NEW YORK (OCTOBER 16, 2020)–Tomorrow night at the MGM Grand “Bubble” in Las Vegas, IBF Lightweight world champion, Teofimo Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) squares off with WBA/WBO/WBC Franchise world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) in the most anticipated bout of 2020.

Lopez is managed by Split-T Management and promoted by Top Rank.

The fight, which will be shown live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN + (Prelims at 7:30 PM ET, with the main card beginning approx. at 10 PM) has been front and center in the minds of boxing fans from all over the world for nearly a year when Lopez won his title with a sensational 2nd round destruction of Richard Commey on December 14, 2020 at Madison Square Garden.

Lomachenko, who many have at the top of the Pound-for-Pound rankings, will be facing his toughest test, when he looks across the ring at the brash 23 year-old Brooklyn native in Lopez.

At Friday’s weigh in, which was highlighted by a piercing stare-down, both fighters checked in at the lightweight limit of 135-pounds.

“Tomorrow night will be Teofimo’s coming out party. It will be the culmination of all the hard work he and his father have put in over eighteen years. It has been an honor for me and the entire Split-T family to have worked with him these last few years, and look forward to him being the youngest undisputed World Champion of the four belt era,” said David McWater of Split-T Management.

Teofimo Lopez Press Conference Quotes:

“Hard work pays off. Eighteen years in, and it’s just the beginning, You haven’t seen anything yet.”

“The Takeover is not just a phrase we throw out there. This is the part where I’m leading the new generation. Winning this is a stamp and a mark to put on for the new era.”

“Get your popcorn ready and just enjoy the show. It’s ‘The Takeover.'”

“A true champion can adapt to everything. It goes for both of us. He fought in arenas sold out. I fought in arenas sold out. My job and my thing are having all of these belts wrapped around me.”

(ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, Approximately 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT)

    •     Vasiliy Lomachenko 135 lbs vs. Teofimo Lopez 135 lbs 
(Undisputed Lightweight World Title — 12 Rounds)
Judges: Steve Weisfeld, Julie Lederman and Tim Cheatham
Referee: Russell Mora

•    Alex Saucedo 140 lbs vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. 140 lbs 
(Junior Welterweight  — 10 Rounds)

•    Edgar Berlanga 169 lbs vs. Lanell Bellows 169 lbs 
(Super Middleweight — 8 Rounds)

(ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT)

•    Josue Vargas 142 lbs vs. Kendo Castaneda 142 lbs 
(Junior Welterweight — 10 Rounds)

•   John Vincent Moralde 127 lbs vs. Jose Enrique Vivas 128 lbs 
(Featherweight — 8 Rounds)

•   Quinton Randall 147 lbs vs. Jan Carlos Rivera 146 lbs 
(Welterweight — 6 Rounds)

•    Jahi Tucker 145 lbs vs. Charles Garner 142 lbs 
(Welterweight — 4 Rounds)

By Norm Frauenheim–

It’s a fight for the times, or at least one that for a while has a chance to knock out all of the garbage that has left yesterday, today and tomorrow feeling like a precarious walk on a sharpening edge of uncertainty.

We live amid a virus that nobody wants to fight or knows how to fight. We hear politicians, separated by philosophies and plexiglass, exchanging trash talk that sends pundits reaching for blow-by-blow metaphors. The words, they say, are punches. If only they were.

Finally, the punches will be real in an expected delivery of an old craft — as true as it is dangerous — from lightweights who want to fight and know how to. Teofimo Lopez-Vasiliy Lomachenko is no metaphor. It’s figures to be as real as it gets in any era.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been some trash talk. Tension is there. But the words will in fact be settled by punches sometime after 7:30 pm ET/4:30 p.m. PT Saturday on a Top Rank card televised by ESPN from the so-called bubble, the Conference Center at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

The bubble means masks, social distancing and the uncomfortable hope that the cough you just heard doesn’t mean that a positive test is imminent. It’ll be a relief when that bubble bursts, giving way to a time when a Lopez-Lomachenko can return to the familiar sights, sounds and ticket sales generated by a live crowd. Two-hundred-and-fifty people will be allowed inside the bubble. First-responders, friends and family will be in the socially-distanced seats for a fight that had been scheduled for May at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

It was re-scheduled and moved for the same reason that bars and restaurants have been shut down. During the Pandemic, last call has taken on new meaning that doesn’t promise much of a tomorrow. But, at least, Lopez-Lomachenko is still happening for what is expected to be a big audience. There is no pay-per-view price tag. It’s the right thing to do during days when it’s hard to pay the rent. It’s also a rare chance to attract the casual fans who don’t watch PPV boxing but might watch Lopez-Lomachenko without having to invest another $80.

It’s a fight loaded with all of the elements that can define boxing at its singular best. There’s the young Lopez, a 23-year old with Honduran roots and a cocky accent from his Brooklyn upbringing. There’s the older Lomachenko, a taciturn 32-year old Ukrainian who casts disapproving looks at Lopez like a demanding master offended by a restless apprentice.

Lopez promises a Takeover. The decorated Lomachenko, nicknamed Hi-Tech, promises a lesson. The best promise is a classic.

Put it this way: Promoter Bob Arum says Lomachenko’s versatile skillset is the best he has seen since Muhammad Ali. In a Zoom session with media this week, World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman said Lopez had “all the elements of Roberto Duran.’’

Ali and Duran, legends from different weight classes. Ali was – is — an iconic heavyweight; Duran arguably the greatest lightweight ever. They could never have met in the ring. Only in the imagination or in a video game.

On real canvas, however, Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) and Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) might play out that pound-for-pound dream. Who wins? Who know? The guess from this corner is Lomachenko, a two-time gold-medalist and probably the greatest boxer in Olympic history. Lomachenko will throw punches from angles that Lopez has never seen.

But danger rests in Lopez evident power and size. He’s a big lightweight. He’s at least one inch taller than Lomachenko, listed at 5-7. Across his shoulders, he looks bigger than the Ukrainian. It also looks and sounds as if Lopez won’t be at 135 pounds much longer. On Zoom with international media a couple of weeks ago, he talked about a jump to 140 for a possible date with either of the junior-welterweight champions, Jose Ramirez and/or Josh Taylor.

“Josh Taylor in the morning and Jose Ramirez at night,’’ said Lopez, who is known for celebrating victories with a head-over-heels back flip.

He’s talking about taking his career to some dizzy heights.

But there’s plenty of reasonable doubt about whether he’ll be doing a backflip Saturday night. Despite only 15 pro fights, Lomachenko’s amateur record is reported to be an astonishing 396-1. He has seen it all, most as the winner. His key is to elude, perhaps survive, an early assault from Lopez. The guess is that Lopez can – perhaps will – hurt Lomachenko somewhere between the first and sixth rounds.

For Lomachenko, there’s no talk of a move to junior-welterweight. He as heavy as he can be. There’s speculation he would be better off at 130 pounds or 126. There’s a lesser chance of injury. Lomachenko has undergone shoulder surgery and suffered hand injuries. He has the physical frame of true featherweight. But there’s bigger money and a more enduring legacy at lightweight, one of boxing’s original divisions.

But it’s a risk, one that was evident when Jorge Linares knocked him down in the sixth round of a bout in May 2018. Lopez has seen the knockdown. He has more power than Linares. He figures Lomachenko won’t get up if he lands the same kind of a shot. Maybe.

What’s lost amid all of the attention on Lomachenko’s brilliant tactical skill, however, is his toughness.

Lomachenko, 4-0 as a lightweight, got up and scored a 10^th-round stoppage of Linares. The guess here is that Lopez will hurt Lomachenko early. Guess here: Lopez will knock him down early. Guess here: Lomachenko gets up.

The question here is whether Lopez will have the skillset to deal with Lomachenko’s many-sided attack over the final six rounds.

The pick here: Lomachenko wins on all three scorecards, by two to three points, in a classic, a real one. 

(October 14, 2020) — Two-plus years of bad blood ignited Wednesday evening when WBC Franchise/WBO/WBA lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and IBF kingpin Teofimo Lopez shared the stage for Wednesday’s press conference in advance of Saturday’s super fight (ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET). 

Lomachenko and Lopez had not been in the same room since last Dec.14, the night Lopez knocked out Richard Commey to win his world title. Shortly after that sensational knockout, Lomachenko entered the ring and welcomed Lopez to his club.

The lightweight champions sat 12 feet apart on a stage inside the ring. The tension never boiled over, but it was palpable. This is what they had to say.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

“I won’t know {how the layoff will impact me} until Saturday night. I have never been out of the ring for one full year like this. Ever. I don’t know how it will be.”

“I think it’s just a ring and judges and TV. That’s it. And, of course, four belts.”

“I’m thinking only about my future fight and the fight on Saturday. That’s it.”
 
“For me, I think it will be a chess match.”

Teofimo Lopez“Hard work pays off. Eighteen years in, and it’s just the beginning, You haven’t seen anything yet.”

“The Takeover is not just a phrase we throw out there. This is the part where I’m leading the new generation. Winning this is a stamp and a mark to put on for the new era.”

“Get your popcorn ready and just enjoy the show. It’s ‘The Takeover.'”

“A true champion can adapt to everything. It goes for both of us. He fought in arenas sold out. I fought in arenas sold out. My job and my thing are having all of these belts wrapped around me.”

Schedule of Live Lomachenko vs. Lopez content on ESPN Platforms (HERE for full schedule for Lomachenko vs. Lopez)

Main Card, Undercards and Early Undercards (All times ET)

# # #

LAS VEGAS (October 13, 2020) —Fighters competing on Saturday’s undercard headlined by the lightweight unification bout featuring WBC Franchise/WBO/WBA champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and IBF kingpin Teofimo Lopez met the media Tuesday for a Zoom press conference. The MGM Grand Las Vegas Conference Center will play host to the closed-door event, and in the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, former world title challenger Alex Saucedo will take on the unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr. 

In an eight-round super middleweight special feature, Edgar Berlanga (14-0, 14 first-round KOs) will fight the durable Lanell Bellows.The undercard also includes rising junior welterweight Josue Vargas against Kendo Castaneda and 17-year-old Top Rank-signed welterweight phenom Jahi Tucker (1-0, 1 KO).

The entire card will air LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes AND ESPN+ starting at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. The main card (Lomacheko-Lopez, Saucedo-Barboza and Berlanga-Bellows) will begin at 10 p.m ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes AND ESPN+.

Note: Clay Collard tested positive for COVID-19, so his fight against Quincy LaVallais is off. LaVallais will now fight Quatavious Cash in an eight-round middleweight contest.

Here is what the fighters had to say four days away from the biggest fight card of the fall.

Alex Saucedo

“I feel like my last fight with {Sonny} Fredrickson, it was kind of like my first fight with my new team. We had the Rod Salka fight, but that was a one-round knockout. I don’t think that counts. This last fight with Fredrickson, we were able to see a lot of things that we needed to work on and actually know each other more as a team. It was a good performance, but we learned a lot from that fight that we brought into this camp.”

“I have to show myself and I have to show my fans what I’m really about. {The Hooker fight} brought a lot of things down and getting a big performance, a big win, this Saturday night will put me back up there.”

“Barboza is an undefeated guy. It’s going to be a tough fight, but I gotta go out there and get an impressive win for myself.” 

“I want to fight the champions, but hopefully {the Jose Ramirez fight} does happen if they unify or don’t unify. The fight between me and Ramirez will happen, and if it doesn’t happen now, it’s going to happen some time. We’re both young, we both wanna fight each other, so that fight’s gonna happen either after this fight, or later on, it’s gonna happen.”

Arnold Barboza Jr.

“Of course he’s my toughest opponent yet, but I’ve got everything I need to beat him. I feel like I’m finally gonna get respect in this division.”

“We took a week off {after the Tony Luis win}, and we got right back into it. The weight’s never an issue, but it was way easier. It was a great camp. Conditioning is perfect. I just can’t wait. After this fight, there’s bigger things to come, but I don’t really look in the future. I look at now because if I don’t take of Saucedo, then there are no bigger plans. I don’t care about bigger plans or what people say about bigger plans. I have to take care of business Saturday.”

“I feel like my style and his style will bring out the best in both of us. I feel like we both need each other in some sense. He’s trying to get back to where he was, and I’m trying to get where he was at when he fought for the belt.”

Edgar Berlanga

“I worked hard in the gym and that’s what every fighter should be doing. It’s just putting the hard work in the gym, so that way I know going into the fight, my mind is 100 percent prepared to go those rounds, which will eventually happen. I’ve just been working extremely hard.”

“{Bellows} is going to come right at me. He’s that type of fighter. He’s smaller than me. He’s a smaller guy, so I know he’s going to bring the pressure. He’s going to bring the fight to me. I don’t see him trying to box me because I’m the bigger man. That’d be real stupid of him and a crazy game plan if they try to do that.”

“I’m 23 years old. I’m still developing as a fighter. I know I’m a killer, but I also know there are killers at 168. I just want to get 150 percent prepared for when the time comes. I have the world in my hands right now. I’m a hot young prospect. I have Puerto Rico behind me. I’m knocking everyone out, and I just want to {advance} my career. Eventually, we’re going to step up to those big fights because that’s what I want. I want the big paydays. I want the big fights.”

“I’ve been talking about the Canelo fight for a couple months already. I know it’s going to happen. It’s gotta happen. If I continue to win in beautiful fashion and keep doing what I do best, I know that fight is going to happen. He’s Mexico, I’m Puerto Rico. He has a big country behind him, I have a big country behind me. It’s one of the biggest rivalries in boxing today. {David} Benavidez is another guy that I’m looking forward to stepping in the ring with in the future. It’s boxing. These fights gotta happen. It’s good for the sport. It’s good for the culture.”

“I have to prove myself in order to step in the ring with those guys. I know I gotta prove myself in order to step in the ring with them because they had to pay their dues. They had to fight the best to get to where they’re at. And that goes for me, too. I have to fight the best to get to where they’re at, and eventually, the fight is going to happen.” 

Use the hashtag #LomaLopez to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to 8.5 million subscribers, offering fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. 

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

The biggest boxing event of the fall airs live on ESPN, this Saturday, October 17 when WBC Franchise/WBA/WBO world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and IBF kingpin Teofimo Lopez, clash in a lightweight unification showdown live from the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.  Live coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET, with undercard action on ESPN, ESPN Deportes (in Spanish) and ESPN+ (English and Spanish).  

The 10-round junior welterweight co-main features former world title challenger Alex Saucedo against unbeaten contender Arnold Barboza Jr. In the eight-round ESPN-televised opener, super middleweight knockout sensation Edgar Berlanga tests his perfect record against veteran Lanell Bellows. Berlanga (14-0, 14 KOs) has won all 14 of his professional fights by first-round stoppage.  

Fight week and fight night programming will feature ESPN’s boxing commentator team, including veteran broadcaster Joe Tessitore for ringside commentary, alongside former two-division world champion and 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, and future Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley on the analysis. The onsite location desk team will feature ESPN’s boxing reporter Bernardo Osuna and ESPN’s boxing insider Mark Kriegel.   

Throughout fightweek, ESPN will present extensive coverage across multiple platforms.  Lead up coverage includes:  

• SportsCenter (Fri-Sat.): Joe Tessitore to host segments for ESPN’s flagship news and information program from Las Vegas.
• LIVE – Lomachenko vs. Lopez Final Press Conference:Wed at 8 p.m. ET, on ESPN2.
• LIVE – Lomachenko vs. Lopez Official Weigh-In:Fri at 5 p.m. ET. on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes
• Max on Boxing(Fri at 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2): ESPN’s boxing series hosted by Max Kellerman will air immediately following the weigh-in.
• Blood, Sweat and Tears: a two-part, behind-the-scenes look at the fighters’ camps will re-air across ESPN networks throughout the week. Full schedule.
• ESPN+ Fight Library:  ESPN+ offers fans the chance to get ready for Saturday’s showdown by looking back at a host of fights from both fighters, available on demand. The collection includes 10 fights from Lomachenko’s journey to Saturday, including his “No-Mas-Chenko” defeat of Nicholas Walters, his KO defeat of Anthony Crolla and his most recent victory over Luke Campbell, among others. Additionally, fans can watch Lopez’s 2019 victory over Masayoshi Nakatani, with his recent knockout defeats of Richard Commey, Edis Tatli, Diego Magdaleno and Mason Menard available later this week as well.  

ESPN.com

• The remarkable KO streak of super middleweight Edgar Berlanga
• How former UFC fighter Clay Collard became a boxing phenomenon in 2020
• What’s it like to fight Lomachenko? Former foes tell us about their time in the ring with the boxing icon
• Wednesday: How did we get here? A look at the timeline that’s led us to Lomachenko-Lopez
• Scouting report from Timothy Bradley on both fighters (streaming on ESPN+)
• Thursday: Ringside seat previewing the bout
• Friday: Expert Picks (streaming on ESPN+)
• Mark Kriegel on Lomachenko-Lopez and what’s a stake for both fighters

ESPNDeportes.com will feature pre-and-post fight features, videos, daily reports, stats, as well as real-time fight score and analysis.

As lead up to the fight, ESPN debuted a cinematic-styled promo featuring the track “Prizefighter” by Blame My Youth. 

Schedule of Live Lomachenko vs. Lopez Content on ESPN Platforms (HERE for full schedule for Lomachenko vs. Lopez) 

Main Card, Undercards and Early Undercards (All times ET)

By Bart Barry-

Saturday on ESPN in The Bubble Ukrainian lightweight world champion Vasyl “Hi-Tech” Lomachenko makes a title-unification match with Teofimo “El Brooklyn” Lopez from, well, you guessed it, a match anticipated to be the finest our sport produces during the pandemic no matter how long COVID-19 lasts.  That this match will happen on basic cable is a wonderful thing.

Lopez is not ready for Lomachenko.  That is the betting consensus, and as usual, it is a good one. 

COVID realities being what they are this match likely happens two years too soon for Lopez and at a fine time for Lomachenko.  How propitious the timing be for aficionados remains to be seen, but ask yourself how propitious anything has been for you this year.  No, not very.

Lopez and his father talked their ways into this fight, a mainevent spectacular, with one of the world’s two best prizefighters, in Lopez’s very first mainevent.  Until his ringwalk Saturday, that is, Lopez won’t have been a mainevent fighter.  That’s surely part of what Lomachenko finds irksome.  Lomachenko has asked whom Lopez beat to deserve even consideration for this fight, and that’s a fair question, even if its questioner remembers quite selectively his own qualifications for fighting Orlando Salido in Lomachenko’s second prizefight, which Hi-Tech lost.

In a deeper division and a different time this fight wouldn’t be ready.  Lopez is currently the best challenger in the division.  If Lomachenko’s stature transcends lightweights, though, his belts do not, and if Lopez is the best the division has to offer the time is right for Lomachenko-Lopez.  Of course, the time has been right for Crawford-Spence for three years, and that hasn’t made anyone jump, so what is right has nothing on what’s promotionally convenient.

Saturday’s fight is nothing if not convenient for promoter Top Rank.  Were Lomachenko a few years older this match mightn’t happen because you’d not want to lose a young marquee talent to a veteran with few fights left.  Lomachenko is only 32 years-old, though, which means if he undresses Lopez and remands him to Brooklyn, tail buried deep in his hindquarters, Top Rank burnishes Lomachenko’s resume for another four-year run, while rehabilitating Lopez with the usual recipe: orphan him, send him to Hollywood, Wild Card him.

Fact is, Top Rank does not like or trust paternal trainers and tolerates them only until a highprofile loss then jettisons them when it can.  With both guys trained by their dads Saturday’s loser, especially if it’s Lopez, can look forward to a greater dose than usual of family drama Sunday morning.

Comparisons of this fight to Mayweather-Alvarez aren’t inapt.  The betting odds are about the same, but that probably underestimates Lopez’s chances a bit.  Bookmakers caren’t who wins or even who’s favored; they want a balanced ledger, and there’s no way Honduras is betting on Lopez the way Mexico bet on Canelo.

What Lopez must do early to justify those odds is hurt Lomachenko.  It can be done; Lomachenko’s been dropped by Jorge Linares and roughed-up by Siri Salido.  Lomachenko is an extraordinarily arrogant prizefighter, and if he feels this entire spectacle is below him, and rest assured he does, he may be willing to forego a bit of his ballroom dancing and seek the initiative earlier in the match than is otherwise prudent.

Lopez is a better counterpuncher than most 23-year-olds with 12 knockouts in 15 fights.  He is not prepared for Lomachenko, no one can prepare him for a guy who did his 10,000 hours to mastery then got bored and began inventing a new kind of boxing, but if Lopez commits to hitting Lomachenko everywhere, he might change the fight’s dynamic early.  Or he might get denuded.  That’s the gamble.

What’s not a gamble is what’ll happen if Lopez decides he can outbox Lomachenko and begins to wait.  Whatever magic Lopez thinks his trainer and father has, there’s exactly zero chance an Olympic also-ran from Team Honduras is going to show Lomachenko – a twotime Olympic gold medalist – skills he didn’t see during his collective 21 rounds across from Gary Russell and Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Lopez’s best chance lies in exploiting Lomachenko’s arrogance, gainsaying it till rage overwhelms the Ukrainian’s ample professionalism.  Lopez’s dad talks openly about being in Lomachenko’s head.  Whether that’s true it does in fact represent Lopez’s best chance of catching early Lomachenko with something decisive.

But here we return to Floyd Mayweather, whom Canelo never caught with more than a breeze, and what happened when a boxer who took conditioning very seriously got clipped in round 2 by Shane Mosley.  Sugar Shane, you’ll recall, buckled Money May good and proper in the opening five minutes of their 2010 match.  How did Mayweather respond?  Hands-up, feet spread, 1-2, 1-2.  A couple minutes of that and Mosley was left behind to imagine what might’ve been.  Mayweather, ever wary of his brittle hands, didn’t try to snatch Mosley’s consciousness, because while Money was nearly arrogant as Lomachenko he was a controlfreak, not a gambler, in the ring.

That was a different time altogether and a pay-per-view event.  Lomachenko knows he must entertain in the ring in a way Mayweather did not, as there will be no 24/7, no pay-per-view, no absurd cable contracts; if Lomachenko makes a match dull as Mayweather-Canelo he can expect less money for his next mandatory defense, whatever pound-for-pound ratings say about it.

As you read this we’re all grateful one thing good, this fight on ESPN – the most meaningful event on basic cable in decades – came out our woeful pandemic.  If this fight goes the way it probably will you’ll wake up disappointed Sunday morning, yes, but at least it won’t be a disappointment compounded by the regret of wasting another $80.

I’ll take Lomachenko, UD-12.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

By Norm Frauenheim-

Teofimo Lopez calls it The Takeover. Promoter Bob Arum might have another description for it.

Call it The Comeback, or at the least the beginning of one.

The Lopez-Vasiliy Lomachenko fight is a biggie in any time. It includes all of the elements necessary to create a classic. There’s Lopez’ power. There’s Lomachenko’s off-the-chart skillset. There’s just the right amount of tension between the two for some essential drama.  The stakes include pound-for-pound bragging rights. Even what’s missing is an addition. There’s no pay-per-view price tag attached to the ESPN telecast.

It’s all there, a buzz in the bubble, in a fight for a unified lightweight title next week Saturday (October 17) at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

But there’s something else, too.

Lopez-Lomachenko takes on some added significance because of when it’s happening. It’s a milestone fight, perhaps historical for what it will say about how boxing can fight its way out of a Pandemic from hell.

“This is the biggest fight of the year,’’ Arum said this week during back-to-back Zoom sessions, first with Lopez and then Lomachenko.

We might have already witnessed the Fight of the Year – junior-welterweight Jose Zepeda’s stoppage of Ivan Baranchyk over five furious rounds and eight knockdowns last Saturday.

Zepeda-Baranchyk was spontaneous combustion. Who knew? Lopez-Lomachenko has been in the forefront of fans’ collective imagination for a while. It also been at the top of the business agenda. It offers a way back. A big part of the promotion includes 250 of those fans who will be allowed into the so-called bubble.

They will include first-responders, as well as friends and family of each fighter, in socially-distanced seats. No tickets are for sale. All COVID protocols will be enforced, Arum said.

In effect, it’s a test run, a hope and a look at how to take the next step. Boxing will only survive with live gates, paying customers instead of cardboard cutouts.

“Two-hundred-and-fifty people are better than no people at all,’’ says Lopez, who understands his COVID math.

A small crowd without infection on Saturday can lead to bigger crowds, bigger purses and the big fights that looked to be inevitable, pre-Pandemic.

“Absolutely, this is a trial run,’’ said Arum, who has been working closely with Nevada and the state’s Athletic Commission. “We hope this will lead to when we can have paying customers.’’

Specifically, Arum mentioned Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, the Raiders’ brand new NFL address. Arum has hoped to stage Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder 3 at Allegiant. Like so much else during the Pandemic, however, the proposed second rematch has bounced around the calendar more often than Zepeda and Baranchyk were on the canvas.

Sometime in December appears to be the best hope for a fight that had been scheduled for July and then October. Put it this way: It’s a fight searching for a live gate big enough to pay the heavyweight purses. Fifteen-to-20,000 paying customers in socially-distanced seats might do it.

Much depends, however, on what Arum can’t control. The virus moves at its own unpredictable pace. It appears to be spiking all over again in some places.

But the pragmatic Arum promises to be ready. He’s not expecting a miracle, a day when COVID just disappears.

“Who the hell knows when we’ll get a vaccine,’’ he said. “One step at a time.’’

Lopez-Lomachenko is as good a step as any. 

LAS VEGAS (October 8, 2020) — The breakout star of the Bubble, “Cassius” Clay Collard, is back for more.

Collard, the MMA pro-turned contender for 2020 “Boxing Prospect of the Year,” will fight Quincy LaVallais in an eight-round middleweight bout on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Teofimo Lopez undercard on Saturday, Oct. 17 from the MGM Grand Las Vegas Conference Center. It is a rematch of their June 2019 fight, which was ruled a draw.

Collard-LaVallais 2 and additional undercard bouts, including a 10-round junior welterweight clash between top prospect Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas and Kendo Castaneda, will stream live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Lomachenko-Lopez world championship main event, the 10-round junior welterweight battle between Alex Saucedo and Arnold Barboza Jr., and an eight-round super middleweight tilt featuring knockout king Edgar Berlanga against Lanell Bellows will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET.

“A marquee main event deserves marquee supporting fights, and we have an incredible lineup in store underneath Lomachenko-Lopez,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Vargas can graduate to contender with a win over Castaneda, and Clay Collard is back to once again put on a show. Tune in early to ESPN+ to kick off an incredible night of boxing.”

Collard (9-2-3, 4 KOs), who is 5-0 with 3 knockouts in 2020, began the year with three victories over previously undefeated prospects. In January, he toppled the 9-0 Quashawn Toler by unanimous decision in Toler’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. The following month, he knocked out the 5-0 Raymond Guajardo in the second round of a bout that saw both men hit the canvas. He made his Bubble debut June 18 and battered the 6-0 David Kaminsky en route to a split decision nod. Collard has notched knockouts in his last two Bubble bouts and returns against LaVallais (9-0-1, 5 KOs), a native of Kenner, La. Collard and LaVallais fought in New Orleans, and LaVallais escaped with the draw. LaVallais has won two fights since, both by first-round stoppage.

“I’m a born fighter, and I’m grateful to be back on such a significant card,” Collard said. “When Quincy and I fought the first time, I knew I’d done enough to win, but we were in his hometown. We’re fighting on neutral ground this time.”

Vargas (17-1, 9 KOs), and his teeth, made an impression in his last bout. Vargas lost a veneer, but still managed to nearly shut out Salvador Briceno over 10 rounds in an ESPN-televised co-feature. He has won 11 consecutive fights and takes a step up against Castaneda (17-2, 8 KOs), a San Antonio-born boxer-puncher coming of a competitive decision loss in July to Jose “Chon” Zepeda.

In other undercard bouts scheduled for ESPN+:

Jose Enrique Vivas (19-1, 10 KOs) vs. John Vincent Moralde (23-3, 13 KOs)
8 Rounds, Featherweight

Vivas’ last fight was one of the best of 2020, a 10-round war against Carlos Jackson that took place July 2 inside the Bubble. Vivas and his hellacious body attack earned him the unanimous decision nod. Moralde, a top Filipino contender, is 3-1 since a September 2018 decision loss to Jamel Herring at junior lightweight.

Quinton Randall (6-0, 2 KOs) vs. Jan Carlos Rivera (4-0, 4 KOs)
6 Rounds, Welterweight

Former USA Boxing amateur star Randall takes a step up in class against Rivera, a Puerto Rican knockout puncher who has yet to see the third round as a professional. Randall, from Houston, Texas, defeated Clay Collard via unanimous decision in June 2019.

Jahi Tucker (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Charles Garner (1-0)
4 Rounds, Welterweight

The 17-year-old Tucker, who signed with Top Rank earlier this year, made his professional debut Sept. 19 and scored a first-round stoppage over Deandre Anderson. 

Use the hashtag #LomaLopez to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing;twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
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Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

(October 6, 2020) — FITE, the premier global digital platform for sports and entertainment, announced today that they have acquired the exclusive rights in the UK for the upcoming October 17th Top Rank Pay-Per-View boxing event: Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) vs. Teofimo Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs).

Later this week, FITE will announce more countries where this fight will be available via the FITE digital platform. Start time for this LIVE event will be 2:00am UK time on Sunday morning, October 18th, and available for only £9.99.

This long-anticipated fight is available on the five-year-old digital streaming platform, FITE. FITE is known for providing the best viewing experience on a multitude of digital platforms including its website www.FITE.tv, Android and iOS mobile apps, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Netgem TV, Foxxum, Hisense/Vidaa televisions and 7,000 other Smart TV models. FITE also features the technology that lets users cast the purchased event from the mobile app to their wi-fi connected television or streaming device. Click here for more How to Watch on FITE Details.

FITE was founded in 2016 and has offered the top boxing, pro wrestling and MMA events on a weekly basis. Since its launch, it has streamed more than 3,500 live Pay-Per-View events. Recently, FITE opened up a London office under the direction of former ITV Box Office executive, Ben Halabi.

“We are excited to have the rights to the upcoming Lomachenko vs Lopez fight,” Halabi said. “FITE already offers many live Top Rank boxing events and continues the trend of FITE offering best-in-class boxing entertainment.”

“We could have not picked a better partner for this fight than FITE,” said Top Rank Boxing Chairman, Bob Arum. “FITE will make this event available to every boxing fan in the UK regardless of the subscription networks they have or don’t have. No subscription is needed for this. To order PPV events on FITE, all you need is an internet connection. It couldn’t be simpler. Enjoy the fight.”

Order Lomachenko vs. Lopez NOW: CLICK HERE

(October 2, 2020) — In anticipation of the Oct. 17 lightweight unification showdown between WBC Franchise/WBA/WBO world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and IBF kingpin Teofimo Lopez, ESPN will debut Blood, Sweat and Tears: Lomachenko vs. Lopez, a two-part, behind-the-scenes look at the fighters’ camps.
 
Episode 1: (Sunday, Oct. 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT, ESPN (re-airs on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. ET): A visit to the respective training camps of pound-for-pound king Lomachenko in Southern California and Lopez’s in New Jersey. The show will provide fans a peek behind the curtain of both fighters’ regimens as they prepare to battle it out in the ring.
 
Episode 2: debuts Sunday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (re-airs on ESPN2 Monday, Oct 12 at 11:30 p.m. ET).
 
Sunday’s programming lineup will also include some of Lomachenko and Lopez’s classic fights and air across ESPN and ESPN2. Be sure to tune in to ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS starting Oct. 4 all the way through fight night for more classic Top Rank and re-airs of recent Lomachenko and Lopez events.
 
The Lomachenko vs. Lopez telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and airs on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The 10-round junior welterweight co-main features former world title challenger Alex Saucedo against unbeaten contender Arnold Barboza Jr. In the eight-round ESPN-televised opener, super middleweight knockout sensation Edgar Berlanga tests his perfect record against veteran Lanell Bellows. Berlanga (14-0, 14 KOs) has won all 14 of his professional fights by first-round stoppage.  
 
Live coverage begins with undercard action streaming live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.
 
Top Rank on ESPN Schedule (All Times ET)
 

Use the hashtag #LomaLopez to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

LAS VEGAS (September 23, 2020) —The most anticipated fight of the fall — the Oct. 17 lightweight unification showdown between WBC Franchise/WBA/WBO world champion Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko and IBF kingpin Teofimo Lopez from the MGM Grand Las Vegas “Bubble”— now has a two-course televised appetizer befitting the occasion.
 
In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, former world title challenger Alex Saucedo will fight unbeaten contender Arnold Barboza Jr.
 
The televised opener will see super middleweight knockout sensation Edgar Berlanga test his perfect record against veteran Lanell Bellows in an eight-rounder. Berlanga (14-0, 14 KOs) has won all 14 of his professional fights by first-round stoppage.
 
Lomachenko-Lopez, Saucedo-Barboza and Berlanga-Bellows will be televised live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
 
“Lomachenko-Lopez promises to be a classic, and the rest of the ESPN-televised card will set the table,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Barboza and Saucedo are players in the deep junior welterweight division, and both men are ferocious competitors. The winner is ready to challenge for a world title. As for Edgar Berlanga, every time he steps in the ring, he impresses me more and more. I haven’t seen a young puncher like him in quite some time.”
 
Saucedo (30-1, 19 KOs), the thunderous slugger from Oklahoma City, has won a pair of fights since falling short to Maurice Hooker in a November 2018 bid for the WBO junior welterweight world title. He is entering his third bout with head trainer Pedro Neme, a union that has paid dividends thus far. Saucedo knocked out Rod Salka in the first round last November and made his “Bubble” debut June 30 with a one-sided decision over Sonny Fredrickson.
 
Barboza (24-0, 10 KOs), from South El Monte, Calif., is a seven-year pro who is ranked in the top 10 by the WBO and WBC at 140 pounds. He graduated from prospect to contender with victories over the likes of Mike Reed, Mike Alvarado and William Silva. He last fought Aug. 29 as the co-feature to the Jose Ramirez-Viktor Postol junior welterweight world title bout and cruised to a one-sided decision over Canadian veteran Tony Luis.
 
“Arnold is a very versatile fighter, so we are preparing for everything,” Saucedo said. “I know it will be hard to steal the show from Lomachenko-Lopez, but I’m coming in to put on a memorable fight for the fans. I feel like people still doubt me from the Maurice Hooker fight, and I can’t wait to show everyone all of my tools.”
 
“This fight, and fighting on such a significant card, means the world to me,” Barboza said. “It’s time to put the 140-pound division on notice. I respect Saucedo, but he’s in my way as I strive to earn a world title opportunity.”
 
Berlanga has combined flash with unique power to earn headlines despite not having seen the second round as a pro. The record for consecutive first-round knockouts to begin a career is 21, held by the late Ali Raymi. Berlanga made his “Bubble” debut on July 21 and stopped Eric Moon in 62 seconds, which equaled the fifth-shortest outing of his career. Bellows (20-5-3, 13 KOs) has never been stopped as a pro and has made his bones testing young prospects. He is coming off a fourth-round stoppage over Malcolm Jones, who entered the fight with a 15-1 record.
 
“I’m dedicating this fight to my family and Puerto Rico. I want to continue to shine like a bright star and carry the flag on my back,” Berlanga said. “Bellows has never been stopped, but I intend to be the first man to stop him. He’s a strong fighter, and I hope to get some rounds in. I want to show that I’m a versatile boxer and not just a puncher. One thing I will guarantee is another explosive performance.”
 
Use the hashtag #LomaLopez to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

LAS VEGAS (September 8, 2020) — Four belts, one champion. A universally recognized lightweight king will be crowned Saturday, Oct. 17, live on ESPN from MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.  

WBO/WBA/WBC Franchise world champion Vasiliy “Loma” Lomachenko, the pound-for-pound “Boxing Baryshnikov” from Ukraine, will fight unbeaten IBF world champion Teofimo Lopez, the knockout artist from Brooklyn who has lobbed verbal haymakers at Lomachenko for more than two years. The two will fight from the MGM Grand Conference Center aka the “Las Vegas Bubble.”   Promoted by Top Rank, Lomachenko-Lopez (ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET) headlines a can’t-miss month of boxing on the ESPN family of networks, which also includes the long-awaited return of Japanese pound-for-pound superstar Naoya “Monster” Inoue, who will defend his WBA and IBF bantamweight world titles on Halloween evening, Saturday, Oct. 31, against Australian contender Jason “Mayhem” Moloney.  

“Lomachenko-Lopez is the best fight that can be made in boxing, and we are delighted that it will be available to fans for no extra charge live on ESPN,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Teofimo and Vasiliy demanded the fight, and we are glad we could make it happen. Vasiliy has never backed down from a challenge since he turned pro under the Top Rank banner, and Teofimo is a fearless young champion daring to be great. This has all the makings of a modern boxing classic.”  

Lomachenko said, “Teofimo Lopez can talk all he wants. He’s very good at talking. He has done nothing but say my name for the past two years. I am a fighter, and my goal is to win another world title. Good for Teofimo. When we fight in Las Vegas, he will eat my punches and his words. I will be the better man, and four world titles will come home with me to Ukraine.”

Egis Klimas, Lomachenko’s manager, stated, “Nobody has seen Lomachenko at 100 percent inside the ring. If Teofimo can push Loma to at least 80 percent, it means Teofimo is the best opponent Loma has faced.”  

Lopez said, “I will beat up Lomachenko and take his belts. Simple as that. I’m coming to Las Vegas to make history. I don’t like the guy, and I’m going to have fun as Lomachenko’s face is beaten and marked up by my hands. The Takeover is here, and the reign of Lomachenko, the little diva, is coming to an end.”  

Added Matt Kenny, Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN: “Boxing has long been part of the fabric of our company and we could not be more excited for the October schedule on ESPN platforms, which includes the highly anticipated lightweight title bout between Vasiliy Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez on October 17. Top Rank was one of the very first organizations to safely stage live events during the pandemic and as the calendar turns to fall, ESPN will be home to fights that will excite boxing enthusiasts and capture the attention of casual fans.”  

Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) enters this bout coming off a scintillating decision win over British star Luke Campbell last August in front of a sold-out O2 Arena in London. A two-time Olympic gold medalist who went 396-1 in the amateur ranks, Lomachenko tied a boxing record by winning a world title in his third pro fight. He is a former featherweight and junior lightweight world champion who won the lightweight crown in May 2018 with a body shot knockout over Jorge Linares. In seven years as a pro, Lomachenko is 13-1 with 9 knockouts in world title fights and is ranked by many pundits as this generation’s most accomplished pugilist. From 2016-2017, he made four consecutive fighters quit on their stools, earning him the “No-Mas-chenko” moniker.   

Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs), the brash Brooklynite who initially gained attention because of his post-fight “Fortnite” dances and backflip celebrations, soon emerged as boxing’s most charismatic young superstar following his 2016 pro debut. He was the consensus 2018 Prospect of the Year, a campaign punctuated by a one-punch, first-round knockout over Mason Menard on the Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza undercard. Following the Menard knockout, he donned the jersey of Kyler Murray, who’d won the Heisman Trophy earlier that evening. Lopez climbed the rankings in 2019 with wins over Diego Magdaleno, Edis Tatli and Masayoshi Nakatani.  

Last December, Lopez knocked out Richard Commey in two rounds to win the IBF world title. Sitting ringside was Lomachenko, who entered the ring during the post-fight pandemonium. Arum waved him over to take a photo with the newly crowned champion. The stage had been set. #LomaLopez was going to happen.  

The lightweight unification battle is only the tip of the Top Rank on ESPN boxing iceberg. Here’s what else is in store in October.  

Saturday, October 3

Jose Zepeda (32-2, 2 NC, 25 KOs) vs. Ivan Baranchyk (20-1, 13 KOs)

MGM Grand Las Vegas

10 Rounds, Junior Welterweight

ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT  

Zepeda and Baranchyk were scheduled to meet inside the “Bubble” July 7, but a training injury to Baranchyk forced a postponement. Zepeda, a two-time world title challenger, instead fought Kendo Castaneda on July 7, cruising to a unanimous win. Baranchyk formerly held the IBF junior welterweight world title, defeating Anthony Yigit via seventh-round TKO to pick up the vacant title in October 2018. In May 2019, he was dethroned by current WBA/IBF world champion Josh Taylor in a competitive 12-round battle. He rebounded last October with a fourth-round stoppage over Gabriel Bracero at Madison Square Garden. The winner of this bout will be ranked No. 1 by the WBC at 140 pounds for the belt currently held by Jose Ramirez.  

Friday, October 9

Emanuel Navarrete (32-1, 28 KOs) vs. Ruben Villa (18-0, 5 KOs)

MGM Grand Las Vegas

12 Rounds, Vacant WBO Featherweight World Title

ESPN & ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT  

After five defenses of his WBO junior featherweight world title, Navarrete is ready to conquer the featherweight division. The “Mexican Iron Man” and boxing’s most active world champion, Navarrete fought six world title bouts in just over 14 months (December 2018 to February 2020). He last fought a non-title bout against Uriel Lopez on June 20 in Mexico City, scoring a sixth-round TKO. The WBO No. 1 featherweight contender, Navarrete has won 27 consecutive bouts, including 14 of his last 15 by stoppage. Villa, from Salinas, Calif., has defeated contenders Alexei Collado, Jose Enrique Vivas and Luis Alberto Lopez in his last three bouts to earn the world title shot.  

Friday, October 23

Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs) vs. Adam Deines (19-1-1, 10 KOs)

Moscow

12 Rounds, Beterbiev’s WBC/IBF Light Heavyweight World Titles

ESPN & ESPN Deportes, 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT

Undercard: ESPN+, 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT  

Boxing’s only world champion with a 100 percent knockout ratio, Beterbiev will fight for the first time since knocking out Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a highly anticipated world title unification bout last October. A two-time Russian Olympian, Beterbiev has never fought in his home nation as a professional and will do so against Deines, a fellow Russian who now calls Germany home. Deines has won two in a row since a decision loss to Meng Fanlong, while Beterbiev has made three world title defenses since winning the vacant IBF world title with a 12th-round stoppage over Enrico Koelling in November 2017.  

In the ESPN-televised co-feature, a WBO light heavyweight world title eliminator, No. 1-ranked contender Umar Salamov will face No. 2-ranked contender Maxim Vlasov, with the winner expected to fight Joe Smith Jr. for the vacant world title. Both Salamov and Vlasov recently signed promotional contracts with Top Rank.  

Saturday, October 31

Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) vs. Jason Moloney (21-1, 18 KOs)

MGM Grand Las Vegas

12 Rounds, Inoue’s IBF/WBA Bantamweight World Titles

ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT  

A three-division world champion and a consensus Top 5 pound-for-pound fighter, Inoue makes his Las Vegas debut and his fourth bantamweight world title defense against a man who is ranked in the Top 5 by every major sanctioning organization. Inoue is coming off a unanimous decision over Nonito Donaire last November, a fight named by many outlets as the Fight of the Year. Prior to the Donaire bout, Inoue knocked out four consecutive opponents in three rounds or less, including a second-round stoppage over Emmanuel Rodriguez to win the IBF world title. Inoue’s ring return was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he has a stiff test in Moloney, an Australian boxer-puncher who made his “Bubble” debut June 25 with a knockout over Leonardo Baez. Moloney has won four straight bouts, all by knockouts, since a controversial split decision loss to Rodriguez for the IBF world title.  

(April 6, 2020) — Unified lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko is riding out the COVID-19 pandemic in his native Ukraine, but the three-weight kingpin is chomping at the bit to get his hands on the division’s leading names, including IBF world champion Teofimo Lopez, WBC world champion Devin Haney and Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) has not fought since last August’s unanimous decision victory over Luke Campbell in London. He has sat back and taken notice of Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs), the Brooklyn-born prodigy who has been outspoken in his desire to fight the pound-for-pound Picasso.

This is what Lomachenko had to say in an exclusive interview with Top Rank’s Crystina Poncher.

On the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine

“The situation as of this moment is from Monday, there will be very limited time to go outside. You will have to be in your house. You can’t gather more than two or three people. The situation is like you can only take your dog out for a walk or go out for something very serious. Other than that, you have to sit at home. You can’t even walk with your kids outside. Everyone will be on lockdown. This will go on until April 24 starting on Monday.”

On staying in shape at home in Ukraine

“I have a gym {at my house}, and of course I’m still training because it’s my job. Nobody knows when we can start. I always have to be in shape. I have to be ready always.”

On his feelings when he found out the tentative date of May 30 for the Lopez fight was postponed

“Of course, I was disappointed a little bit, but everything that’s happening {with self-quarantines} is happening for the better. The most important thing is for all the people on this planet to get back and get healthy and everything will go back to normal.”

On whether he thinks Lopez is ready for the sport’s elite

“I really think he’s a good boxer. He’s a top fighter. He’s young, he’s hungry, he has big power, and I want this fight. He’s a world champion, and he holds my belt. It’s IBF title.”

On whether he sees the Lopez fight ending in a knockout

“Nobody knows. It’s very unpredictable. Nobody can predict what is going to happen, how it’s going to happen. And the people are talking about which round they are going to knock somebody out or stop somebody. I am getting very, very interested. Now, I want to see {the fight}.”

On what makes the Lopez matchup interesting

“The interesting thing for me, it will be to look into his eyes and his father’s eyes and see their reaction {after the fight}.”

On his most memorable moment from fighting Luke Campbell in London

“The most exciting moment I remember from my trip to the UK is probably when we went on the top of the O2 Arena, and I saw all of London. I could see it and then the very next day I was the champion of that arena. That was the most memorable moment for me.”

Word association when Lomachenko hears the following names:

Teofimo Lopez Sr.

“I can’t say that. It wouldn’t look good. I was raised differently.

“{He is a} good father.”

Oleksandr Usyk

“Best friend.”

Gervonta “Tank” Davis

“Power.”

Floyd Mayweather

“Boxing IQ.”

Bob Arum

“Best promoter.”

Fan Questions

Any concern over the long layoff?

“Yes, of course. You have to be active all the time. You have to be training a lot in the downtime between fights. Right now, I am relaxing more. I will need to spend more time training. I will need to spar more and do more work.”

If you could fight any boxer from any era to give you the best fight, who would you want to fight?

“Of course I would like to fight somebody who is undefeated, who has a good history, who has a big name. I think the most interesting name for me to fight would be Floyd Mayweather.”

What do you think of Teofimo’s shoulder roll and catch-and-shoot counterpunching style?

“It is not an easy type of fighting. It is not an easy style. It is easier to fight attacking fighters who are coming forward. It’s much easier. This type of counterpuncher is more difficult to fight. The winner will be who has the better boxing IQ. But that style with the shoulder, I think I know what I have to do to win.”

Do you think that Gervonta Davis will fight you?

“Right now, I don’t think he’s going to fight me. He might want to fight me, but his promoters are not going to let him. Aside from him, that weight class is getting very interesting. We have a lot of good names in the weight class. Not {just} the champions, but they are in the rankings. So I think it’s a hard weight division.”

Do you want to stay at lightweight?

“It’s unpredictable. If we are going to be sitting here for one year longer, who is going to be coming out and in what weight class will they be?”

What about the Instagram back-and-forth with Devin Haney?

“Yes, DAZN posted something about Haney, and he said he would knock me out. So that is why I answered him, ‘Hey, listen, are you serious?’ He has not fought anybody and now he is saying he is going to knock me out? I said, ‘No problem, let’s do it.’ Then he answered me right away saying, ‘Yes, we can do it.’ I said, ‘OK, I am ready.’ He knows I am ready. I think he is ready, and we can give the fight for the fans that everybody wants. That is why I mentioned before that this is a very interesting weight class with big names and good names coming to the weight class.”

CONNOR PARKER JOKED that he might attempt to carry out an impression of Vasyl Lomachenko when he steps in the ring with Sam Maxwell at Arena, Birmingham on November 30, with Maxwell’s WBO European super lightweight title at stake.

Maxwell, famously, twice fought the great Ukrainian during his amateur days representing Team GB and gave a good account of himself, but ultimately failed to defeat the now pound-for-pound great.

The 24-year-old Parker from Derbyshire and the 31-year-old Scouser share an identical professional record of 12-0, but the East Midlands man accepts it is advantage Maxwell in terms of amateur experience, KOs recorded and being tested over ten rounds as Maxwell was by Sabri Sediri in a helter-skelter battle in March.

For Parker this is opportunity knocking in the Second City and he was happy to place his original fight plans on hold when he got wind of a title tilt.

“I was sat at home when I found out,” said the southpaw. “My dad told me about it then I had to hang on and wait for confirmation. I was so hoping I would get this shot, I had another fight scheduled for a couple of days after, but now I can’t wait for this one.

“It is a massive opportunity and I think I am ready for fights like this. Our records are similar and the only difference is Sam has got more knockouts than me. Record-wise that is the only thing and he has had a tough fight over ten rounds.

“The footage of his fights is all there to see right from his amateur days. He has been around for years, hasn’t he, and there is plenty to pick up on what he does. I might look at the Lomachenko tapes and do an impression of him!”

Parker has just a single stoppage on his ledger but he insists this is a misleading statistic that is down to the limited ambition of the opponents put in front of him. He is happy to back himself in the trading of bombs.

“I’ve boxed my fair share of journeymen and then won a Midlands title in my eighth fight. I beat Kevin Hooper for the Midlands and it was a good win that was because he has been English champion. Since then I have just been keeping busy.

“I’ve won the Midlands and I’ve got to prove myself against better opponents now. Hooper was the first one to really hit me back and I enjoyed it more because he was not just there to survive and, if anything, I felt more comfortable in there. I liked it.

“This show is as much as I could have asked for because, at the minute, not many people know who I am, but after this fight they will know and I can’t wait. If I win this fight it will just get bigger and bigger,” added Parker, who does not underestimate the magnitude of the task in front of him.

“I think Sam is a good, technical boxer with a strong back hand. You can tell he is schooled well. I sort of take something from the way Sabri Sediri got to him but it could have just been and off-night and we need to prepare for the best Sam possible and that is what we will be doing.

“True, he got put down two or three times and you do take confidence from it, but I am preparing for a hard fight. My record doesn’t suggest it, but I can punch.”

Sam Maxwell defending his WBO European super lightweight title against the also unbeaten Connor Parker from Derbyshire features on a stacked night of title action at Arena, Birmingham on November 30. WBO world bantamweight champion Zolani Tete defends his title against mandatory challenger John Riel Casimero and British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Chris Jenkins makes a defence against Liam Taylor. Lerrone Richards also takes on Lennox Clarke for the Commonwealth and vacant British super middleweight belt, while East Midlands favourite Sam Bowen makes a second defence of his British super featherweight title against mandatory challenger Anthony Cacace.

Hamzah Sheeraz will fight for his first major title at super welterweight, with thrilling prospects Dennis McCann, Shabaz Masoud, Eithan James and George Davey also featuring on the bill, along with talents from the local region in Nathan Heaney and River Wilson-Bent.
Tickets are available now from £40 via TheTicketFactory and Ticketmaster

Ticket Prices:
£250 – Inner Ring Hospitality
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By Bart Barry-

Saturday a Thames riverboat ride east of London, one
of the world’s five best prizefighters, Ukrainian lightweight Vasiliy
Lomachenko, outfought Yorkshire’s Luke Campbell to collect Lomachenko’s third
of four sanctioning-body titles and defend his (much more meaningful) Ring
championship by unanimous decision.  It
was another test passed by Lomachenko, another test administered by a proctor
much stricter than those subs who passed him so flatteringly at the lower
grades.

The inverse logic of things being what it is an
exodus from the Lomachenko bandwagon is probably underway just when the bandstand
ought be overflowing.  As Lomachenko does
things that fulfill what hyperbole greeted his debut six years back, the
hyperbolists, many now out of business with HBO’s welldeserved demise, turn
their miniscule attention spans to new kids who turn sensational feats against
hopeless opposition.

With each Lomachenko title acquisition the
hyperbolists see more wear, less sublimity, more exposure.  These lads yearn for some highlight-ready
stuff like GGG duly delivers whenever matched at middleweight with welters.  Lomachenko tried that route for a spell – the
Rigondeaux debacle – then took the very next offramp.  If the hyperbolists forget it, the historians
shan’t. 

Rather than stay at his natural weight, blast
journeyman for easy money while occasionally preying on a brandname from a
couple divisions below, Lomachenko went above his proper weight and began to
unify titles by beating men who acquired those titles someway or another.

Luke Campbell is by no means boxing’s most-feared
man but he sure as hell wasn’t a cherrypick either.

While the hyperbolists hop off the Loma bandwagon,
I find myself gradually lumbering on.  I
verily enjoyed watching Lomachenko make battle with a man who did not fear him
or have reason to, a man against whom even the most balletic footwork wouldn’t
forego Saturday’s attrition requirement. 
Just as happened in his other three lightweight matches Lomachenko had
to strike Campbell multiples harder to get any English out of him.  Campbell fighting at home before some of our
beloved sport’s best (if often delusional) fans, too, added another inch and
five or so pounds to the Brit’s dossier.

In the midrounds Campbell did something dastardly
stupid if daring: Throw a halfnaked backhand uppercut whilst moving
forward.  That’s not Boxing-101 verboten,
because you don’t get to learn how to throw uppercuts till Boxing 102.  But no sooner do they put you on the gym’s
uppercut sack than they tell you never to throw the punch moving forward.

History has its share of cautionary clips to
explain why, but let Buster Douglas’ halfnaked backhand uppercut lead against
Evander Holyfield suffice.  Campbell’s
wasn’t telegraphed as Douglas’, no, and for that reason Lomachenko’s counter
left didn’t get leveraged fully as Holyfield’s rightcross in 1990, but it was telegraphed
enough, and Lomachenko looked almost euphoric at Campbell’s plunging forward.

Lomachenko’s counter left chastened Campbell and
then Lomachenko’s professionalism nearly ended Campbell’s night.  Knowing his opponent was gone wobblewoozy
Lomachenko went HAM to Campbell’s body and delivered the Brit to his corner
scrunchfaced wincing.  Had the exchange
happened at even super featherweight Campbell’d’ve seen naught of the
championship rounds.

And we’d be hearing Lomachenko is a force of
nature never before seen with gloved fists. 
But because Lomachenko wants posterity to regard him differently from
his generational peers the exchange happened 10 pounds above Lomachenko’s debut
weight, and Campbell, a significantly larger man, had himself another half
fight to strike and be struck by the smaller champion.

This is why we ask fighters who are not
heavyweights to rise through weightclasses and why even history’s best
heavyweights are underrepresented on all-time lists.  The more the consequences of a Lomachenko misstep
grow and the consequences of a Lomachenko punch diminish the less any of us
cares to hear a 15th recital on Lomachenko’s time in the ballroom.

Lomachenko needs all his wiles, these days, to jab
a fellow lightweight in the first four minutes they share, much less mesmerize
Max and Jim.  And since his opponents are
no longer imperiled by his mere reputation, Lomachenko now finds himself
subjected to what elbows and shoulders lighter men hadn’t the wherewithal to
throw.  Campbell spent a fair fraction of
his Saturday night reminding Lomachenko how many questionable acts might be fit
in the foggy chaos of a championship prizefight, borrowing occasionally from
Siri Salido’s forgotten blueprint.

What Lomachenko did Saturday brought no one to
mind so much as Manny Pacquiao.  He’s the
last man we saw climb weightclasses and so dominate their titlists, even if
there was an occasional cherrypick thrown in. 
Pacquiao is also instructive for this reason: What Pacquiao did and
found himself forced to do against other great prizefighters are why Pacquiao
is thrice the legend for all but the last second of what he did in the sixth
round of his fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez than he’d be for icing David
Diaz a dozen times.

Lomachenko is not Pacquiao and won’t be – fortune hasn’t
given him the era for it – but he is now admirably earning the premature
plaudits bestowed on him some years back, even if he’s having to do so in
challengers’ arenas on a mobile app.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Vasyl Lomachenko scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Luke Campbell to retain the WBA and WBO and capture the WBC Lightweights at a sold out 02 Arena in London.

Lomachenko hurt Campbell at the enc of round five when he landed a hard left to head that was followed by a perfect left to the body.

In round 11, Lomachenko landed a flurry of punches that was punctuated by a jab that sent Campbell the canvas. Lomachenko sealed the fight when he hurt Campbell in the final round with his patented quick shots that forced Campbell to hold on and eventually throw Lomachenko to be able to survive the round.

Lomachenko of Ukraine won by scores 119-108 twice and 118-109 and is now 14-1. Campbell is 20-3.

Lomachenko outlanded Campbell 207-131.

After a hard-fought battle, this is what Lomachenko, Campbell and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum had to say.

Lomachenko

“Of course I’m happy. I want to say thank you to {everyone} who came to support us. I want to thank everyone who organized this fight. And, of course, I’m happy. Next… {I want to fight for the} IBF {title}. That is my title.”

“In the UK, the fans are the best fans in the world. Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Of course, I want to fight {for the IBF title}, but it depends on Bob Arum.”

Arum

“Obviously, we’re looking to win the fourth belt to unify the title. But Loma and {manager} Egis {Klimas} have told me they can’t wait to come back to the UK to fight here again.The English fight fans are the best fans in the world.”

“Luke Campbell didn’t disgrace himself. He fought a hell of a fight. He’s a hell of a fighter. Big, big heart, and Luke will be back.”

“Loma is up there with Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao. He belongs with those fighters.”

“Listen, it doesn’t matter. He will fight anyone at featherweight, super featherweight or lightweight. Only the best. He’s a special, special fighter.”

Luke Campbell

“He just beat me, so he’s very good. He’s a special fighter and we all knew he was a special fighter. This is boxing and we train to win. Obviously, I’m disappointed in myself for not getting the victory.

Former world champion Alexander Povetkin won a 12-round unanimous decision over Hughie Fury in a heavyweight bout.

Povetkin was able to turn up a very dull fight in the 2nd half of the contest.

In round nine, Fury began to bleed from the left eye.

Povetkin of Russia won by scores of 117-111 on all cards and is now 35-2. Fury of Manchester, Eng is 23-3.

Julio Cesar Martinez seemingly won the WBC lyweight title with a shocking 3rd round stoppage over reigning champion Charlie Edwards, but after several minutes the bout was overturned after Martinez landed a late-punch

Martinez landed about 10 unanswered blows that sent Edwards to the canvas. Martinez got in one more hard body shot while Edwards was on the canvas, but the referee ruled a knockdown and the bout was stopped at 1:43.

The bout was ruled a no-contest with an immediate rematch

Martinez of Mexico is 14-1.. Edwards is 15-1.

2016 Olympic Bronze Medal winner, Joshua Buatsi stopped Ryan Ford in round seven of a scheduled 10-round light heavyeight bout.

Buatsi hurt Ford in round seven with a clipping left hook. He followed that up with a flurry that was culminated by a body punch that sent Ford down for the count at 1:07.

Buatsi is now 12-0 with 10 knockouts. Ford of Edmonton, CAN is 16-5.

2016 Olympian Joe Cordina won a 12-round unanimous decision over Gavin Gwynne in a British Lightweight Title bout featuring undefeated fighters.

Cordina of Cardiff, Wales won by scores of 116-110 twice and 116-111 and is now 10-0. Gwynne is 11-1.

In a battle of undefeated super middleweights, Savannah Marshall stopped Daniele Bastieri in round five of their scheduled eight-round bout.

Marshall dominated, and in round five she landed a big right hand that dropped Bastieri at the end of the round five. Bastieri, bloodied, got to her feet the bout was stopped at 2:00.

Marshall is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Bastieri of Brazil is 2-1.

16:00 DOORS AND FIRST FIGHT

4 x 3 mins Super-Feather contest
CONOR COGHILL 9st 3lbs 8oz v DEAN JONES 9st 3lbs 8oz               
(Hull)                                              (Telford)

8 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest
MARTIN J WARD 9st 7lbs 6oz v JOSUE BENDANA 9st 9lbs 8oz
(Brentwood)                                  (Spain)

17:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK 

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA International Lightweight Title
JAMES TENNYSON 9st 8lbs 8oz v ATIF SHAFIQ 9st 8lbs 12oz
(Belfast)                                            (Rotherham)

18:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS BOX OFFICE

8 x 2 mins Super-Middleweight contest
SAVANNAH MARSHALL 11st 12lbs 8oz  v  DANIELE BASTIERI 11st 12lbs
(Hartlepool)                                                    (Brazil)

12 x 3 mins British & Commonwealth Lightweight Titles
JOE CORDINA 9st 8lbs 12oz v GAVIN GWYNNE 9st 8lbs 4oz
(Cardiff)                                       (Merthyr Tydfil)

10 x 3 mins WBA International Light-Heavyweight Title 
JOSHUA BUATSI 12st 6lbs 8oz v RYAN FORD 12st 6lbs
(Croydon)                                       (Canada)

12 x 3 mins WBC Flyweight World Title
CHARLIE EDWARDS 7st 13lbs 8oz v JULIO CESAR MARTINEZ  7st 12lbs
(Croydon)                                             (Mexico)

12 x 3 mins vacant WBA International Heavyweight Title
HUGHIE FURY 16st v ALEXANDER POVETKIN 16st 2lbs
(Manchester)              (Russia)

12 x 3 mins WBA, WBO & WBC Lightweight World Titles
VASILIY LOMACHENKO 9st 8lbs 8oz v LUKE CAMPBELL 9st 8lbs 4oz
(Ukraine)                                                   (Hull)

FLOAT

6 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight contest
DALTON SMITH 10st 2lbs 8oz v DARYL PEARCE 10st 1lbs 8oz
(Sheffield)             (Birmingham)

By Norm Frauenheim–

It’s a debate looking for a few good arguments. For the last few months, there haven’t been any. The pound-for-pound title is vacant these days.

Vasiliy Lomachenko hopes to change all of that Saturday in an attempt to knock the dormant out of the old debate in an interesting lightweight title fight against Luke Campbell in London.

Lomachenko has as good a chance as any to re-invigorate talk about who has a leading claim on No. 1. Among a few good men, Lomachenko might be the best.

“I think I’m the best, pound-for-pound,’’ Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs) told the UK’s Daily Mail this week during the usual hype before opening bell at O2 Arena (ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT). “Terence Crawford thinks he is. Canelo Alvarez thinks he is.

“For me, Crawford is second, Canelo is third.’’

No argument with Lomachenko’s claim or contenders. From this corner, Japanese bantamweight Naoya Inoue and Dallas welterweight Errol Spence Jr. also belong.

Both are unbeaten and each has a chance later this year to further their own argument – Spence against Shawn Porter on Sept. 28 at Los Angeles’ Staples Center and Inoue against Nonito Donaire on Nov. 7 at Saitama, Japan.

Of the five, Inoue might be in the best position to deliver the most powerful argument. He’ll be in his home country against a clever, yet fading Donaire, a Filipino-American whose name recognition in the United States will further awaken American interest in the intriguing Inoue.

For now, however, the first shot in re-awakening the pound-for-pound debate rests in Lomachenko’s creative hands, which continue to introduce new angles to a brutal geometry sometimes called The Sweet Science.

The guess here is that the resourceful Lomachenko will prevail, but not with the convincing performance he’ll need to win the pound-for-pound debate in 2019.

Above all, Campbell (20-2, 16 KOs) has some skill of his own. He’ll also be in his home country and the city where he won Olympic gold in the 2012 London Games. Above all, he is bigger than Lomachenko, who can be seen looking up at Campbell in photos of the ritual face-off this week.

At 5 feet 7, Lomachenko is two inches shorter than Campbell, who is listed at 5-9. Another key dimension: Campbell has a five-and-a-half advantage in reach over Lomachenko.

Lomachenko is a featherweight fighting two classes above his natural weight. There’s risk in that. It was evident in Lomachenko’s 10th-stoppage of lightweight Jorge Linares. Linares knocked him down in the sixth.

More of the same would not be a surprise in a bout Lomachenko figures to win, yet not without at least one moment that leaves questions about whether he is pound-for-pound’s undisputed No. 1.

It looks as if Lomachenko’s best chance at a performance that sweeps away the doubt is at 126 pounds. But against whom? Mikey Garcia was taken off the pound-for-pound board in his equally-risky jump in weight to welter in a one-sided loss to Spence at AT&T Stadium in March.

Spence’s victory over Garcia marks a beginning of the troubling silence in the pound-for-pound debate, a popular pastime, yet also a significant marker in determining the state of the game.

A vacant pound-for-pound crown is just another empty seat, and there have been too many of those lately. The good news is that no vacant seats are expected at the O2 Saturday. It’s a beginning, perhaps, at filling that vacancy at the top the game. 

LONDON (Aug. 29, 2019) –  The press conference dais told the story. Four title bouts were laid out, symbols of Vasiliy Lomachenko’s current and long-standing status as one of boxing’s elites.

Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs) will defend his WBA/WBO/Ring Magazine lightweight titles against fellow 2012 Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell (20-2, 16 KOs) Saturday evening at The O2 (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The vacant WBC lightweight world title will also be at stake, leaving the victor one belt shy of becoming the division’s undisputed champion.

Two days before a sold-out crowd of more than 18,000 packs The O2, this is what the fighters and their promoters had to say.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

“I’m excited. I can’t wait to come to the ring and show my boxing skills for British fans and fans around the world.”

“Maybe it will be a harder fight, but I can’t answer that until after the fight. Luke Campbell is not an easy fighter. He’s a top fighter. He’s a smart fighter. He’s a technical fighter, so it will be an interesting and technical fight.”

“Of course I’m ready. That’s why I came to the UK.”

Bob Arum

“Now, {Lomachenko} comes over to the UK, which really is the country that is most passionate and knowledgable about the sport of boxing, to exhibit his talents before the UK audience. On behalf of Vasiliy Lomachenko and {Lomachenko’s manager} Egis Klimas, we are grateful for the opportunity to be over here, to be fighting in this championship match, particularly against a world-class fighter like Luke Campbell.”

Luke Campbell

“I’ve been through a lot having the experience of the London Olympics, the crowds, the pressure of going out there, getting a medal and winning. And, obviously, my professional career, coming to America to fight {Jorge} Linares for a world title. I’ve learned from my experiences, and boy, do I love a challenge. I’ve said for years being in boxing, to be the best, you have to beat the best. And this is certainly one of those challenges.”

“There are no better fans than the UK fans. They just give the best atmosphere. I’m excited to bring this fight, be part of this fight here in the UK. I want to perform and entertain and give the fans a great night.”

Eddie Hearn

“This is a huge opportunity for British boxing and a huge opportunity to Luke Campbell to produce a performance that will stun the world and become the unified lightweight world champion.”

ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Luke Campbell, 12 rounds, Lomachenko’s WBO/WBA and vacant WBC lightweight world titles

ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Hughie Fury vs. Alexander Povetkin, 12 rounds, heavyweight

ESPN+, 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

Entire undercard, including Charlie Edwards’ WBC flyweight world title defense against Julio Cesar Martinez. 

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtag #LomaCampbell to join the conversation on social media. About ESPN+

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