1. There’s loads Lomachenko left in Lomachenko
I’m an unashamed Vasiliy Lomachenko fan-boy, so it was a reduction to see the 35-year-old again to his aggressive greatest this weekend in opposition to Devin Haney. The Ukrainian could not have gotten the nod on the scorecards, however there was sufficient Lomachenko left within the Lomachenko tank to grant him a spot within the light-weight dialog going ahead.
Whether or not the Ukrainian can drive a rematch with Haney earlier than the American jumps as much as 140 stays to be seen, however Loma will go into match-ups with Shakur Stevenson, Gervonta Davis and different high lightweights as a reputable risk regardless of persevering with to combat above his pure weight class.
When Loma was in full swing, his punches flowed with precision and his skill to swarm an opponent from totally different angles whereas strolling them down nonetheless appears fairly distinctive within the sport. Haney informed his father within the nook that Loma knew precisely what he was going to throw – underlining the Ukrainian’s skill to learn a contest.
However his lack of ability to maintain his assaults going for 12 rounds maybe held him again once more on the weekend, one thing that may solely get more durable as he grows older in an unnatural weight class.
2. An in depth combat doesn’t equal a theft
I scored the combat 115-113 for Lomachenko, however I wouldn’t be joyful going to trial and swearing an oath about how I got here to that call.
The time period “theft” was being thrown round on social media following the announcement of the 116-112, 115-113 x2 scorecards, nearly discrediting the legitimacy of real robberies of outdated.
The combat was aggressive and a number of the early rounds have been extraordinarily exhausting to attain. When fighters are pinching rounds by a few punches, then being outraged that rounds are being amassed within the course of appears unfair.
It raises the age-old query across the 10-point should scoring system in boxing. You get the identical quantity of factors (i.e. a 10-9 spherical) for fully dominating your opponent with a savage assault that doesn’t result in a knockdown, than you do by pinching a spherical by a jab.
However dabbling in conversations relating to boxing scoring normally hits a brick wall in the long run. Is it the identical as suggesting {that a} 30-yard screamer in soccer needs to be value greater than a tap-in on the far put up?
3. Katie Taylor is combating Father Time
I didn’t like Katie Taylor’s possibilities on the weekend on her Irish homecoming and reaped the rewards of a 2/1 (+200) worth on Chantelle Cameron pre-fight.
Taylor has arguably been on the slide since tight wins over Delfine Persoon and Natasha Jonas in 2020-21 and a step as much as 140 was unlikely to show profitable in opposition to an excellent champion in Cameron.
At 36 and counting on such a constant high-pace stage of relentless assaults, it’s no shock that Father (or Mom) Time has come knocking for Taylor. In her peak she could effectively have been in a position to spring extra freely out and in of vary of Cameron and picked her off somewhat extra astutely, however pulling the set off for 24-minutes is now an arduous task.
However a Taylor on the slide remains to be able to greater than most of her friends at their peaks. I wouldn’t write off an in depth win for the Irishwoman if she is ready to drag Cameron all the way down to 135 within the rematch.
4. Junto Nakatani has in all probability bagged KO of the yr
It was bittersweet seeing Junto Nakatani’s brutal KO of Andrew Moloney this weekend.
Moloney – alongside along with his twin brother Jason – are two of the nicest males you’d want to meet in boxing, however even good guys aren’t resistant to getting sprayed onto the canvas by the vicious Nakatani.
It was the shot we (effectively, fighters) all dream of touchdown. A phenomenal overhand left within the remaining spherical that may certainly be a major contender for the 2023 KO of the 12 months. The 2-weight world champion made a couple of extra ripples in a profession that has gone somewhat underneath the radar whereas amassing a 25-0 report.
5. Luck of the Irish is working out
Katie Taylor, Dennis Hogan and Gary Cully all misplaced on Saturday evening in entrance of a passionate Dublin crowd, leaving hearts damaged and Conor McGregor crying into his Irish stout.
It has led to questions relating to the matchmaking of Matchroom Boxing as as soon as once more a comparatively unknown Mexican flew over the Atlantic to spoil a celebration (Jose Felix TKO-3 Gary Cully).
It’s nice information for us followers, however maybe younger prospects will assume twice signing with Hearn, particularly in the event that they see a Mexican pencilled in for a 6-rounder of their third combat.
