LOS ANGELES -- There is an old saying that goes, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound?" That quotes seems fitting for the April 12 fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Anthony Crolla. The fight will air on ESPN+ and despite Lomachenko being one of the top two pound-for-pound fighters in boxing, there is a serious lack of buzz for the title defense of his WBA and WBO lightweight titles. It begs the question, if the best fighter in the sport fights on ESPN+, does anyone care?
Lomachenko (12-1, 9 KOs) is a whirlwind of talent. His footwork is the best in the sport and allows him to attack from unusual angles before smoothly dancing out of danger. The southpaw's jab is like that mosquito that buzzes around your head all night while you sit around the campfire, it just doesn't leave you alone. Lomachenko's left hand is also dangerous, as is his right hook and he is a very accurate puncher. He is also a master of controlling the distance and that, combined with his speed and accuracy, really frustrate his opponents.
Like many fighters from eastern Europe, Lomachenko got a late start to his professional career. He wasted no time once he became a pro though, fighting for a title in his second career fight. While he lost a close decision in that fight to Orlando Salido, he showed enough, especially late, to make people take notice. Since that loss Lomachenko has done nothing but dominate. He has decision wins over Gary Russell Jr. and Jose Pedraza and has made fighetrs like Nicholas Walters, Miguel Marriaga, and Guillermo Rigondeaux quit. He did show a chink in his armor when he was dropped by Jorge Linares but all he did after that knockdown was get up, take it to Linares, and stop him in round 10. When Lomachenko is at his best, which seems like all the time, he is almost impossible to beat but that won't stop Crolla from trying.
Crolla (34-6-3, 13 KOs) will enter this flight with slight advantages in height and reach but nothing else. His footwork isn't as good as Lomachenko's, his hands aren't as fast, and his defense isn't as good. Crolla fights behind a high guard and a good jab. He likes to play the role of counter puncher and while he has a decent left hook, he is going to have problems catching Lomachenko with counter shots. Crolla has a wide right hand that can do some damage but he probably won't be catching the quicker Lomachenko with it very often. If the U.K. born Crolla is going to have any chance in this fight he will need to kill the body early.
Crolla is currently riding a three fight win streak but none of the fighters he beat - Ricky Burns, Edson Ramirez, and Daud Yordan - are elite. The best fighter Crolla has been in the ring with is Linares and he dropped back-to-back fights to him by the way of unanimous decision, with the second loss being a completely one-sided fight in Linares' favor. There is a reason Crolla is such an underdog against Lomachenko, he simply isn't at the same level when it comes to skills.
If Crolla were to beat Lomachenko it would be a shocking upset. If it's going to happen Crolla will need to focus on the body early. He needs to take Lomachenko's legs away from him so he can keep him stationary and unload punches. The odds of that happening are pretty astronomical. Lomachenko has advantages in every category outside and height and reach and his disadvantages in size are minimal. Look for Lomachenko to really pile on the jabs early as he dances around the slower Crolla, making him grow more and more frustrated. As long as Lomachenko fights the way he usually does it should be a fairly easy night for him.
PREDICTION: Vasyl Lomachenko has had an easy time against fighters much better than Anthony Crolla. He has made elite fighters quit and easily beaten others by the way of knockout or decision. Lomachenko is going to control every second of this fight on his way to a seventh round stoppage.
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| Lomachenko tagging Jose Pedraza with a straight left hand |
Like many fighters from eastern Europe, Lomachenko got a late start to his professional career. He wasted no time once he became a pro though, fighting for a title in his second career fight. While he lost a close decision in that fight to Orlando Salido, he showed enough, especially late, to make people take notice. Since that loss Lomachenko has done nothing but dominate. He has decision wins over Gary Russell Jr. and Jose Pedraza and has made fighetrs like Nicholas Walters, Miguel Marriaga, and Guillermo Rigondeaux quit. He did show a chink in his armor when he was dropped by Jorge Linares but all he did after that knockdown was get up, take it to Linares, and stop him in round 10. When Lomachenko is at his best, which seems like all the time, he is almost impossible to beat but that won't stop Crolla from trying.
Crolla (34-6-3, 13 KOs) will enter this flight with slight advantages in height and reach but nothing else. His footwork isn't as good as Lomachenko's, his hands aren't as fast, and his defense isn't as good. Crolla fights behind a high guard and a good jab. He likes to play the role of counter puncher and while he has a decent left hook, he is going to have problems catching Lomachenko with counter shots. Crolla has a wide right hand that can do some damage but he probably won't be catching the quicker Lomachenko with it very often. If the U.K. born Crolla is going to have any chance in this fight he will need to kill the body early.
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| Crolla sticking a right hand to the body of Daud Yordan |
If Crolla were to beat Lomachenko it would be a shocking upset. If it's going to happen Crolla will need to focus on the body early. He needs to take Lomachenko's legs away from him so he can keep him stationary and unload punches. The odds of that happening are pretty astronomical. Lomachenko has advantages in every category outside and height and reach and his disadvantages in size are minimal. Look for Lomachenko to really pile on the jabs early as he dances around the slower Crolla, making him grow more and more frustrated. As long as Lomachenko fights the way he usually does it should be a fairly easy night for him.
PREDICTION: Vasyl Lomachenko has had an easy time against fighters much better than Anthony Crolla. He has made elite fighters quit and easily beaten others by the way of knockout or decision. Lomachenko is going to control every second of this fight on his way to a seventh round stoppage.
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