Lomachenko Dominates Again; Sosa Can’t Match Matrix

Vasyl Lomachenko has in the last year or so gathered more and more acclaim, and no shortage of smart folks tapping him as the best active boxer on the planet. There will be even more on the bandwagon now, after Loma stopped out Jason Sosa Saturday night in Maryland, at the MGM National Harbor.

The end came after nine completed, officially, though Sosa didn’t win a round, so maybe it came in round one.

The trainer, Chico Rivas, yanked out the NJ boxer’s mouthpiece after nine, knowing there’d be no miracle. Lomachenko was your TKO winner, and watchers pondered just who and where there would be a challenge for him.

Lomachenko went 275-696 to 68-286 for Sosa.

After, Max Kellerman asked Loma about the win. He was both charming and amusing and rightly confident. LOMA: Lomas was asked if he’d like to fight Mikey Garcia. “I want to see that fight too, and this is fight that will make history, I want to make this fight (vs Mike Garcia) right away!” Orlando Salido? Happy to take him to school, said Loma, noting that he was green as a pro when they met. Kellerman said that Loma is favored over anyone, up to 140, save Terence Crawford.

The Ukrainian Loma, a 130 pound belt-holder, came in 7-1, while the Camden, New Jerseyite Sosa was 20-1-4, after having just three amateur fights.

In the first, Sosa looked loose and he moved his feet and head and torso.

In round two, Loma stalked, and then slid, right, left, constantly, so nimbly, so smoothly. He heated up late in the second.

In the third, we saw Loma go from point A to point C on the mat more smoothly than anyone in the game. Sosa came forward, did well to move his head on the way in. They grappled a good deal, then went in center ring to finish up.

In the fourth, Loma’s sharp jab, not showy but consistent, was swelling Sosa’s left eye. Combos were piling up now. Loma nodded in approval when Sosa landed a sharp right.

In the fifth, Sosa moved more early. His left eye drooped more. Loma danced around Sosa, flitted here punched and flitted there, punched. His body work was felonious. He came from underneath and then up top, and then Sosa told him he was OK.

In the sixth, Loma danced, and then punched. Sosa mimicked and mocked Loma. Then he got whacked, repeatedly.

In the seventh, Sosa went low low low with a right. Camden style, it was… Loma throws a throw-away jab, missing high deliberately, to blind a foe, before the the left comes whizzing in. They landed low high and middle. To 8; Loma went sharp shooting. He wanted to end it. Sosa is Camden tough, though. Trainer Chico Rivas told Sosa he had one round to show something, or he’d pull the plug. To the ninth; Loma kept on pressing, but Sosa showed enough to get more time. But no..Rivas pulled the plug. He knew his kid would not give up and it would be up to him, to save him from himself, his outsized heart.

.@VasylLomachenko (8-1, 6 KOs) defends his P4P status with his TKO victory over @JasonSosa4 (20-2-4, 15 KOs) in round 9 of #LomachenkoSosa. pic.twitter.com/QuTC0zWBva

— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) April 9, 2017