By: Hans Themistode
There’s a reason why Vasiliy Lomachenko has been given nicknames such as “Hi-Tech,” and “The Matrix.” Simply put, the Ukrainian product is extremely difficult to hit inside of the ring.
In his latest contest however, Teofimo Lopez paid no attention to any of Lomachenko’s monikers. The 23-year-old found his man much easier to hit than even he anticipated. With 183 total shots landed, including a career-high 50 in the final round, Lomachenko (14-2, 10 KOs) is fully aware of the power that Lopez possesses. With that said, while he does admit that he was strong, power isn’t the tell-all be all in the sport of boxing.
“He is a strong guy,” said Lomachenko during an interview with SnowQueenLA on YouTube. “But I can’t say he has some vicious punches that could knock you out cold. Yes, he does hit hard. But, you understand it’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how accurate your punches land in certain parts of the head. Then, it could end up bad.”
On paper, Lopez (16-0, 12 KOs) is undoubtedly the hardest hitting fighter Lomachenko has ever faced. However, it was a 2018 matchup with Jorge Linares which saw Lomachenko hit the deck.
Regardless of that, Lomachenko had a quick response when asked who hits harder between the two.
“I wouldn’t say that Linares hits harder. Lopez does hit harder. Linares threw a punch when I was stepping in and coming towards him. Those types of punches are the most dangerous type of punches in boxing. He landed that one accurately at me with the precise timing when I was stepping in towards him.”
Lomachenko would, of course, peel himself up off the canvas in the sixth to stop Linares in the tenth round. Despite the knockdown, the 32-year-old claimed that he was never in any serious trouble. Those thoughts were once again shared for his latest contest against Lopez. Even with his younger opponent landing 183 total shots, including a career-high 50 in the final round, Lomachenko believes he wasn’t in any real trouble.
“He did land some punches. It didn’t hurt me, maybe because he didn’t land them right or maybe he is not as strong as he seems to be.”
While Lomachenko claims that he wasn’t in any serious trouble, the former two-time Olympic gold medalist would come up short during their undisputed lightweight contest roughly two months ago. The results though, aren’t something that he agrees with.
From the moment the three judges sitting ringside handed in their scorecards, Lomachenko has called for an immediate rematch. Nevertheless, with no rematch clause in their initial contract, the former three-division belt holder understands that his wishes won’t be granted anytime soon.
“I still hope for a rematch but I also understand right now it’s not possible.”
