Photo edit by John Garita/Round By Round Boxing
This Saturday night, June 21, 2014, live at the StubHub center in Carson, California, highly decorated amateurs Vasyl Lomachenko and Gary Russell Jr. square off for the vacant WBO Featherweight title in what promises to be a fascinating bout between two of boxing’s brightest young talents.
As an excellent amateur, Gary Russell Jr. has replicated his success in the paid ranks. The Maryland native is undefeated in his 24 fight record as a pro, knocking out 14 within the distance.
The 2011 prospect of the year–as selected by RingTV.com–has been matched carefully by his adviser Al Haymon and promoter Golden Boy Promotions up to this point, accepting the immense difference between the amateur and pro game. Now Russell Jr. believes he is ready for a big test, a real test that Lomachenko could provide.
The 26-year-old Lomachenko has been hailed as one of the best amateur boxers ever. An exceptional amateur record of 396-1 meant the man they call “Hi-Tech” was turning pro to a wealth of anticipation on his shoulders.
After a flawless pro debut against the brave, but outclassed Jose Ramirez, the slick Lomachenko met the tough Orlando “Siri” Salido on March 1, 2014 for this very title, with many believing Lomachenko was ordained for moments like this.
However it turned out to be a baptism of fire for the skillful Ukrainian, who found his inexperience as a professional a telling factor in being outfoxed by the cast iron Salido, who out pointed the potential future world champion Lomachenko.
Despite his first pro loss, Lomachenko will be hoping for better luck the second time round as he aims to get his pro career back on track after the disappointing start. But if Russell Jr. can unmask the Ukrainian, then Lomachenko and his promoter Top Rank could find themselves in a very sticky predicament come Sunday morning.
Read on for an in-depth preview of Gary Russell Jr. vs. Vasyl Lomachenko.
Tale of the Tape
Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
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There is no doubt that with an additional 22 pro bouts, plus 80 extra rounds boxed, Gary Russell Jr. carries a significant advantage into Saturday nights bout compared to Vasyl Lomachenko, who is a mere novice of only two pro bouts with a total of only 16 rounds boxed.
Russell Jr. also carries a decent right hand power shot, that we saw buckle Miguel Tamayo back in January. Thus with a respectable 58.33 percent knockout ratio, Lomachenko cannot be too reckless or he could be punished by his heavy handed challenger.
But, we are still blissfully unaware of what Lomachenko actually has in his locker. What we do know is that Lomachenko has a 2.5 inch height advantage over his American counterpart.
Also, his pro debut showed us that he does carry power, when he crippled the game Jose Ramirez, and wobbled the relentless, granite-chinned Orlando Salido in the latter rounds of their tussle.
Main Storylines
Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
Shortly after Vasyl Lomachenko’s brave points defeat against Orlando Salido, this fight was announced, leaving many cynics, including Gary Russell Jr. himself, unhappy that Lomachenko had jumped the queue, not warranting this opportunity in only his third fight.
This is a fair comment, but then again, has Russell Jr. earned this shot?
The American has built up a decent record since turning pro back in 2009. However, many of Russell Jr.’s opponents have been far from the upper echelons of the featherweight division, many only being announced in the final week leading up to the fight. Therefore, maybe both are extremely lucky to be fighting for this coveted world title.
Nevertheless, it is still very refreshing to see two amateur stars pit their wits against one another minus the head gear that served them so well.
Although this fight is not the main attraction on Saturday night, it has generated a lot of interest across the boxing world, due to it being evenly matched, irrespective of how both men earned their shot.
Strengths for Each Man
Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
Vasyl Lomachenko
There is no denying that Vasyl Lomachenko is sublimely talented.
His great footwork, hand speed and punching power he used throughout his illustrious amateur days shows he is capable of giving anyone in the featherweight division a real test.
Even in defeat, Lomachenko proved he could dig deep against a seasoned veteran in Orlando Salido, which will undoubtedly serve him well in the future.
What he must do though, is get off first with his jab and throw punches-in-bunches to upset the rhythm of the untested Gary Russell Jr, who as of yet has had it all his own way.
Photo by Keystone Boxing
Gary Russell Jr.
The fact that Gary Russell Jr. is more seasoned as a pro, going 10 rounds twice in his last three bouts, cannot be ignored, and may prove advantageous on the night.
Another string to the American’s bow is his power punching, which when combined with his superior hand speed and natural talent could be disastrous for Vasyl Lomachenko.
Weaknesses for Each Man
Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
Vasyl Lomachenko
In the first half of the Orlando Salido bout, Vasyl Lomachenko was too cautious and beaten to the punch on too many occasions.
Plus, he threw only single shots, allowing the rugged Salido to frustrate the young star. So come Saturday night, Lomachenko must be busier and not be afraid to let his hands go.
Photo by Gene Blevins/Hogan Photos
Gary Russell Jr.
Even though Gary Russell Jr. seems to have the upper hand in terms of experience in the pro game, we have yet to see the 26-year-old American being pushed to his limits, which will only happen when the level of opposition increases.
It will be interesting to see how Russell Jr. will react to adversity if Lomachenko can disrupt him.
Or if he can even take a punch from a fighter of the Ukrainian’s caliber?
The Winner and Why
Photo by Getty Images
Will one of the finest amateurs ever show his true potential and make history by winning a world title in only three fights?
Or will his naivete be his downfall again and lead the silent, but deadly Gary Russell Jr. to outclass the decorated Olympian and prove that being fast tracked does not always work, by taking the spoils in this classy encounter between two of boxing’s brightest and best?
In the end, I believe Gary Russell Jr. should win a tight and cagey points victory with his hand speed being the key to being able to get in and out without being countered.
Even though this fight may be a far cry from a fight of the year candidate, there is no doubt it will be scintillating nonetheless.
At the end of the night, Vasyl Lomachenko will have a new record of 1-2, having learned the hard way about the contrasting differences between the amateur and pro game.
