By Paul Richardson: This Saturday night two time Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist #4 WBO Vasyl Lomachenko (1-1, 1 KO) takes on flashy American #1 WBO Gary Russell Jr (24-0, 14 KO’s) at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. The fight is for the vacant WBO featherweight title which Orlando Salido lost on the scales before controversially outpointing Lomachenko by a 12 round split decision last March at the Alamodome, in San Antonio, Texas in his previous fight.
Gary Russell j has been whining about Lomachenko getting two title shots in only three professional fights, but of course he conveniently ignores the fact that he has not exactly done anything to warrant a shot at the title either having never beaten a significant opponent.
The bookmakers make the 26-year-old Lomachenko only a slight favorite which I find very surprising as there is clearly a gulf in class between the two fighters. Gary Russell has very flashy hand-speed, and a little power but not much else. He is not particularly elusive, doesn’t move that well, and tends to win fights by stealing rounds with eye-catching combinations.
This will not work however against a master technician like Lomachenko. He officially dropped a very dubious decision against tough man Salido last time out, but the sheer pro experience of the veteran was the only thing that made that fight competitive.
There are also heavy rumors that will not go away about Russell’s chin not being up to much. Chin or no chin, I think Lomachenko will deconstruct his one-dimensional style so thoroughly that I struggle to see him making round 9.
The fight will be televised on Showtime.
Also on Saturday’s Lomachenko-Russell Jr card are the following fights:
Robert Guerrero vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai [welterweight] 12
Devon Alexander vs. Jesus Soto Karass [welterweight] 10
Chad Dawson vs. George Blades [light heavyweight] 10
Dominic Breazeale vs. Devin Vargas [heavyweight] 10
Sharif Bogere vs. Hector Velazquez [lightweight]
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