The best pound-for-pound boxer in the world will look to add another title to his waist when Vasiliy Lomachenko takes on Teofimo Lopez in a lightweight title unification fight. Lomachenko (14-1 with 10 knockouts) currently holds the WBA, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles, while Lopez (15-0 with 12 knockouts) is in possession of the IBF lightweight title. The winner of this bout will be the unquestioned best lightweight fighter in the world.
When: Saturday, October 17, 2020
Where: MGM Grand Bubble, Las Vegas, Nevada
Why: WBO, WBA, The Ring, and IBF lightweight titles
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Teofimo Lopez Betting Odds
Vasiliy Lomachenko -405
Teofimo Lopez +313
Total Rounds 10.5
Due to his reputation, Lomachenko is a considerable favorite per the boxing betting odds ahead of this title fight. If you’re not familiar with betting on boxing, you would have to bet $405 to win $100 if you like Lomachenko to get the win. Meanwhile, a $100 wager on Lopez would return $313 in profit.
As the fight nears, there will be decision betting too. You will be able to bet on whether the fight is decided by KO, TKO, or decision, and you can bet on which boxer will win the fight in that fashion as well.
Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Teofimo Lopez Preview
Lomachenko is the most decorated amateur boxer of the modern era. He went 396-1 as an amateur, and he won every accolade there is to win. The Ukrainian won gold in the featherweight division at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and he followed that up with a gold medal in the lightweight division at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Lomachenko also won gold medals at the boxing world championships in both featherweight and lightweight, and his lone loss was in the gold medal match at the 2007 world championships. He went on to defeat the boxer that defeated him (Albert Selimov) twice before turning pro.
With his pedigree, there was no need for Lomachenko to climb the ladder once he turned pro. He was given a title shot in his first professional fight, and he knocked out Jose Ramirez in the fourth round to win the WBO international featherweight belt. However, he tasted defeat for just the second time in his career when he lost a split decision to Orlando Salido for the WBO featherweight title.
After that loss, Lomachenko worked on his mistakes and won that belt just three months later. He defended it three times before moving up to challenge for the WBO junior lightweight title. Lomachenko won the strap with an impressive fifth-round knockout of Roman Martinez, and then he followed that up by retiring the next three junior lightweights he faced.
In May 2018, we saw Lomachenko move up a weight class again in order to face Jorge Linares for the WBA and The Ring lightweight titles. He had little problem establishing himself at that class, and he added the WBO belt when he defeated Jose Pedraza and tacked on the WBC belt last year when he beat Luke Campbell.
Lopez won the national golden gloves at lightweight back in 2015, and he turned pro after a disappointing showing at the 2016 Summer Olympics. However, he proved that he has the power to succeed at this division, winning four of his first five bouts by second-round knockout.
It only took nine fights for Lopez to receive his first title shots, and he has made the most of each opportunity along the way. He won a handful of minor belts by knockout between July 2018 and April 2019, dispatching of four different opponents within seven rounds. That set up his first major title opportunity against Richard Commey last December.
Anyone expecting to see this fight go the distance was disappointed, as Lopez made quick work of Commey. He defeated the reigning IBF lightweight champion by second-round knockout, setting up one of the biggest fights of the year.
While Lopez has the advantage of youth, Lomachenko has a wealth of experience. He has settled into lightweight well over the last two years, but he might not be able to finish Lopez inside the distance.
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