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BOB ARUM BELIEVES LOMACHENKO IS HIS NEXT BIG SUPERSTAR AFTER PACQUIAO By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Wed, 15 Jun 2016  Astute Top Rank promoter Bob Arum claims that WBO junior lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko is the ?next superstar? of boxing and will be successor to eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao who has retired and is now focusing on his role as a senator of the Philippines. Arum has an obvious bias for his ?superstar? reference to Lomachenko with the respected internet publication Boxingscene reporting that ?judging by the performance, particularly in winning the WBO belt on Saturday, Arum might not be far off in calling him boxing's "next superstar." Lomachenko was dynamic and dominant for five rounds before a series of lefts and a massive right hook floored champion Rocky Martinez. Afterward, Martinez admitted that Lomachenko's punches came too fast for him to defend. While the smashing victory brought Lomachenko's professional record to a mere 6-1; a two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time amateur world champion, Lomachenko established his credentials on that level before turning pro in 2013. Among those six victories are two title bouts; Lomachenko, 28, also won the IBF featherweight crown two years ago. The speed and devastating power he brought into the ring at the Theater at Madison Square Garden last weekend could scare off future opponents. Arum's words just might, too. The Top Rank promoter who steered Pacquiao?s career through eight divisional championships remarked ?'I've been telling everybody how great this guy is. You've been reading how great this guy is. Muhammad Ali, the greatest of all time. This Vasyl Lomachenko (is) the greatest of our time. He really is. I mean you're going to see performances from this guy that you're not going to believe down the road. He'll fight anybody." Arum said "It's going to cost us a lot of money to get people in the ring with him. But he is going to beat anybody around." Arum rattled off such names as Orlando Salido, who put the only blemish on Lomachenko's resume with a split decision in Lomachenko's second pro fight in San Antonio, Texas in 2014 and indicated that should Lomachenko not get matched up with such top fighters, it would be boxing's loss. His mastery of Martinez, a two-time world champ with excellent skills and ring know-how, may portend even more impressive work as he gets more comfortable with the professional ranks.? Boxing Scene noted ?That's where Arum comes in, of course. With Manny Pacquiao now a Filipino politician, Top Rank needs a centerpiece. Lomachenko is comfortable fighting in the United States and has plans to reside in California. Arum analyzed Lomachenko?s performance as ?getting better because, let me tell you, it's balance and distance, and he figured that out. 'Manny Pacquiao, in his best performance against Oscar De La Hoya, was amazing in the way that he moved and threw punches and escaped. This kid already did that against Martinez, and is only going to get better. He's only going to get better." Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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