Last night, Top Rank on ESPN (9:12 p.m. ET to 12:35 a.m. ET.) witnessed Vasiliy Lomachenko (12-1, 9 KOs), the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world (according to ESPN.com ranking), accomplish another career highlight. In front of a sold-out crowd, Lomachenko went on to defeat Jose Pedraza (25-2, 12 KOs), by unanimous decision, and unify two lightweight world titles in the main event of the Top Rank on ESPN card at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The overall event delivered a 1.4 metered market rating according to Nielsen, making it the second highest-rated boxing telecast in 2018 across all broadcast and cable networks, only behind Crawford-Benavidez on ESPN in October 2018.

The co-main event and special feature bout that opened the telecast also performed well for Top Rank on ESPN, scoring a 1.4 and 1.2 metered market ratings, respectively. Including the main event, these fights are three of the top five fights on cable in 2018. The co-main saw challenger Emanuel Navarrete (26-1, 22 KOs) defeat Isaac Dogboe (20-1, 14 KOs) to win, via unanimous decision, the WBO junior featherweight world title. But it was Top Rank’s rising star and 2016 Olympian, Teofimo Lopez (11-0, 9 KOs), who astonished the crowd by putting on a show against Mason Menard (34-4, 24 KOs), knocking him out just 44 seconds into the opening round.

Main Things to Know
Last night’s entire Top Rank on ESPN telecast averaged a 1.4 metered market rating, making it the second highest-rated boxing telecast in 2018 across all broadcast and cable networks, behind Crawford vs Benavidez Jr. on ESPN in October 2018.
Lomachenko-Pedraza main event averaged a 1.5 metered market rating, making it the second highest-rated boxing match on cable in 2018, behind Crawford vs Benavidez Jr. on ESPN in October 2018.
Dogboe vs Navarrete and Lopez vs Menard averaged a 1.4 and 1.2 metered market rating, respectively. Including the main event, these fights are now three of the top five fights on cable in 2018.
Notably, the Lomachenko vs. Pedraza telecast (1.4 metered marketing rating) averaged an 8% higher rating than the Lomachenko/Rigondeaux telecast in December 2017, which averaged a 1.3 metered market rating. Both main events averaged a 1.5 metered market rating.

Vasyl Lomachenko won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jose Pedraza to retain the WBA and win the WBO Lightweight title at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Rounds were competitive over the course of the fight, with Lomachenko landing the more memorable shots throughout.  Pedraza did his best to slip and move while mixing in some offense in an effort to slow Lomachenko.  The Ukranian fighter, who is atop many pound for pound lists just had more in his arsenal.

In round eleven, Loamchenko opened up on Pedraza as he hurt him with a hard left him.  Lomachenko continued to land  hard and flush punches against Pedraza, who was barely punching back.  The result of that onslaught were two knockdowns that came seconds apart.  Lomachenko tried his best to close the show, but Pedraza was game and showed his veteran tactics to hear the final bell.

Lomachenko, 134.4 lbs of Akermann, UKR won by scores 119-107 and 117-109 twice   and is now 12-1.  Pedraza, 134.2 lbs of Cidra, PR is 25-2.

“It was my dream to unify titles,” Lomachenko said. “It was my next goal. I can now focus on my next chapter.

“He’s a veteran. He did a very good job, and I respect Pedraza and his team.”

Said Pedraza: “I am happy with my performance tonight. I went 12 rounds with the best fighter in the world. I knew what we were going up against. I thought it was a close fight until the knockdowns. At the end of the day, I am proud of what I did.”

Emanuel Navarrete won the WBO Super Bantamweight title via 12-round unanimous decision to dethrone Isaac Dogboe.

Although not pretty at times, Navarrete pushed the action as he featured body shots.  Dogboe retreated for most of the bout.  Dogboe suffered swelling over his right eye in round nine, and never got into a rhythm.

Navarrete, 122 lbs of Mexico City won by scores of 116-112 twice and 115-113 to improve to 26-1.  Dogboe, 120.8 lbs of Accra, GHA is now 20-1.

“I thank Dogboe for this opportunity,” Navarrete said. “This world championship represents every day that I was working away from my family. This title represents sacrifice. I injured my right hand early in the fight, but I had the desire to be a champion and I did everything necessary to get the title, and I am very happy and proud to achieve this goal of being the world champion.”

Said Dogboe: “It was a great fight, and Emanuel Navarrete fought like a true Mexican warrior. Champions are supposed to keep going under any circumstance, but I just couldn’t get the victory. The best man won tonight.”

Top prospect Teofimo Lopez blew out Mason Menard in the 1st round of their scheduled ten-round lightweight fight for the USBA/NABA/NAF titles.

Lopez rocked Menard in the opening seconds of the bout, and then uncorked a perfect right to the jaw that had Menard plummet face-first on the canvas, and the fight was immediately stopped at 44 seconds

Lopez, 135 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 11-0 with nine knockouts.  Menard, 135 lbs of Rayne, LA is 34-4.

“I knew he was a tough fighter. I knew he could fight,” Lopez said. “I wanted to test him, and I took a chance early in the fight. I know he trained hard, and he didn’t want it to go that way. But this is ‘The Takeover.’ ‘The Takeover’ has begun.

“In 2019, I will be a world champion. That’s a guarantee.”

Brian Ceballo remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Daniel Calzada in a welterweight bout.

Ceballo, 147.8 lbs of New York won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 6-0.  Calzada, 147.5 lbs of Denver, CO is 16-20-3.

Alexander Besputin remained perfect by winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Abreu in a welterweight bout.

In round one, Besputin dropped Abreu with a straight left.

Besputin, 146.6 lbs of Oxnard, CA won by scores of 100-88 on all cards, and is now 12-0.  Abreu, 146.8 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 21-5-1.

“He fought a very uncomfortable, dirty fight, but I dominated,” Besputin said. “I am ready for a world title fight next.”

Italian Olympian Guido Vianello made a successful pro debut with a 2nd round stoppage over Luke Lyons in a heavyweight bout.

In round one, Vianello dropped Lyons with a hard right hand.  In round two, Vianello dropped Lyons with a combination and the fight was waved off at 29 seconds.

Vianello, 236 lbs of Rome, ITA is 1-0 with one knockout.  Lyons, 239.8 lbs of Ashland, KY is 5-2.

“It was a dream come true to make my professional debut at Madison Square Garden,” Vianello said. “I hope I did Italy proud. I came here tonight to score a knockout, and I delivered.”

Josue Vargas stopped John Renteria in round five of a scheduled eight-round super lightweight bout.

In round two, Vargas dropped Renteria with a left hand. In round four, he sent Renteria down with a right hook to the head.

Vargas, 142.6 lbs of Bronx, NY is 12-1 with eight knockouts. Renteria, 142.8 lbs of Panama City, PAN is 16-6-1.

In round five, Vargas finished off Renteria with a combination that put him on the canvas, and the bout was stopped at 31 seconds

Abdiel Ramirez stopped Michael Perez in the final round of their eight-round super lightweight bout

In round four, Perez dropped Ramirez with a hard uppercut.

Ramirez came back to hurt Perez in the final round with a right hand. He followed that up with two crushing uppercuts that dropped Perez, and the bout was stopped at 54 seconds.

Ramirez, 142.4 lbs of Ciudad Juarez, MEX is 24-3-1 with 22 knockouts. Perez. 142.4 lbs of Newark, NJ is 25-3-2.

Follow all the action as Vasyl Lomachenko and Jose Pedraza square off in a lightweight unification bout.  The action kicks off at 9 PM ET with a lightweight bout between Teofimo Lopez and Mason Menard.  Next up will the The WBO Super bantamweight title bout between Isaac Dogboe and Emanuel Navarrete.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY.

Round 1: Right from Pedraza..Crowd Screaming “LOMA..LOMA…LOMA”…Hard left from Lomachenko..

Round 2: Good straight left from Lomachenko..Jab..left….Pedraza gets in a right

Round 3 Jab from Pedraza…3 punch combination from Lomachenko..

Round 4 Left from Pedraza..Combination on inside..Right hook from Lomachenko..Good jab..left..hard ;left

Round 5 Lomachenko lands a left to the body…Body shot from Pedraza..Jab and 2 lefts from Lomachenko

Round 6 Right from Pedraza..Ripping combo from Lomachenko..Left…Pedraza gets in a right…Hard left from Lomachenko

Round 7 Lomachenko gets in a right..Left to body..Right inside…Straight left..Body shot that was answered by a combination from Pedraza

Round 8 Right to body from Pedraza..2 hard right hooks from Lomachenko….Left to body..3 punch combination..Inside right hook

Round 9  Right from Pedraza..Right to body..Combination on inside..Hard uppercut/left from Lomachenko

Round 10 Body shot from Pedraza..Another,,,Right hook..Uppercut/left combination….Left from Loamchenko

Round 11 Straight left from Lomachenko..Hard left hurts Pedraza..Lomahenko ripping shots…ALl over Pedraza..Body Shot…LEFT TO HEAD AND DOWN GOES PEDRAZA…ANOTHER LEFT AND DOWN GOES PEDRAZA AGAIN

Round 12 Right hook from Pedraza…Good Straight left..Right hook..

119-107; 117-109 TWICE FOR VASYL LOMACHENKO

Round 1 Left to body by Navarette..3 body shots from Dogboe..Jab..Left and right to body..Left as Navarrete came off ropes..Jab..Right from Navarrete..Right from Dogboe

Round 2 Navarrete trying to use long jab..Right to body from Dogboe..Counter uppercut..Jab from Navarrete..Left to body from Dogboe…Hard right from Navarrete…..Big body shot and left hook..Combinations has Dogboe on ropes..

Round 3 Left to body from Navarrete..uppercut..Hard left..Left from Dogboe…1-2 from Navarrete

Round 4 Body work from Dogboe…Left to body..Jabs

Round 5  Right from Dogboe..good uppercut from Navarrete..another uppercut…Navarrete chasing Dogboe..missing a lot..Left from Dogboe

Round 6  Uppercut from Navarrete..Right..Left..4 punch combination..Body shot from Dogboe..uppercut..right

Round 7 Body work from Dogboe..Body work on inside…Combination from Navarrete..Good body shot from Dogboe..

Round 8 Hard body shots from Dogboe…left to body..Good right and left to body..2 lefts to the head…Long right from Navarrete..Left from Dogboe..Good left to the body

Round 9 Jab from Dogboe..Right to head–Navarrete slips to canvas,,Left from Dogboe….Good right

Round 10 Dogboe has swelling over right eye..Doctor checks it to begin the round..Left to body from Navarrete..Left drives Dogboe into ropes..Body work from Dogboe..Dogboe slips in corner..Body shot from Navarrete..Right from Dogboe..3 punch combination from Navarrete

Round 11 Left to body from Navarrete..Body shot with the uppercut…Digboe slips again..

Round 12 Right from Navarrete,,,Left..Right from Dogboe..Body shot from Navarrete..Digboe thrown to the canvas..

115-113 ; 116-112 TWICE FOR WINNER AND NEW CHAMPION EMANUEL NAVARRETE

Round 1 Right over top from Lopez…Hard right..HUGE RIGHT AND MENARD FALLS FACE FIRST…FIGHT OVER…TIME 44 SECONDS

• Vasiliy Lomachenko 134.4 lbs vs. Jose Pedraza 134.2 lbs
(Lomachenko’s WBA and Pedraza’s WBO Lightweight world titles – 12 Rounds)

• Isaac Dogboe 120.8 lbs vs. Emanuel Navarrete 122 lbs
(Dogboe’s WBO Junior Featherweight world title – 12 Rounds)

• Teofimo Lopez 135 lbs vs. Mason Menard 135 lbs
(NABF, NABA and USBA Lightweight titles- 10 Rounds)

ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET)

• Guido Vianello 236 lbs vs. Luke Lyons 239.8 lbs
(Heavyweight – 6 Rounds)

• Alexander Besputin 146.6 lbs vs. Juan Carlos Abreu 146.8 lbs
(Besputin’s UBSA Welterweight tite – 10 Rounds)

•Josue Vargas 142.6 lbs vs. John Renteria 142.8 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

Michael Perez 142.4 lbs vs. Abdiel Ramirez 142.4 lbs
(Super Lightweight – 8 Rounds)

Brian Ceballo 147.8 lbs vs. Daniel Calzada 147.6 lbs
Swing Bout
(Welterweight – 6/4 Rounds)

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for the Lomachenko-Pedraza world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Use the hashtag #LomaPedraza to join the conversation on social media.

NEW YORK CITY (Dec. 6, 2018) – WBA lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and WBO lightweight world champion Jose Pedraza exchanged pleasantries on a brisk New York afternoon two days before their title unification tilt, Saturday evening at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).

In the co-feature, Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will make the second defense of his WBO junior featherweight world title against Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete. Dogboe snatched the title from Jessie Magdaleno back in April and defended it Aug. 25 with a first-round knockout over Hidenori Otake.

In the televised opener, unbeaten lightweight sensation Teofimo Lopez faces his toughest test to date in veteran Mason Menard.

And, in a special attraction (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET), 2016 Italian Olympian Guido Vianello will make his pro debut against Luke Lyons in a six-round heavyweight clash.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday from Madison Square Garden’s Chase Square.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

On his surgically repaired shoulder

“I had a very interesting camp. I had hard sparring sessions and good preparation for this fight. I used all of my punches, and I think it will be the same as before {the surgery}.”

On Pedraza as a challenge

“I can’t answer that now. I need to feel what he brings, and after that, I can compare.”

“His style is not very interesting and not comfortable for all boxers because he’s always on defense and waiting for a mistake. If you’ve seen my fights, it will be similar to the {Miguel} Marriaga fight. They have the same style.”

On fighters out there who are a challenge

“In my weight class and closer to my weight class, we don’t have a big superstar. Yes, we have big names at 147, but I can’t move up to 147 now because it’s too much {weight}, I think.”

On Manny Pacquiao

“I’m not disrespecting Pacquiao, but I don’t want to make my name bigger because I beat an old legend. I have my own road. There are a lot of good fighters to fight who are comparable to me. He’s old. I think his career is done. I don’t want to become a legend in boxing because of him.”

On his plans for 2019

“Seriously, I want a fight with Mikey Garcia. I think this fight will happen. Then, I don’t know.”

Jose Pedraza

“Since the moment I signed to fight {Ray} Beltran, I knew that the winner was going to fight Lomachenko. Mentally, I’ve been preparing, staying positive, staying focused, and also physically, I’m well prepared.”

“I had a great training camp for this fight. Lomachenko is a great fighter, a complete fighter, and I know that I will have to be at my best. I am prepared to put on a good fight.”

“Me {unifying} the titles on Saturday would mean a lot to {Puerto Rico}. It would be the first Christmas after what happened with Hurricane Maria. Definitely, me winning on Saturday would bring a lot of joy and blessings to the island.”

Isaac Dogboe

“We couldn’t have asked for a better 2018. Before entering into 2018, my uncle said to me, ‘All you have to do is dance into 2018. Be happy.’ And that’s exactly what we did. We started by knocking out Cesar Juarez, another fine Mexican fighter. And we moved on to Jessie Magdaleno, another tough world champion. He’s one of the best in my division. And after that, we defended it against Hidenori Otake, one of Japan’s toughest fighters. It’s been a blessing. Three knockouts out of three fights, and this will be four knockouts out of four fights in 2018. It’s always been a blessing.”

“Emanuel Navarrete is also one of Mexico’s finest fighters, as tough as they come. He reminds me of Israel Vazquez and Juan Manuel Marquez. These are great, great legendary fighters. When he talks about the fighting spirit of the Mexicans, you know he’s going to come and fight.”

Emanuel Navarrete

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to fight a great super bantamweight champion like Isaac Dogboe. What better way to become a world champion than to do it on a stage like Madison Square Garden.”

“Maybe people don’t know me, but I’ve had a great career in my country and I’m focused on taking advantage of this opportunity and bringing the title home to Mexico.”

Teofimo Lopez

“It’s my fourth time {fighting at Madison Square Garden}. Like always, I am here to put on a show and ‘The Takeover.’ That’s what I’ve always said, and come Saturday night, we’re here to take over the show.”

“2019, I will become world champion.”

“I know Mason Menard. He’s going to definitely come out there and fight, bring the fight. But they all try the same thing, and it’s not going to work. No matter what they do, no matter what they try, they’re in there with a real one.”

Guido Vianello

“When I started in boxing, my dream was to go to the Olympics and go to America for a fight in Madison Square Garden with Top Rank. So now the dream {has come true}. I am very excited and ready for this fight.”

“I am a mix between {Wladimir} Klitschko and Muhammad Ali. I move in the ring and I am aggressive. I want to box and fight.”

On training with Abel Sanchez

“I have the best training in the world. The training was very hard every day in Big Bear. We ran every morning. For this, I am very, very ready for the fight.”

ESPN, 9 p.m. ET

Vasiliy Lomachenko (WBA lightweight champion) vs. Jose Pedraza (WBO lightweight champion), 12 rounds, lightweight unification

Isaac Dogboe (champion) vs. Emanuel Navarrete (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO junior featherweight world title

Teofimo Lopez vs. Mason Menard,10 rounds, lightweight

ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET

Alexander Besputin vs. Juan Carlos Abreu, 10 rounds, Besputin’s USBA welterweight title

Guido Vianello vs. Luke Lyons, 6 rounds, heavyweight

Josue Vargas vs. John Renteria, 8 rounds, super lightweight

Michael Perez vs. Abdiel Ramirez, 8 rounds, super lightweight

Brian Ceballo vs. Daniel Calzada, 6/4 rounds, welterweight

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for the Lomachenko-Pedraza world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Use the hashtag #LomaPedraza to join the conversation on social media.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Dec. 5, 2018) – WBA lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, WBO lightweight world champion Jose Pedraza, unbeaten WBO junior featherweight world champion Isaac Dogboe, unbeaten lightweight sensation Teofimo Lopez, and Italian heavyweight prospect Guido Vianello took a break from their last-minute fight preparations to head over to Gleason’s Gym to speak to a group of youngsters from Give A Kid A Dream. The foundation provides mentorship opportunities to at-risk youth through boxing.

More than 30 children from the foundation were on hand as the fighters discussed the hard work required to become a world-class fighter. Each fighter demonstrated drills for the children, signed autographs, and gave a few lucky children in-the-ring tutorials.

Lomachenko and Pedraza also took a break to answer a few questions about Saturday’s showdown. This is what they had to say.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

On training camp

“I had a really good camp. I am looking forward to getting back in the ring on Saturday. Madison Square Garden is my favorite place to fight. It is like another home for me. It is a very special place.”

On recovery from torn labrum suffered during Linares bout and fighting through pain

“I am 100 percent. I feel good. When the injury happened, I was mentally prepared to deal with it. I still had my feet. I still had another hand. I am very competitive. I feel like when you step in the ring, you need to finish the fight.”

On Pedraza as a fighter and what he’ll bring to the table

“Nobody knows yet. I’ve had a long rest. Now, I load a new program into my head. We’ll see what happens.”

On recovering and resting following the surgery

“It was good for me to rest. I have been boxing since I was a child. I had a lot of competition. It was my first rest and first big vacation in my life.”

Jose Pedraza

“The time is almost here. The desire to win is very high. I have visualized all the possible scenarios. I’ve seen myself winning, I’ve seen myself knocking him out, I’ve seen myself pulling out the victory coming from behind. The closer the fight approaches, the more I see myself with my hands held high and with the two titles on my shoulders. I already fulfilled my goal of becoming a world champion, and now I’m going after the goal of unifying titles.”

“The titles will return to Puerto Rico with me. I know that it will not be an easy fight. I will be facing one of the best fighters in the world. He has tremendous skills, but I know that I also have great skills and the necessary focus to come out with the victory. Puerto Rico deserves a moment of happiness. I’m going to do it for them, and my family.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for the Lomachenko-Pedraza world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Lomachenko-Pedraza, Dogboe’s WBO junior featherweight title defense against Emanuel Navarrete, and Lopez versus Mason Menard will headline a special three-fight edition of Top Rank on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

All undercard bouts, including Vianello’s pro debut against Luke Lyons, will stream on ESPN+ beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

One of the biggest boxing events of the year airs live on ESPN Saturday, December 8 from The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The reigning WBA lightweight champion, Vasiliy Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) is set to take on WBO champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs) in a title unification main event airing live and exclusively on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 9 p.m. ET, immediately following the live presentation of the 2018 Heisman Trophy Ceremony. Top Rank on ESPN will drop gloves just after 6 p.m. ET starting with the undercards on ESPN+ — the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment and ESPN.

Two additional fights round out Saturday’s Top Rank on ESPN with marquee appearances by rising stars Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe and Teofimo Lopez. ESPN+ will stream the undercards live headlined by Guido Vianello facing Luke Lyon (5-1-1, 2 KOs) starting at 6 p.m. ET.

Calling the fight for ESPN will be Joe Tessitore and Mark Kriegel, with former two-division world titleholder, Tim Bradley (analyst), reporter Bernardo Osuna and on-location studio contributors Stephen A. Smith, Kevin Connors, former pound-for-pound two-division world champion and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, and ESPN Deportes’ coverage includes play-by-play from Robert Sierra and analyst Delvin Rodriguez.

ESPN’s official coverage of fight week kicked off Monday, December 3 with “Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko” – an encore presentation of Vasiliy Lomachenko’s last two fights — Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Guillermo Rigondeaux (December 9, 2017) and Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Jorge Linares (May 12, 2018).

ESPN+ will also feature:
Countdown to Lomachenko vs. Pedraza, a four-part series that takes viewers behind the scenes as one of the world’s great pound-for-pound fighters attempts to unify lightweight world titles against WBO world champion Pedraza. Episodes include:
“Loma: Under the Knife” (available now) — rare footage of Lomachenko prepping for shoulder surgery, the surgery itself, how he injured it vs. Jorge Linares, and how his team handled his comeback.
Unifying The Belts (premieres today) — Lomachenko and Pedraza talk about their chances and ambitions to unify the lightweight title belts.
Fishing with Loma (premieres Wednesday, Dec 5) — Behind the scenes day fishing with Lomachenko and his team off the coast of California.
Training The Loma Way (premieres Thursday, Dec 6) — Inside Team Lomachenko’s unique training strategies, including unique outdoor and mental training.
The final press conference, which will stream live on Thursday, December 6 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael premieres Tuesday, the weekly ESPN+ original show will include a look ahead to Lomachenko vs. Pedraza with ESPN boxing guru Dan Rafael.
The weigh-in will stream live Friday, Dec 7 at 1:30 p.m. ET. Also airing on ESPN2.

News & Information, Digital and SportsCenter
Leading up to the fight, ESPN will preview the event on studio programming and online, including:
On air profiles of Lomachenko by Teddy Atlas and Pedraza by Mark Kriegel
Up-to-date on-scene coverage every step of the way from Rafael who will be with the fighters multiple days this week
News updates and a complete guide to the fight on ESPN.com and the ESPN app from Rafael out Friday, December 7
ESPN Fantasy game Streak for the Cash will offer fight predictions for the Co-Main and Main Event during the ESPN live event telecast Saturday, December 8

Top Rank on ESPN (All times Eastern) 2018
Date Time Event Platform
Mon, Dec 3 8:00 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPN2
Tue, Dec 4 12:00 a.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPNEWS
11:30 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPN2
Thu, Dec 6 9:00 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPNEWS
12:30 p.m. Lomachenko vs Pedraza Final Press Conference ESPN+
Fri, Dec 7 1:00 a.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPN2
1:30 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Lomachenko vs. Pedraza Weigh-In ESPN2, ESPN+
9:00 p.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN: Lomachenko vs. Pedraza Weigh-In ESPNEWS
Sat, Dec 8

12:00 a.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPNEWS
2:00 a.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN: Lomachenko vs. Pedraza Weigh-In ESPNEWS
11:30 a.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN: Lomachenko vs. Pedraza Weigh-In ESPNEWS
12:00 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Best of Lomachenko ESPNEWS
5:00 p.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN: Lomachenko vs. Pedraza Weigh-In ESPNEWS
6:00 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Undercards ESPN+
9:00 p.m. Top Rank on ESPN: Main Event
Vasiliy Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) vs. Jose Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs)
Isaac Dogboe (20-0, 14 KOs) vs Emanuel Navarrete (25-1, 22 KOs)
Teofimo Lopez (10-0, 8 KOs) vs Mason Menard (34-3, 24 KOs) ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio
Sun, Dec 9 1 a.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN (Main Event) ESPN2
5 p.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN (Main Event) ESPN Deportes
8 p.m. (re-air) Top Rank on ESPN (Main Event) ESPN2

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Oct. 24, 2018) – The ‘Sniper’ guarantees there will be a surprise on Dec. 8 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. WBO lightweight champion Jose ‘Sniper’ Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs) trained in front of the media of ‘The Island of Enchantment’ before departing for Las Vegas, where he will conclude training camp for his upcoming title unification bout against WBA champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs).

This is what Pedraza, a two-weight world champion, had to say during his media workout in Puerto Rico.

About his fight against Lomachenko

“Technically speaking, he has never faced a fighter like me.”

About fighting in New York

“I’m very excited for this fight and even more because the fight will be in New York where I will have the support of all the Puerto Ricans.”

On what fans can expect of him on December 8

“The fans can expect an even more focused and intelligent Jose Pedraza in the ring. On that night, I will show all my skills.”

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for Lomachenko-Pedraza are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Lomachenko-Pedraza will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

OXNARD, Calif. (Oct 23, 2018) – WBA lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko was at home at the Boxing Laboratory as he prepared for his next challenge. Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs), who has won world titles in three weight classes in just 12 pro fights, will seek to unify titles for the first time as a pro when he takes on WBO champion Jose Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs), Dec. 8 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden (ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 9 p.m. ET).

Lomachenko worked out for the media Tuesday, showing off his assortment of training tricks. This is what the pound-for-pound great had to say.

On the Pedraza fight

“I had a long rest {following shoulder surgery}. I am looking forward to seeing how I feel and taking on a tough opponent like Pedraza. I haven’t had much time to watch his fights.”

On potentially unifying the titles

“I can’t wait. After this fight, a lot of doors will be open. Title unification fights are good for the sport of boxing.”

On future opponents

“I love challenges. That’s what motivates me. I want all the top fighters. I’m open to anyone.”

On the Jorge Linares fight

“It was the first time I was knocked down as a pro. After the knockdown, I came back and finished the fight. It was a tough fight, but I showed the heart of a champion.”

On whether he’ll remain at lightweight

“I believe I’ll stay at 135 and focus on 135 because when I fought against Linares, I felt like he was bigger than me. So I’ll stay at 135 because I think 135 is not my {ideal} weight category right now. After one or two years, it will be my {ideal} weight.”

On a Mikey Garcia fight

“I hope {it will happen}. We can see in the future because my next fight is against Pedraza. After Pedraza, we can talk about fighting Mikey.”

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for Lomachenko-Pedraza are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Lomachenko-Pedraza will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

NEW YORK CITY (Oct. 17, 2018) – The Royal Storm is in a New York state of mind.

Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe will make the second defense of his WBO junior featherweight title against the hard-hitting Emanuel Navarrete as the co-feature to the previously announced Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jose Pedraza lightweight unification bout at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Lomachenko-Pedraza and Dogboe-Navarrete will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for this world championship event are on sale now. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

“Put me among the best, and you’ll see the best of Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe,” Dogboe said. “We love the New York crowd. That’s what will motivate us and make us fight harder. Madison Square Garden is a legendary place. It’s a place where many fighters were made. Lomachenko and Pedraza are great fighters and being featured on a show with other great fighters is an honor. We are ready to roll. And to my fans, trust me, the ‘Royal Storm’ is coming to entertain!”

“Many boxers come and go like the common cold, but Isaac ‘Royal Storm’ Dogboe is here to stay,” said Paul Dogboe, Isaac’s father and trainer. “This is it. New York, here we come!”

“This is the opportunity I was waiting for. I have a lot of respect for Isaac Dogboe, but this title will be mine,” Navarrete said. “I feel very happy and motivated by this opportunity, even more, because of fighting in New York City. I know that from Dec. 8 forward, the name Emanuel Navarrete will be known all around the world. I’m sure this win will be mine.”

Dogboe (20-0, 14 KOs) has emerged in 2018 with a trio of victories that has him on the shortlist for Fighter of the Year honors. He opened his 2018 campaign Jan. 5 with a fifth-round TKO against Cesar Juarez to win the interim WBO world title. Dogboe dethroned world champion Jessie Magdaleno on April 28 in Philadelphia, recovering from a first-round knockdown to batter Magdaleno en route to an 11-round stoppage. In his first title defense, Aug. 25 in Glendale, Ariz., Dogboe knocked out the normally durable Hidenori Otake in the opening round.

Navarrete (25-1, 22 KOs), a 23-year-old from Mexico City, is one of the 122-pound division’s heaviest hitters. He has won 20 consecutive bouts since a four-round decision loss and is riding an eight-fight knockout streak. In his last bout, June 2 in Monterrey, Mexico, he knocked out Jose Sanmartin in the 12th round of a brutal battle.

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

Use the hashtags #LomaPedraza and #DogboeNavarrete to join the conversation on social media.

NEW YORK CITY (Oct. 9, 2018) — WBA lightweight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko has made his second home in New York City.

The man considered by many boxing experts to be the world’s best fighter will top the bill at a Madison Square Garden venue for the fourth time as a pro when he takes on WBO champion Jose Pedraza in a unification bout Dec. 8 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Madison Square Garden, tickets for Lomachenko-Pedraza go on sale Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 12 p.m. ET. Priced at $506, $356, $206, $106, and $56, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at ticketmaster.com and MSG.com.

Lomachenko-Pedraza will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

This will be Lomachenko’s third consecutive bout at a Madison Square Garden venue. He last fought May 12 at Madison Square Garden, knocking out Jorge Linares in the 10th round in front of 10,429 fans.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing,@ESPN, @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtag #LomaPedraza to join the conversation on social media.

NICOLA ADAMS wants to achieve the highest accolades so she can be compared to Ukrainian great Vasyl Lomachenko.

He has already won world titles at three weights inside 12 fights and like Adams is a double Olympic gold medallist.

Adams (4-0) will be on the brink of landing a full world title shot if she defeats experienced Mexican Isabel Milan (22-4-1) at Leicester’s Morningside Arena on Saturday October 6 in their vacant interim WBO female Flyweight championship clash over ten rounds.

All of Adams professional opponents, since she turned professional in April 2017 have had winning records and WBO champion Arely Mucino is within touching distance.

The Leeds golden girl says: “A lot of new professionals don’t fight opponents with good records and titles so soon in their career apart from boxers like Vasyl Lomachenko and that is the sort of footsteps I want to follow in.

“I want a world title quickly and prove that I belong among the best.

“Lomachenko is one of my favourite boxers. His technical ability, his hand speed, his power punching is unbelievable.

“Like myself, he is also a two-time Olympic champion. Why not fancy myself as female boxing’s answer to Lomachenko?”

Adams, 35, is now training in Sheffield under Dominic Ingle and trains alongside fellow Frank Warren promoted boxers Willie Hutchison, Billy Joe Saunders and Liam Williams.

Olympic triumphs in 2012 and 2016 and world amateur gold on her CV, means Adams is a marked woman.

She added: “Everybody wants to beat me and say they knocked out the two-time Olympic gold medallist.

“I never take any chances in the ring or overlook anybody and I always give it 110 per-cent. I treat every opponent like I am fighting for a world title.

“This fight against Isabel my most important professional fight so far because it is the one where a win will get me that full world title challenge.”

‘The Time Is Now’ is headlined by Jack Catterall v Ohara Davies. Leicester’s own, Lyon Woodstock defends his WBO European Super-Featherweight title against Archie Sharp. Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois takes on former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. Olympian and double gold medallist Nicola Adams will be fighting Isabel Millan for the Interim WBO World Female Flyweight Title and Leicester’s British Super-Featherweight champion Sam Bowen also feature on a major night of boxing televised live on BT Sport.

Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200 and are available to purchase from Eventbrite and Ticketmaster.

NEW YORK CITY (Sept. 25, 2018) – Vasiliy Lomachenko is ready to take another bite out of the Big Apple. Lomachenko, the pound-for-pound superstar and WBA lightweight world champion, will look to unify world titles for the first time as a professional when he clashes with WBO champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. ET, live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. This marks Lomachenko’s fourth main event appearance at a Madison Square Garden venue.

Lomachenko-Pedraza will headline a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN, which will follow the 84th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Presentation.

Promoted by Top Rank, ticket and undercard information for this world championship event will be announced soon.

“Boxing fans are excited that Vasiliy Lomachenko will be back in action on Dec. 8,” said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. “He knows that in WBO champion Jose Pedraza, he faces a tough opponent with a style that may give him a lot of trouble.”

“I am ready to fight an excellent opponent like Jose Pedraza,” Lomachenko said. “My goal has always been to unify the titles, and Pedraza is standing in my way. There is something special about fighting in New York City and at Madison Square Garden. The fans in New York City are true boxing fans, and I can’t wait to put on another spectacular performance for them.”

“I am grateful to have this opportunity, since I didn’t get the chance to unify titles when I was champion in the junior lightweight division,” Pedraza said. “In this division, I will achieve my goal, and I will do it against one of the best boxers in the world. There will be a surprise on Dec. 8!”

“We are thrilled to bring fans one of the year’s marquee boxing events to ESPN,” said ESPN’s Burke Magnus, executive vice president, programming and scheduling. “Currently ranked as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, Lomachenko is who fans want to watch. His historic victory last year on this night was a tremendous success, and we look forward to showcasing the world’s best once again.”

Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) is widely considered to be the greatest amateur boxer in history, as he posted a 396-1 record with Olympic gold medals for his native Ukraine in 2008 and 2012. In the pro ranks, he has continued to etch his name in the history books. Lomachenko tied a boxing record by winning a world title in his third pro bout on June 21, 2014, a clear points win against Gary Russell Jr. to claim the vacant WBO featherweight title. He made three defenses of that title before moving up to 130 pounds. In his debut at 130 pounds, Lomachenko knocked out Roman Martinez with an uppercut-hook combination to win the WBO junior lightweight world title. Following the Martinez bout, Lomachenko began an unprecedented streak of four consecutive opponents – Nicholas Walters, Jason Sosa, Miguel Marriaga, and Guillermo Rigondeaux – retiring on their stools. The Rigondeaux bout, which took place last December at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, was the first time in boxing history that a pair of two-time Olympic gold medalists fought as professionals. After six rounds, Rigondeaux quit on his stool.

With nothing left to prove at 130 pounds, Lomachenko moved up to lightweight and challenged WBA champion Jorge Linares. On May 12 at Madison Square Garden, Lomachenko suffered a labral tear of his right shoulder in the second round and was knocked down with a right hand in the sixth, only to come back and stop Linares with a left hand to the body in the 10th round. The Linares victory signified another milestone for Lomachenko. In becoming a three-weight world champion in 12 professional fights, he broke the previous record set by Jeff Fenech (20 fights) in 1988. Lomachenko has knocked out eight consecutive opponents dating back to his fourth professional bout in 2014.

Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, has climbed back to the top of the sport following a January 2017 TKO loss to Gervonta Davis that saw him relinquish his IBF junior lightweight world title. He returned 14 months later as a lightweight on March 17, shutting out Jose Luis Rodriguez over eight rounds at the Hulu Theater at Madison Garden. After a hard-fought 10-round unanimous decision against Antonio Moran on June 9, Pedraza traveled to Glendale, Ariz., on Aug. 25 to face WBO lightweight world champion Ray Beltran. He scored an 11th-round knockdown to seal the unanimous decision victory, becoming only the second male Puerto Rican fighter to win world titles at 130 and 135 pounds.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing,@ESPN, @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtag #LomaPedraza to join the conversation on social media.

GLENDALE, Ariz. –Ray Beltran is known for going the distance. Any distance. But this time it was too long. Two rounds too long.

Jose Pedraza ended Beltran’s short reign as the World Boxing Organization’s lightweight champion, scoring a knockdown Saturday night with a left uppercut in the 11^th round and a blitz of undefended punches in an emphatic finish to the bout in the 12^th.

On the scorecards, there was never a doubt. Pedraza was 117-110, 115-112, 117-110 winner over Beltran, the favorite of a lively Gila River Arena crowd of nearly 5,000.

“We did everything that we needed to do to win this fight,’’ said Pedraza (25-2, 12 KOs), a switch-hitting Puerto Rican who cut Beltran (35-8-1, 21 KOs) above the left eye in an early round and endured his brawling power in the later round. “We followed the game plan perfectly. I knew how tough this fight was going to be and at moments it got very difficult, but thanks to the focus and the guidance from my corner, we were able to win round by round and get the win.”

For Pedraza, the victory means a probable date on December 1 against pound-for-pound contender Vasiliy Lomachenko, who has been on the mend from shoulder surgery.

“Now I can talk about the future,’’ Pedraza said.  “I want to unify the division. I want to battle against all the champions. I want the big names. Bring Lomachenko! I have the perfect style to beat him.”

He might, he just might, said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

“He beat a very, very tough guy with a very, very cerebral fight,’’ Arum said. “He believes he has the style to beat Lomachenko.’’

For the 37-year-old Beltran, the future was not so certain. However, Arum said the Phoenix lightweight intends to keep on fighting. Anything else would have been surprise. Beltran, a Mexican, has never been the retiring type, not in his career or his ongoing quest of green card.

“As far as the future, it’s too early to tell,’’ said Beltran, who entered the ring with Phoenix Hall of Famer Michael Carbajal. “This fight, I think was tough and very close.

“The knockdown was the difference.’’

Dogboe delivers royal statement, scores first-round stoppage

There’s royalty in the blood and power in the hands.

Phoenix super-bantamweight Carlos Castro has a new deal and the same record. He was unbeaten when he signed with Top Rank. Castro (21-0, 9 KOs) is still unbeaten, winning the deal’s debut — a unanimous decision Mexican Diuhl Olguin (12-12-2, ( KOS) in front of a hometown crowd at Gila River on a card featuring Beltran-Pedraza.

 

 

Lozado struggles to a dull draw

Mexican lightweight Antonio Lozada Jr (40-2-1, 34 KOs) couldn’t sustain much of anything long enough over eight rounds in and-up down bout fight with Hector Ambriz (12-7-2, also of Mexico. It was dull. It was also a draw. It’s not clear what’s next for Lozada. Top Ranks hopes to put him in against Teofimo Lopez.

Phoenix featherweight De Vaca wins gutsy decision

Phoenix featherweight Francisco De Vaca (19-0, 6 KOs) had less power, but more resiliency than Mexican Jesus Serrano (17-7-2, 12 KOs) in crowd-pleasing featherweight brawl. De Vaca, who had ex-Oscar De La Hoya trainer Pedro Alcazar in his corner, prevailed, winning a decision that was gritty as it was unanimous.

AZ bantamweight Macias strikes with huge KO punch

It didn’t take long for some Arizona punch to be added to the mix. Breenan Macias (3-0, 2 KOs), a Goodyear, AZ, bantamweight trained by Robert Garcia, delivered it, a right hand that landed, 10 proof, in the final second of the third round.. Philip Adyaka (7-12, 4 KOs), of St Paul, Minn, never recovered. He was dazed and done, officially stopped at 3:00 of the third.

Trevor McCumby wins TKO
Phoenix light-heavyweight Trevor McCumby (24-0-0-1, 18 KOs)continued the AZ theme, overwhelming Jessie Nicklow with punches that fell like rain out of micro-burst storm. With a defenseless NIcklow (27-9-3, 9 KOs), Baltimore, slumping in a neutral corner, the referee stopped it at 40 seconds of the third round.

Beltran-Pedraza card heats up AZ with first bell

An empty, cool arena was a refuge from the desert’s soaring temperatures, but it was no escape for junior-welterweight Sagadat Rakhmankul and Christian Aquirre, who began to heat things up at Gila River Saturday afternoon in the first fight on a card featuring Ray Beltran and Jose Pedraza.

Rakhmankul (3-0, 1 KO), a Kazak managed by Vasiliy Lomachenko manager Egis Klimas, landed repeated uppercuts against the wild swinging Aguirre (7-3, 3 KOs) of West, Valley, Utah. In the Rakhmankul got bloodied and a unanimous decision over Aquirre, who somehow remained upright in spite of a swing-for-the-fences style that left him spinning like a top.

After his shoulder surgery, Lightweight World Champion Vasyl Loamachenko is targeting December 1st in a bout that would be streamed on ESPN+, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Rehab is going really good. Lomachenko came to support his friend and countryman Usyk in Moscow, so we spent three, four days together,” manager Egis Klimas said. “He’s working with his physical therapist. I think it’s healing very good. I spoke with the doctor and the doctor said it was a good surgery. So we’re looking to get him back on a checkup with the doctor.

“As far as the future, I just hung up [the phone] with [Top Rank promoter] Bob Arum and the plan is [Raymundo] Beltran is fighting [Jose] Pedraza on Aug. 25 and the winner [is] gonna be unifying titles with Lomachenko on Dec. 1.”

Lomachenko could fight the winner of the August 25th lightweight title bout between Ray Beltran and Jose Pedraza.

“We want that fight with Mikey Garcia. But Mikey Garcia is always walking out of that,” Klimas said. “We want the fight with Mikey Garcia. Let me repeat it two times — we want the fight. Lomachenko wants to fight Mikey Garcia. … Always excuses, excuses.

“If he wants to come over, his management can talk to our management. We can find a solution. I’m sure the fight can be made together with ESPN and Showtime to do a pay-per-view fight [together]. If he wants to fight a welterweight, let him fight a welterweight in his next fight. He can keep his belts and unify next year.”

LOS ANGELES (May 30, 2018) – Vasiliy Lomachenko underwent arthroscopic surgery Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder suffered during the second round of his May 12 bout against Jorge Linares. The surgery, performed by world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, will preclude Lomachenko from fighting Aug. 25 as originally scheduled. Lomachenko will begin the recovery process immediately and is hopeful that he will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) and Ring Magazine lightweight titles before the end of the year.

Said Dr. ElAttrache: “Vasiliy had the anticipated injuries in his right shoulder, resulting from a dislocation event that he sustained during his fight on May 12. In particular, he had an extensive labral tear, approximately 270 degrees with a small amount of cartilage damage and a bone impaction injury, all resulting in instability of the shoulder. He underwent an arthroscopic repair of the labrum as anticipated with no complications. Based on the result of the surgical repair, we are optimistic for an excellent prognosis and for him to return to competition at his previous level of performance.”

Vasyl Lomachenko is set for surgery for a torn labrum in his shoulder that he suffered in his bout against Jorge Linares, accrding to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I couldn’t use my right arm to throw my right hook, and it was very uncomfortable to continue my fight,” said Lomachenko, speaking to ESPN immediately following his examination by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles.

“None of these things are carved in stone,” ElAttrache said. “The most important thing is to protect him and allow this to heal properly. With what I’m seeing now that’s the timetable if things go perfectly.”

“The shoulder popped out and then popped back in so he was able to finish the fight, but when he went back home it was hurting him and so he got an MRI in the Ukraine, and it showed the tear,” promoter Bob Arum said. “He was making arrangements to take care of it over there and that’s when Egis (Klimas) and myself said you have to come here [to Los Angeles] and have Dr. ElAttrache look at you and do the operation.”

“Every once in a while when he would spar, he’d have pain in the shoulder but then he’d ice it and then there’d be no problem,” Arum said. “But this time it was different with the pain he was having in the fight and after the fight. So, obviously, Aug. 25 is out for his next fight and we’re looking at Dec. 8. If the shoulder doesn’t come around in time we’ll have to postpone it, but we’re looking at him being ready to go Dec. 8. But we know there are no guarantees.”

Vasyl Lomachenko will vacate his WBO 130 lb championship and keep the WBA Lightweight title, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I am writing you on behalf of Team Lomachenko. As you are well aware on May 12 Vasiliy moved up in weight to challenge WBA lightweight champion Jorge Linares,” Top Rank’s Carl Moretti wrote to WBP President Paco Valcarcel.. “As you saw, he was successful in capturing the lightweight title. Vasiliy wishes to continue to campaign in the lightweight division. Therefore, we respectfully relinquish our WBO junior lightweight title so that an opportunity may be given to the ranked contenders to compete for the vacant belt.

“Paco, we are so grateful to you and the WBO family for affording us the privilege of being a WBO world champion from the start of his career. We hope in the near future we will once again be afforded the chance to fight for another championship with the WBO. As always, we thank you for your continued support and friendship.”

“Lomachenko will not go on Aug. 25, but it’s still possible that his next fight will be a unification with Ray,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum said, adding that after a trip home to Ukraine following the victory against Linares that Lomachenko would return to Southern California on Monday night and will meet with him and manager Egis Klimas next week to discuss his future plans.

“Loma is going to stay at 135 pounds because we believe there are bigger fights and much better competition in that weight class,” Klimas told ESPN. “We’ve been talking about the next fight and maybe unifying with the titles with Beltran but everything is up in the air.”

 

By Jimmy Tobin-

When Ukranian Vasyl “Hi-Tech” Lomachenko entered the ring at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night he did so as a nearly -1400 betting favorite. Those odds, near criminal, were soon rendered absurd. Across the ring, Venezuela’s Jorge “El Nino de Oro” Linares stood at the pinnacle of his career. For years Linares had traversed the globe, refurbishing himself, grinding his way back to relevance after a pair of brutal stoppages nearly extinguished him. Linares fought on this and that opponent’s turf, off television, away from the bright lights he was supposed to occupy fixedly nearly a decade ago—all this to stand cornered in what looked very much like a cashout well-earned.

He met the end those odds predicted, did Linares, but not in the manner they implied. Linares was subducted by Lomachenko, like the ocean’s crust rolled over by its continental counterpoint, and the result of their collision was fittingly volcanic. Lomachenko and Linares produced as compelling a prizefight as the year is likely to offer, one whose finish, sudden and satisfying, was both apropos and unexpected. In the tenth, Lomachenko shanked Linares with a left hook best discerned by the agony in its aftermath. Try as he might, Linares could not beat the count; unable to straighten himself, the fight ended with him stuck in a bow, a gesture he had every right to take.

You have what you wanted now, don’t you? You who have long wanted to see Lomachenko challenged, who have gnashed your teeth and cramped your thumbs fighting against the “Hi-Tech” hyperbole. Because Lomachenko looked appreciably human against Linares. Those confounding angles of his? Linares had an answer for them, mirroring Lomachenko’s pivots and firing straight shots as soon as he set his feet. The volume, those cascades of punches both throwaway and evil that Lomachenko uses to plague and punish? Linares met them in kind, knowing—as any opponent must—that Lomachenko’s chin cannot securely be hidden in such activity, and daring—as few opponents do—to find it.

Linares tagged Lomachenko with some consistency, but never more cleanly than he did in the sixth, when his right hand speared an arrogantly lackadaisical Lomachenko square in the face and spilled him for the first time in his professional career.

And it was here that you too got what you wanted, didn’t you? You who have bided your time while Lomachenko dismissed opponents uninspiring and outgunned, while you waited for him to prove himself deserving of the present if not historical—or mythical—accolades those paid to fawn over him have shoveled tirelessly. He earned enough of those Saturday to stop wondering about his grit, his champion’s comportment. Lomachenko is a fighter; it took three divisions and a significant size disadvantage to prove it—it also only took twelve fights.

Because there is nothing Lomachenko failed to deliver Saturday night. If you thought Linares hit him too frequently, too hard, then you are forced to concede that Lomachenko can take a lightweight punch. If you saw him slip, parry, roll with many of the punches Linares was credited for landing, well, all the better. Did you wonder how he would react when hurt? Linares showed you in the sixth—because Lomachenko was indeed hurt by that right hand, evidenced both by how uncharacteristically hurried he was in proving otherwise and how he fought the seventh.

He learned from it too, acknowledging his miscalculation afterward: “I knew about this punch, but I thought I already did what I needed to do. I was wrong and he caught me,” before adding, “He’s [Linares] a great fighter and he gave me one more lesson in boxing.” Post-lesson, Lomachenko adjusted his range and took the fight inside to first unseam and then hepatectomize his most dangerous opponent yet.

Was Saturday not confirmation of Lomachenko’s championship mettle? Is not getting up from a knockdown to win by stoppage what champions do? And would you not rather a fighter get caught for his pursuit of the knockout, than have him skirt the perimeter of peril, eschewing drama for dominance and the excuses such (even artful) preservation demands of a man who fights for a living?

The fight was reminiscent of last year’s rumble between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko, where the victor’s vulnerability served primarily to further ratify him, and the loser, through his valiance, his agency in that ratification, earned greater accolades than he had garnered in any victory; where we learned the winner is not flawless, no, but that he is something better: a fighter who will calibrate his performance to the stakes, and in doing show why boxing, at its finest, knows no rival.

That does not make Lomachenko a historically great fighter (yet), and anyone with the time and interest could find a way to begrime his winning titles in three divisions quicker than any fighter in history. Such is the nature of boxing, such is the nature of its fans. The talk, spouted by manager Egis Klimas, of Lomachenko moving to junior welterweight should be tempered for now, especially considering the qualifier Klimas offered for the move: that Lomachenko won’t be at his best until he is challenged. Linares provided that challenge, teaching Lomachenko the perils of physics (that moving up in weight inevitably brings a fighter closer to his ceiling). Mikey Garcia could deliver that message with greater force, and so long as both Lomachenko and Garcia prowl the lightweight division both have unfinished business there—and both twiddle their thumbs with any other opponent.

But for perhaps the first time since his third bout, when he dismantled Gary Russell Jr., the answer to the question of what we want from Lomachenko is “more of the same.” This column once remarked of Lomachenko that he is a fighter who “in the minds of aficionados live primarily in the future.” Saturday the future arrived.

By Bart Barry-

Ukrainian prizefighter Vasyl Lomachenko and his promoter Top Rank accomplished something pretty extraordinary Saturday when Lomachenko stopped lightweight champion Jorge Linares with a liver shot in the 10th round of a primetime ESPN match at Madison Square Garden. They justified a mountainous pile of euphoric forecasting and premature acclaim so high as to appear unjustifiable. Top Rank did this by putting its star in a fight he could lose – scorecards were a split draw after nine rounds – and Lomachenko did this by riding the moment to a transcendent version of himself.

In one punch Lomachenko indicted most of our current era’s best fighters but especially what prizefighter The Ring currently ranks world’s best. That punch was one Lomachenko took, too, from the middle knuckle of Linares’ right fist square on his pretty nose. It was a punch only a larger champion might deliver a fighter of Lomachenko’s talent and craft. It showed, in one moment at midfight, how much margin-for-error disappears when a man’s courage and ambition command him fight progressively larger men. And it showed the Gennady Golovkin reign for the fraud it has been.

I leaped from my seat and cried at my elderly Mexican companion, “¡Ya, vamos a ver que realmente es (now we’re going to see what he really is)! ¡Ya, vamos a ver!” It was a moment both feral and euphoric – finally a favored, celebrated fighter (other than Roman Gonzalez) in a nationally televised fight intentionally challenging himself enough to be dropped. Finally!

Lomachenko rose too quickly, his pride damaged much as his balance, but got through the round abetted in part by Linares’ hesitation – for which Lomachenko deserved much credit as Linares’ previous vanquishers. Lomachenko fought from that moment forward like he was in a fight, not a danceoff or freestyle floor routine. He surpassed himself, too, he accomplished what he’d taken on faith to that point: If circumstances render my routine inadequate, I will respond creatively and it will be glorious. It was.

He finished Linares with boxing’s version of a southpaw encryption key: 2-2-3-1-6-1-6-3-1-4: cross, cross, hook, jab, left uppercut, jab, up-jab, left uppercut, hook, jab, left hook. What should Linares have done differently? Who the hell knows? None of that can be trained for because there’s no history of it. Lomachenko himself did not expect the combination; his left hook to Linares’ body (when the palm faces up, it’s not a cross, whatever latterday purists may tell you) was the first punch in a threestrike combo Lomachenko raced past Linares’ collapsing form. Lomachenko observed Linares on the canvas and pumped his fist with the realization he’d touched the button, inaccessible usually to a southpaw, and Linares couldn’t possibly be conditioned enough to recuperate from it in the 10th round. He wasn’t. Linares didn’t beat the count so much as get unwilted by referee Ricky Gonzalez’s helping him to his feet.

Lomachenko justified the anticipatory hype about him Saturday in a way few modern athletes do. What usually happens, instead, is television promoters, scripts written by boxing promoters, get themselves in front of each story by calling everything they see greatness – across the dial on Saturday Night Fights, a telecast missing only its Just for Men spots, the names Mike Tyson and Tommy Hearns were invoked in the same minute of a 122-pound comain – cynically certain audiences will forgive decades of hyperbole in the event some athlete actually becomes what telecommentators say every other athlete will be. For it is better to call 100 Danny Jacobses elite than call the next Muhammad Ali only above-average.

Which leads to a few recent thoughts about contemporary television commentary. Watching a series of highlights from Tiger Woods’ round 3 at The Players Championship after reading an interesting essay on metamodernism led me to reconsider the role of live sports commentary and entertain the possibility it is becoming more an expression of sincerity than cynicism. For the last two decades its formula has sounded like: You, dear viewer, wish to believe you are extraordinary and unique and consequently curate only what else is extraordinary and unique, and so allow us to tell you everything you watch on our network is extraordinary and unique. That 6-4-3 doubleplay you just saw? Only the seventh time since 2012 a second baseman of Lithuanian descent has assisted a Dominican-born shortstop in ending a scoreless inning on a Tuesday. Historic!

But now, as a generation of secondstring actors, ironists and models makes its historic way off the world’s stage, congratulating itself on historic journalism, television commentary is infiltrated by something professionally sincere. As in:

We are looking for someone to help promote the Tiger Woods brand by accepting applications from energetic public speakers who know how to cheer like drunks in the gallery do.

Why, I have a degree in communications and I love Tiger – I just didn’t think I could get paid for it. I’m in!

There’s no longer a pretense of objectivity, which is oddly refreshing. It’s a performance that requires energy more than skill. Saturday’s ESPN team rehashed the same story of Lomachenko’s dance classes for at least its 83rd public iteration but did so with a fanatic’s sincerity. As Lomachenko, a southpaw, endeavored to keep his front foot outside his orthodox opponent’s – something you learn in boxing just after jab-cross and before hook – the onus fell upon Timothy Bradley and Mark Kriegel to join this pedestrian thing to the legendmaking decision Lomachenko’s dad took to make his son’s footwork the best in all sport, and Bradley and Kriegel were not cowed by the challenge. Even while the fight was tied Bradley assured us Lomachenko was something never before seen while Kriegel reiterated father-son dynamics once more for whatever male viewers are neither fathers nor sons.

Then Lomachenko did something excellent, and it all felt pretty good.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN won the night for combat sports last night. Not only did the Linares vs. Lomanchenko main event draw a 1.0 metered market rating, making it cable television’s highest-rated fight of 2018, according to Nielsen overnight data, but the entire Top Rank on ESPN telecast was ESPN’s highest-rated Top Rank telecast of the year.

Vasiliy Lomachenko stopped Jorge Linares in the tenth round to win the WBA and Ring Magazine lightweight titles in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden. A left hand to the body put Linares down for the 10-count.

Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) is a now a three-weight world champion. With this victory, he has shattered the all-time boxing record for fewest fights needed to win a world title in three weight divisions, accomplishing that in just his 12th fight. Lomachenko broke the record held by Australian legend Jeff Fenech, a Hall of Famer who won world titles at bantamweight and junior featherweight before winning a belt at featherweight in his 20th fight in 1988.

Main Things to Know
Last night’s entire Top Rank on ESPN telecast averaged a 0.8 metered market rating, making it ESPN’s highest-rated Top Rank telecast of 2018
The main event, featuring Jorge Linares and Vasiliy Lomachenko, averaged a 1.0 metered market rating, making it cable’s television’s highest-rated fight of 2018
The co-feature, featuring Alejandro Barrera vs. Carlos Adames, averaged a 0.7 metered market rating, tying it as the third highest-rated fight on ESPN this year

2018 TOP BOXING OVERNIGHT RATINGS ON CABLE TELEVISION (BY FIGHT)
RANK DATE NETWORK FIGHT MTRD MKT RTG
1 5/12/2018 ESPN LOMACHENKO vs. LINARES 1.0
T-2 5/5/2018 HBO GOLOVKIN vs. MARTIROSYAN 0.9
T-2 4/28/2018 HBO JACOBS vs. SULECKI 0.9
T-4 3/10/2018 ESPN VENCES vs. DE LEON 0.8
T-4 3/3/2018 SHOWTIME WILDER vs. ORTIZ 0.8
T-6 3/10/2018 ESPN VALDEZ vs. QUIGG 0.7
T-6 5/12/2018 ESPN ADAMES vs BARRERA 0.7
T-6 1/27/2018 HBO MATTHYSSE vs. KIRAM 0.7
T-6 5/5/2018 HBO BRAEKHUS vs. REIS 0.7
T-6 3/3/2018 HBO KOVALEV vs. MIKHALKIN 0.7

Main markets tuning in for last night’s event included Norfolk, VA; Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans and Columbus, OH. The telecast peaked during the final two quarter hours with a 1.1 metered market rating.

Top Rank on ESPN returns for two big ESPN+-exclusive fights May 26 and June 9. ESPN+ is the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment, in partnership with ESPN.

On May 26, two 115-pound talents will take center stage on the first Top Rank on ESPN world championship card on ESPN+. Jerwin ‘Pretty Boy’ Ancajas defends the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight world title against countryman Jonas Sultan and Great Britain’s Kal Yafai will make the third defense of his World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight title against David Carmona, both from SaveMart Center in Fresno, CA. The doubleheader will air live exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States. Main event coverage will start at 9:30 p.m. ET, while undercard action will be shown beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

On June 9, Terence “Bud” Crawford faces Jeff “The Hornet” Horn in a battle for the WBO Welterweight World Title from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The live event will air exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States. Crawford-Horn coverage will start at 9:30 p.m. ET, while undercard action will be shown beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

The ESPN App and ESPN+ are available on mobile and TV-connected devices and on ESPN.com. The new ESPN App with ESPN+ are available on devices and platforms including Amazon (Fire TV, Fire Stick, Fire Smart TVs, Fire tablets), Android (Android phones, Android TV), Apple (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and supported in the Apple TV App), Chromecast and Roku.

Follow all the action from ringside at Madison Square Garden as Jorge Linares defends the WBA Lightweight title against 2 division world champion and reigning Fighter of The Year Vasyl Lomanchenko.  The action kicks off at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT with a welterweight bout featuring undefeated Carlos Adames taking in Alejandro Barrera

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY.

Round 1: Lots of feeling out,,Left from Lomachenko..Right from Linares..Left to body from Lomachenko..Left from Linares..

Round 2 Left from Linares..Hard body shot..3 punch combo from Lomachenko..left on inside..Right from Linares..Body shot..Combination from Lomachenko..

Round 3 Right to body from Linares..Right hook from Lomachenko..Left from Linares..Uppercut from Lomachenko..

Round 4 Combination from Linares…Uooercut from Lomachenko..Right hook from Linares..Right from Linares..Combination from Lomachenko..Uppercut..Straight left..

Round 5 Left to body from Lomachenko..3 punch combination..combination from Linares..Hard jab from Lomachenko..Straight left..Combination finsiged off by a hard right

Round 6 Linares warned for a low blow..rippimh 5 punch combination from Linares..left hook..HUGE COUNTER RIGHT AND DOWN GOES LOMACHENKO

Round 7 Right from Linares..Right hook from Lomachenko..Right from Linares..Combination..Left from Lomachenko

Round 8 Uppercut from Lomachenko…Uppercut and right hook inside..Hard jab..

Round 9 Uppercut from Lomachenko..Hard right from Linares..Right to body..Counter right

Round 10 Body and head shots from Linares..Right hook from Lomachenko..good jab..Right from Linares..BIG COMBINATION..BIDY SHOT..DOWN GOES LINARES…FIGHT OVER

Round 1 Right from Adames..Right from Barrera..Jab..Left drives Barrera Back..hard left.Straight right..

Round 2 Left from Adames..Hard left..Right from Barrera..4 punch combination..Trading body shot..Left to body from Adames..Good right..2 Body shots..right to body from Barrera…Left buckles Barrera…Right

Round 3 Left to body from Barrera..Uppercut..Left to body..Good right from Adames…Good right from Barrera..Left from Adames..Left from Barrera

Round 4 Right from Adames..Flush right..Uppercut..Left to body from Barrera…Hard right from Adames…Good counter right

Round 5 Body work from Adames..2 more body shots..Straight right….Left to body from Barrera..Hard left from Adames..Right to body..1-2 ..Right drives Barrera into ropes..another ripping right

Round 6 Left from Adames..3 punch combination from Barrera..Jab..Adames switching southpaw..

Round 7 Left to body from Adames..Left to body from Adames..Left to body from Barrera..Jab from Adames..Good right from Barrera..Trading body shots on the inside..Combination that is punctuated by a right from Barrera

Round 8 Both are trading heavy shots..Barrera coming forward..Left from Adames..Hard left off the ropes…Right cross..Head combination…Hard right from Barrera

Round 9 Barrera lands 5 shots on the ropes..Good left from Adames..Good counter right..Jab..

Round 10 Left/body-right from Adames..Right from Barrera..Body work from both..Body from Barrera..Counter right..Left and right from Adames..

98-92, 97-93 and 96-94 for ADAMES

NEW YORK, NY–Vasyl Lomachenko captured the WBA Lightweight title with an exciting 10th round stoppage over Jorge Linares at Madison Square Garden

Lomachenko started to get going in round three, as he handspeed and footwork started to take its course.  The right eye of Linares began to swell in round four.  Lomachenko showed a blistering combination to punctuate the 5th.  In round six, Linares landed a huge counter right that sent Lomachenko on the seat of his pants.

Both guys traded winning rounds with Linares getting through with some solid right hands, while Lomachenko’s quick combination punches were the difference tin the frames for which he took.

In round ten, Lomachenko planted a perfect straight left under the rib-cage of Linares and the champion fell to all fours.  Linares did get o his feet, but he was unable to continue at 2:08.

Lomachenko is now a champion in his 3rd weight class as he raises his mark to 11-1 with 9 knockouts.  Linares is now 44-4.

Carlos Adames remained undefeated by winning a ten-round unanimous decision over Alejandro Barrera in a welterweight bout.

It was a solid action fight that saw Adames push the pace and land the heavier blows.

Adames, 149.8 lbs of Santiago, DR won by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94, and is now 14-0.  Barrera, 149.4 lbs of Monterrey, MX is 27-5.

Michael Conlan remained undefeated with an eight-round unanimous decision over Ibon Larriniga in a featherweight bout.

 

Conlan, 126.8 lbs of Belfast, IRL won by scores of 80-72 on all cards, and is now 7-0.  Larriniga, 126.4 lbs of Bibao, ESP is now 10-2.

Teofimo Lopez needed just 64 seconds to dispose of Vitor Freitas in their scheduled eight-round lightweight bout.

Lopez landed a straight right that buckled and sprawled Freitas under the bottom rope and the fight was called just as Lopez did a standing backflip in the ring.

Lopez, 135.8 lbs of Brooklyn is 9-0 with 7 knockouts.  Freitas, 135.4 lbs of Salvador, BRA is 13-2.

Mikaela Mayer remained undefeated by winning a six-round unanimous decision over Baby Nansen in a lightweight bout.

Mayer, 131.6 lbs of Los Angeles, CA win by shutout scores of 60-54 on all cards, and is now 5-0.  Nansen, 131 lbs of Auckland, NZ is 6-3-1.

Former U.S.  Olympian Jamel Herring stopped Juan Pablo Sanchez in round five of a scheduled eight-round lightweight bout.

Herring battered Sanchez on the ropes until the bout was stopped at 1:28.

Herring, 132.4 lbs of Coram. NY is 19-2 with 10 knockouts.  Sanchez, 133 lbs of Humimagullo, MX is 29-16.

Fazliddin Gaibnazorv stopped Jesus Silveyra in round four of their scheduled eight-round lightweight bout.

Gainnazorv dropped Silveyra twice in round four, and the bout was stopped at 2:05.

Gaibnazorov, 140.6 lbs of Bakabod, UZB is 4-0 with 2 knockouts.  Selveyra, 141.2 lbs of Monterrey, MX is 8-6-2.

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN returns to the big house at Madison Square Garden, the historic “Mecca of Boxing,” this Saturday, May 12 at 8 p.m. ET live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN App. The telecast will feature two bouts, including the most anticipated boxing main event of the year—ESPN.com’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Vasiliy Lomachenko (10-1-0, 8 KO) taking on WBA Lightweight Champion Jorge Linares (44-3-0, 27 KO)—for the world title.

Simultaneous to the fight, ESPNews will air “Around the Ring,” a multi-screen presentation featuring enhanced views of the ring, as well as access to both fighter locker rooms and corner cameras, beginning at 8 pm. ET. All other undercard bouts will be available on ESPN+ within the ESPN App beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET, including rising female prospect Mikaela Mayer and Irish superstar Mick Conlan.

ESPN+ will also stream the weigh-ins for all fights today at 4:45 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will air the weigh-ins for the Co-Feature and Main Event live at 5 p.m.
TOP RANK ON ESPN LINARES VS LOMACHENKO ON ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN+ AND ESPN DEPORTES

Date Time (ET) Network(s) Event/Show
Fri, May 11 4:45 PM ESPN+ Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Undercard/Main Event Weigh-Ins
5 PM – 5:30 PM ESPN2 Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Linares vs. Lomachenko Weigh-In
7 PM – 8 PM ESPN Deportes Semana de Campeones: Linares vs. Lomachenko Weigh-In
8 PM – 8:30 PM ESPNEWS Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Linares vs. Lomachenko Weigh-In (re-air)

Sat, May 12
4:30 PM ESPN+ Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Undercards
7 PM – 8 PM ESPN Deportes Semana de Campeones: Linares vs. Lomachenko Pre-Show
8 PM – 10 PM ESPN
ESPN Deportes
Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Main Event
Carlos Adames vs. Alejandro Barrera
Jorge Linares vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko (WBA Lightweight World Title)
8 PM – 10 PM ESPNEWS Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Around the Ring
Sun, May 13 2 AM – 4 AM ESPN2 Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Main Event (re-air)
Mon, May 14 7 PM – 9 PM ESPN2 Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Main Event (re-air)

Lomachenko is unbeaten in over the last four years (nine straight victories) and his opponents have retired in his last four fights, failing to answer the bel in the next round. He is attempting to win a world title in his third weight class (former WBO Featherweight and current WBO Junior Lightweight World Champion). Linares is a four-time world champion in three weight classes (former WBC Featherweight, former WBA Junior Lightweight, former WBC Lightweight, and current WBA Lightweight World Champion). Co-promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, Linares is unbeaten in six years with thirteen straight victories. In the TV opener, unbeaten WBA top-5 contender Carlos Adames (13-0-0, 11 KO) takes on Alejandro Barrera (29-4-0, 18 KO) in Junior Middleweight action.
—30—

LONDON (11 May, 2018) – World champion Jorge Linares has promised to “shut up” pound-for-pound ace Vasyl Lomachenko when they meet this Saturday night.

Taking place at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, 32-year-old Linares will be putting his WBA and Ring Magazine lightweight world titles on the line when he faces the superstar Ukrainian, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The showdown has had fans licking their lips since it was first made and now both men are finally set meet this weekend, with Venezuelan hotshot Linares promising to silence Lomachenko in a not to be forgotten clash.

“I’m going to shut him up, plain and simple. I know I have my advantages. I’m the natural lightweight here – he’s coming up. He needs to be ready. I’m going to shut him up. This fight is going to be very interesting. We have to put on a great performance for the fans,” said Linares.

“He knows what he’s in for. He knows that I’m not an ordinary fighter. He knows that I’m bigger, that I’m faster and he has tried to prepare for that. I know what I have to do too. We both have to be at our best.

“I’m not just an ordinary fighter like he’s fought in some cases, where they don’t know how to get out of trouble or use their hand speed or combinations. I know what I have to do to win. It will be a very memorable night,” he said.

Lomachenko is regarded by many as boxing’s very best and a win for Linares would be the icing on the cake following a hard-fought 47 fight career, which has had its ups and downs.

“I went through some tough times, back-to-back losses, a lot of people wrote me off. But hard work and dedication got me back in there. I suffered a lot but was able to get myself up,” said Linares.

“The motivation of fighting the best gets me up in the morning, not only Lomachenko, but that is really motivating me because I’m fighting the best pound-for-pounder in boxing and I want to continue fighting the best,” he said.

30-year-old Lomachenko, a two-weight world champion, despite having had only 11 professional fights, has dominated most of his opponents, often forcing them to quit, says all he is thinking about is the win rather than how it comes about.

“I don’t think about stopping Linares and forcing him to quit. I don’t worry about that or need to do that. I do everything to win the fight and it doesn’t bother me how I win as long as I do win. It doesn’t bother me if I stop him, if he quits or if it’s a judges’ decision – I just want to win,” said Lomachenko.

“Everybody has a chance when they get in the ring but I don’t like the way Linares has been talking ahead of the fight. I’m not scared of anyone and will fight anybody,” he said.

Irish sensation Michael Conlan will also be on the card as he looks to keep on winning in just the seventh fight of his career when he takes on Spaniard Ibon Larrinaga.

Lomachenko v Linares will be live and exclusive on BoxNation from Saturday midnight.

Sky Customer Free Registration Offer: BoxNation subscription is £12 per month with free registration (normally £8) for Sky TV subscribers using offer code: CHAMPIONS.

BoxNation is available on Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/EE/Apple TV/ online at watch.boxnation.com, via apps (iOS, Android, Amazon) and TV Player for just £12 a month. Buy now at boxnation.com.

– ENDS –

About BoxNation

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated boxing channel. From £12* per month with no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Canelo vs Golovkin.

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By Norm Frauenheim-

Vasiliy Lomachenko-Jorge Linares Saturday at New York’s Madison Square Garden is an opportunity to reset the table on a year that began amid promise and yet has been muddied by the May 5 cancellation of Gennady Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez and the continuing controversy over when — or if — Canelo will enroll in VADA, the voluntary testing procedure that appears to be fundamental to any chance of reaching an agreement for a rematch in September.

There’s no controversy about Lomachenko-Linares. There’s just intrigue, anticipation and the pound-for-pound argument.

Lomachenko’s bid for a third title at a third weight, 135 pounds, is the first half of a 2018 debate about a further claim on the pound-for-pound’s mythical title. At the end of 2017, Lomachenko, a former featherweight and junior-lightweight champion, held a slight edge in the various polls and among the voters.

But Terence Crawford was always in the hunt. Still is.

Crawford, a former lightweight and junior-welterweight champ, will deliver his bid next month, June 9 at Las Vegas MGM Grand, in his first bout at 147 pounds against Australian Jeff Horn.

Guess here: Both Lomachenko and Crawford will prevail.

The real question rests in who will have looked better in their first fight at a heavier weight.

It’s a debate that figures to continue for a while. Lomachenko and Crawford are the same age. They’re both 30.

Lomachenko (10-1, 8 KOs) possesses an unprecedented array of angles in his variety of punches. For the ringside aficionado, there is a cutting-edge style to what Lomachenko does with his gloved hands.

In Crawford, there’s ruthlessness matched by ambidextrous hands quick to strike from just about anywhere.

Both Top Rank-promoted fighters are fascinating to watch. Take your pick and be prepared to change it over the next few years. They figure to energize the pound-for-pound debate no matter what happens with GGG-Canelo.

Saturday is the opening salvo. Linares (44-3, 27 KOs), the World Boxing Association’s 135-pound belt holder, says he is not fooled by all that has been said about the creatively-dangerous Lomachenko.

“I am going to prove that Lomachenko is not an invincible fighter,’’ Linares said this week during the promotional build-up to the main event on the ESPN-televised card (8 p.m. ET).

Linares, who is an inch taller and has a 3 1/2 -inch advantage in reach, is promising to take Lomachenko into later rounds. But the cutting-edge adjective so often applied to Lomachenko might to be more than just a rhetorical embellishment of what Lomachenko does to Linares. Linares has suffered bad cuts in at least three bouts, including successive losses to Antonio DeMarco and Sergio Thompson in 2011 and 2012. Lomachenko’s many angles can put a real razor-like affect into that cutting edge.

We’ll see.

Then, we’ll see Crawford.

New York City (May 10, 2018) — The fight the boxing world has been waiting for — Jorge Linares defending the WBA and Ring Magazine lightweight titles against former two-division kingpin Vasiliy Lomachenko at Madison Square Garden — is only two days away.

Lomachenko and Linares, along with many of the undercard fighters, met the media one last time on Thursday.

The stacked undercard features welterweight contender Carlos ‘Caballo Bronco’ Adames (13-0, 11 KOs) in his Top Rank debut in a 10-round, ESPN-televised co-feature against Alejandro Barrera (27-4, 17 KOs); Irish sensation Michael Conlan (6-0, 5 KOs) will see action in an eight-round featherweight contest against Ibon Larrinaga (10-1, 2 KOs); Jamel Herring (16-2, 9 KOs) takes on the durable Juan Pablo Sanchez (29-15, 14 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout; top lightweight prospect Teofimo Lopez (8-0, 6 KOs) faces veteran Vitor Freitas (13-1, 7 KOs) of Salvador, Brazil, in a scheduled eight-rounder; female boxing sensation Mikaela Mayer (4-0, 3 KOs) will face Baby Nansen (6-2-1, 0 KOs) of Auckland, New Zealand, in a six-round lightweight fight; and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Fazliddin ‘Fayzi’ Gaibnazarov (3-0, 1 KO) returns in a scheduled eight-rounder against Jesus Silveyra (8-5-2, 3 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico.

Linares vs. Lomachenko and Adames vs. Barrera will be televised live and exclusively at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+, available on the ESPN App, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

This is what the fighters had to say.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

“I want to thank Linares for taking this challenge. Saturday night, it’s going to be a good bout, and we’re going to find out who is the best.”

“The way this bout is going to go… who knows? It’s boxing. It’s going to be a fight, and after that, we’re going to see.”

Jorge Linares

“I’ve been working hard for the last few fights preparing for this fight. I knew Lomachenko wanted it. I wanted it. So I was very confident that Golden Boy, Teiken and Top Rank were going to get it done.”

“The last two opponents I faced were southpaws. Purposely. I was preparing psychologically and physically to fight Vasiliy Lomachenko. I’ve had him on my radar.”

“I believe, and trust me when I say this, the fight is going to get more intense as the rounds go on.”

Bob Arum

“It’s a challenge, but that’s what makes a fighter one of the all-time greats… challenges. {Lomachenko} was great at 126. He devastated everybody at 130. Now, he’s moving up to 135, and people say, ‘Is this a bridge too far?'” And his father {Anatoly}, who is a great trainer says, ‘No this isn’t a bridge too far.’ And we’re going to see on Saturday. That’s what boxing is all about. If there aren’t any challenges, if there aren’t any obstacles, who the hell wants to watch it?”

Carlos Adames

“I know Barrera is a Mexican warrior, but he is going to face a fighter who is ready to do whatever he needs to do to win.”

“I’m expecting the support from my people. I am not just any Dominican fighter. I’m going to fly the flag high and represent my people.”

Alejandro Barrera

“This is a great opportunity for me. This is a great card, and I am ready for whatever he brings.”

Michael Conlan

“I have to thank the fans of New York for always supporting me. My fans always pack the arena every time I fight here.”

“I feel I’m on the right track and moving steadily at the right pace. I prepare for the longer distance, but if it goes short, it goes short.”

Teofimo Lopez

“May 12, I’m going to do what I gotta do to take over. No disrespect to Loma and Linares, but I’m here to take over the show. At the end of the day, I’m here to entertain and put on a show for everyone. I’m going for the knockout. After this fight, my team and I have huge plans.”

“Being on this card with Golden Boy and Top Rank, it’s a blessing. I’m grateful to be here.”

“I know I’m going to win, but I want people to come away from my fights saying they need to watch me again.”

Jamel Herring

“Now that I’m with Top Rank, I have a fresh start. I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring.”

“I just want to have a busy year. That’s why I chose to work with Top Rank because they are doing a lot of great things, especially with the ESPN platform. I just want to stay busy and get a title shot.”

Mikaela Mayer

“This is a huge time for women’s boxing. We always needed big promoters to start signing women. I think that was the first step.”

“Because I am one of the few women boxers in the spotlight, I feel like I have a big responsibility to represent women boxers every time I step in the ring.”

“I can box on the inside and the outside as well. I want to be a well-rounded fighter. If I see the opportunity for a knockout on Saturday, I am going to take it.”

Fazliddin Gaibnazarov

“I had a little break since my last fight because of an injury, but I am ready to go on Saturday and show everyone what I am capable of.”

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Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Golden Boy Promotions, Teiken Promotions, and Madison Square Garden, tickets for the Linares vs. Lomachenko world championship card are ON SALE NOW. Priced at $506, $406, $306, $206, $106, and $56, including facility fees, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at MSG.com.

Use the hashtag #LinaresLoma to join the conversation on social media.

New York City (May 9, 2018) – Vasiliy Lomachenko and Jorge Linares took their talents to the streets of Manhattan on Wednesday, as they participated in an open workout on the corner of 33rd Street and 8th Avenue, just outside Madison Square Garden.

Lomachenko, a two-weight world champion, is looking to conquer a third weight class when he challenges WBA/Ring Magazine lightweight champion Jorge Linares on Saturday at “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

Linares vs. Lomachenko headlines an evening of world-class action, as welterweight contender Carlos Adames will take on savvy veteran Alejandro Barrera in the 10-round co-feature.

Appearing on the undercard will be Irish sensation Michael Conlan in an eight-round featherweight bout against once-beaten Ibon Larrinaga, 2016 U.S. Olympian Mikaela Mayer in a six-round lightweight contest against Baby Nansen, and Brooklyn native Teofimo Lopez against Vitor Freitas in an eight-round lightweight bout.

This is what the fighters had to say.

Jorge Linares

“I am hungry to win and to continue with my reign as world champion. This is a high-level fight and a very important one for my career because I am going to prove that Lomachenko is not an invincible fighter. We will see what he is really made of when he faces me this Saturday. I believe in myself and I know that I will come out with the victory. I am here to win. I did not come here to quit.”

Vasiliy Lomachenko

“I want to put my name in the history of boxing, and this is one of the steps I have to take, to fight in different weight classes, different titles. That’s what will put my name in the history of boxing.”

“I don’t know what Linares will bring. After the fight, I can compare him with Rigondeaux.”

“I already proved where I am, and I plan on being at the top of the sport for a very long time. I do not plan on slowing down.”

“Linares is one of the best fighters in his weight class. I don’t think it’s going to be easy work.”

Carlos Adames

“This Saturday, the fans will all talk about ‘Caballo Bronco’. This will be the first step towards a world championship opportunity and also the first step on my way to becoming the new face of boxing in the Dominican Republic. I have the talent, the mentality and the dedication to represent my country with dignity. That’s why I’m going to give my best and leave everything in the ring to give the fans a good show”

Mikaela Mayer

“I love that Top Rank is putting me on big cards and exposing women’s boxing a bigger audience. There’s definitely an increased interest in women’s boxing, and I am proud to be part of that.”

“Do I want a knockout? Of course. I want the fans to see that women can be in exciting fights and score knockouts.”

“If Nansen wants to come at me, I’m going to be ready for it. I’m ready for anything.”

Michael Conlan

“Madison Square Garden is my home away from home, and I can’t wait to put on a great show for the New York fans. This is going to be a great night of boxing.”

Teofimo Lopez

“This is my third time fighting at Madison Square Garden, and we know what happened last time I fought here. I knocked out the guy {Ronald Rivas} with one shot. One left hook, and he was out.”

“I believe in my God-given talent. Shout out to New York City. I’m from Brooklyn, and I look forward to showing up and feeling the love from my hometown fans.”

“Big things are coming. I love big cards like this. The more people I see out there, the more pumped up I get. Look out for the knockout because it’s coming.

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Linares vs. Lomachenko and Adames vs. Barrera will be televised live and exclusively at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+, available through the ESPN App, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Golden Boy Promotions, Teiken Promotions, and Madison Square Garden, tickets for the Linares vs. Lomachenko world championship card are ON SALE NOW. Priced at $506, $406, $306, $206, $106, and $56, including facility fees, tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at MSG.com.

Use the hashtag #LinaresLoma to join the conversation on social media.