he took Devin Haney to the limit in their undisputed lightweight title fight last May. 

Many felt he had done enough to hand Haney his first loss, but the latter escaped with a controversial decision win. Haney has since moved up to super lightweight, leaving the IBF 135-pound title vacant.

Lomachenko’s pro record of 17-3 with 11 knockouts doesn’t paint the full picture of his greatness. To do so one needs to look at his combined overall amateur and pro record, which reads a remarkable 414-4.  

One of boxing’ best minds, “Loma” is a master technician…a generational ring general with extraordinarily fluid striking and movement, all of which make him a heavy favourite over Kambosos.

Kambosos, however, is no slouch. Far from it. The only two losses of his 23-fight pro career were to Haney, back-to-back setbacks he bounced back from with a points victory over Maxi Hughes to claim the IBO lightweight title last July.

“Ferocious”, who has 10 knockouts to his name, is no stranger to defying the odds. His upset of Teofimo Lopez, the man who’d dethroned Lomachenko, for three lightweight titles three years ago serves as the ultimate example of the 30-year-old’s ability to shock the world.

A long-time training partner of Manny Pacquiao, Kambosos learned a lot from the legendary, multi-weight world champion, sharpening both his skills and mind. He’s aggressive and uses the same in-and-out attacks “Pac Man” employed, although not quite as proficiently.

His style is big on speed and conditioning but lacks the crispness and sophistication of his iconic opponent. What he will have is a power and size advantage. At 5’9″, he’s the taller man by two inches and he’ll have a two-and-a-half-inch reach advantage. 

Don’t be surprised if Kambosos wins the early rounds as Lomachenko’s always been a slow starter, one who downloads data and responds accordingly to roar back.

The fight against Hughes last time out was a good test for Kambosos ahead of a bout with “Loma” with Hughes being a southpaw like the legend. It’s a test he barely passed though, eking out a majority decision, and Hughes is nowhere near the level of Lomachenko.

“The Matrix” is such a tough fighter to figure out and so precise with everything he does. Expect him to outsmart and outbox Kambosos over 12 rounds to add another championship to his collection.

Prediction: Lomachenko by decision

Best Bet: Lomachenko by decision at 1.57.

Quintin van Jaarsveld

Quintin Van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 15 years’ experience and is currently a freelance sports writer.