Vinny’s Views: Vasyl Lomanchenko Vs Nicholas Walters SET & The Rest of the Big Sked in Boxing for 2016

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By Vinny “Glory Days” Lucci

Hey Sports fans, the fall of sixteen is shaping up to have a classic ending. First up we just received confirmation on Wladimir Klitschko accepting a title shot for Anthony Joshua’s IBF belt on November 26 in Manchester England, as we also wait for signatures on WBA middleweight mandated title clash between Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs set for December 10 at Barclays, Brooklyn New York. Next there are several inked contracts that have fans buzzing with anticipation as the year finally picks up steam. Manny Pacquaio duels with Jessie Vargas in Vegas on November 5 while Sergey Kovalev the light heavyweight champion who seeks pound for pound supremacy against Andre Ward two weeks later on the Vegas strip. Now add the fight purists dream match on November 26 pitting Vasyl “High Tech” Lomanchenko against Nicholas “The Ax Man” Walters for the WBO junior lightweight title.

Bob Arum of Top Rank who is promoting the fight has announced that HBO will televise the production from the Cosmopolitan in Vegas with ticket sale information due to be released shortly. Lomachenko holds the most deceiving record in professional boxing, 6-1, 4 KO’s. What’s missing from view is that the Ukrainian won Olympic Gold in both 2008 and 2012. The highly decorated amateur career has caught lightning in a bottle and challenged for a world title in only his second pro fight losing a split decision to WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido who was stripped for not making weight limit the day before. From there he quickly rebounded in his third professional bout winning the vacant WBO junior featherweight title against Gary Russell JR. He defended it successfully three times and then won WBO junior lightweight belt from Roman Martinez.

Walters who is Jamaican born owns an impressive undefeated record of 26-0-1, 21 KO’s. While out of action for eleven months after drawing in his last fight against Jason Sosa in a ten round non-title affair that most ringsiders thought he deserved the nod he does own some spectacular wins over Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan both by stoppage. Nicholas has won the WBA belt in 2009 and made seven successful defenses. In his exciting win over highly touted Donaire he relieved him of his super featherweight belt.

How they stack up could be orchestrated phone booth warfare in the pocket. Vasyl stands eye to eye with Nick at 5’7”. Lomachenko fights southpaw opposing Walters orthodox stance. “The Ax Man” is thirty years young and owns a superior reach advantage over his 28 year old foe. Both men must make the official weight of 130 pounds the day before the fight.

The intangibles are truly intriguing as Vegas will make the betting line with Vasyl a slight favorite. The odds haven’t posted yet but I checked with one casino buddy who told me the line could go off as “pick-em”. The purses haven’t been officially released as yet to the press either, but a few months ago Walters turned down a serious offer of 550k for this fight.

Vasyl’s style is currently on a plane of non-parallel talent. His does things in ring center that we simply have not witnessed very often in each generation of fighters in quite some time. His ability to unload dazzling combinations with superior hand speed to his opponents and then pivoting on his front foot changing his angle from offense to defense with just enough degree to abandon range leaving counter attacks missing badly being out of range. He transfers his weight in the blink of an eye with new rapid- fire combos before his adversary can adopt the proper footing to defend themselves. He is a marvel to watch as his lateral movement when forced to give ground is seamless to the flow of action. Against any challenger, he will dictate the furious pace in ring center, with his version of a game of high speed “tag”.

In Walters, Vasyl has picked himself one hell of a foe to showcase his skills on. Not only will he have to get inside “The Ax Man’s” reach but he’ll have to outgun him all night without getting seriously countered. Walters tucks his chin well and stalks his foes behind that long snappy jab which he uses as a range finder to unleash his lethal right hand and follows up with his favorite punch, the left hook. His huge shoulders give him ample defense in picking off shots without employing the “shoulder roll” or giving up offense. What he can’t do in this fight is play follow the leader. The challenger must break his usual pattern and force the champion to lead and hope to counter him enough when he draws him in. Both men have good chins and before this night is over, we may get to learn if they are bonifide excellent.

The early handicap on the outcome of the match suggests that Lomachenko’s speed, combinations, rhythm and entertaining ring generalship will allow him victory on the judges’ scorecards in a grueling hard fought fight of the year candidate. This is one time I wouldn’t call it a safe bet, since Walters could reach, power and chin could hold up and upset the slim odds in champions favor. The fight on paper is that good.

Vinny’s Pick: Lomanchenko by split decision.

Stay tuned….

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