Camarillo, California – fights are often compared with wars, although this is no longer a metaphor for Vasiliy Lomachenko cares about devoting. Not anymore. Not after watching a real thing.
With regard to the war, a two -time gold medalist of Ukraine, considered for several years to be the largest warrior in the world, has something to do with the average American. “I saw war only on television before,” he said by the translator. “I had no idea: the buildings are destroyed, the cities are encountered from the map, people are killed. I did not take it personally, because it did not happen to me. It happened somewhere else with someone else.”
For some reason, a rocket hit remains with him. This hit a popular holiday destination on the Black Sea coast, maybe half a mile from the place where he stayed, maybe less, but left more than a few buildings in ruins. “I will remember this moment forever because my whole family was there,” said Lomachenko. “I don’t mean only my parents and my children, but my family.”
One can only imagine that excessive emotions such as a blow can move, even in one of them as existing, driven and pre -composed as Lomachenko: fear, rage, panic, confusion. But perhaps, perhaps the most perversely wonderful of all, Lomachenko’s career arch is different in the history of very venerable sport: 396 wins in relation to one defeat (of course Avenged) at amateurs, these gold medals, the title only in his third professional fight and stripes in three divisions. None of them – none of them were left to accident.
Yes, with the 35th birthday approaching in February, the war cost him in the last thing, which he really wanted from boxing – “My Dream”, calls it – the undisputed airy title, all four main belts.
But … So what? The whole family was destroyed in a rocket hit. Besides, he is still hunting. He fights with Jamaine Ortiz, the eighth WBC ranking at Hul theater in Madison Square Garden on Saturday (22:00 ET at ESPN+). It turns out that he is still in the game for the undisputed, not considered the likely result in February.
When the army of Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine, Lomachenko was in an orthodox monastery in Greece. His Lithuanian manager, Egis Klimas – obliged only to protect the interest of his warrior – advised Loma to attract his family and go directly to Camarillo, where he maintains the house and training center. Finally, it was thought that the war would be brutal and brief, the fact was achieved. Loma was a warrior-with a versatile agreement to fight George Cambosos Jr. For all airy belts-not a war hero.
“How could I do it?” Lomachenko said this week. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. I wouldn’t be able to take care of my life if I did it if I ran away. … The enemy attacked our country. Civilians are killed. Women and children die. Every man in my position, every real person would remain to protect his home.”
The last picture that most people saw from the Loma dated in February last year, when he enlisted to the local defense battalion. He is seen in combat fatigue, the rifle flew to his back.
You never know what the warrior really feels, but it wasn’t a fight. So he came neat: “fear and confusion,” he said, the wrong emotions for the great Lomachenko. “I tried to understand what was going on and what would happen.”
What did your day look like? I’m wondering.
“I wasn’t on the first line or on the battlefield,” he said quickly. “I wasn’t in battle.”
Lucky Guy again.
“The first days passed quickly because the situation would change really quickly,” he said. “Our group was supposed to patrol the city after a police hour. The police ration began at 22:00, when we start to combine the streets. To notice a person who should not be outside, or a car that should not be on the way. You must be as vigilant as during the fight.”
So the great Luchenko got a night shift. I wonder how he slept.
“I slept well,” he said. “I was exhausted.”
Especially after they let him train. “Four times a week,” he said. “I had a special schedule in the army [facility]. They gave me time for training because they understood my dream. “
However, despite the whole conversation about his dream, he never questioned his decision to fight Cambosos for all lanes. Instead, the shot went to a very talented youthful star, Devin Haney.
“He doesn’t regret it,” he said. “Nothing. .”
Still, are you wondering what is going through Lomachenko’s mind, watching it?
“I didn’t see it,” he said. “I slept.”
Lomachenko will allow the first fight in June not what he expected: “I thought he would fight Cambosos.” As for the rematch, he is a cage in his opinion of Haney: “He was good. He was wise. He showed why he was better than George Cambosos.”
You were not impressed?
“I’m not easily impressed.”
23 Haneya. The kid traveled 8,000 miles, fought before the hostile crowd of the stadium, returned a few months later and did it again, throwing another closure or damn close to him.
“I wouldn’t call it a heroic feat,” said Lomachenko. “This is something we all do. … He went to another country; he won the fight and returned. This is common practice.”
There is a final game here. Like Ukraine, the dream of this Ukrainian survived. Anyway, to do that he must go through Haney.
Would you give him the same licenses during the negotiations that Cambosos gave? I’m asking.
“You know my answer,” he said. “
What if Haney wants to fight in his hometown in Oakland? Is his adopted family city, Las Vegas?
“I don’t care about this place,” said Lomachenko. “I don’t care. I will go there as long as the belts are threatened.”
What if he says, “I want a rematch clause”?
“Of course. I will be ready for each of his conditions.”
Many warriors talk about it. Actually, most of them. And most of them lie, otherwise sport would not be in a balanced state in which it is located. However, I don’t think Lomachenko is lying. Never about this.
None of the arrows is not popular for him. He comes from a long dismissal, in which the training was far from typical. It’s 11 years older than Haney. It is diminutive for division, while Haney crashes at the seams. What’s more, Lomachenko lost his aura of invincibility over two years ago, when Teofimo Lopez defeated him. But here is a really extraordinary introduction, at least for a warrior:
“Let me explain,,” said Lomachenko. “He is the undisputed champion. He is a party. [Gervonta] Davis or [Ryan] Garcia or Shakur [Stevenson]. “
We really can’t argue with it. In the meantime, however, Jamaine Ortiz, which – although no Haney – is, like most perspectives of Lomachenko opponents, larger and younger and longer.
So why orthosis?
“Because he is youthful and undefeated and technically qualified boxer. I earlier with him” – for the unanimous decision of Lomachenko over Richard Commey – “and it was not straightforward.”
Lomachenko was not among those like me who surprised that Ortiz defeated Jamel Herring.
“I understand what Ortiz can do: good combinations, very quickly. He felt the distance and worked very well on his feet. He understands boxing.”
This is the highest compliment of Lomachenko, which is a warrior. It means understanding the basic elements of distance, time, mental fortitude. It means understanding the fight as a sport, not war.
Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will defend his WBC title against former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven on Saturday, May 23 at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. The card, branded “Glory in Giza” and promoted by Matchroom, is streaming globally on DAZN pay-per-view and is priced at $59.99 in the United States and £24.99 in the United Kingdom, according to data ESPN. This is the first professional boxing event organized in this historic place. The main card will start at 2:00 PM ET, with main events taking place around 5:48 PM ET and 10:48 PM BST. Below is a fight-by-fight breakdown of the lineup.
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven, heavyweight, WBC title
Usyk (24-0, 15 KO) will make his first appearance since a fifth-round stoppage of Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July 2025, which restored his undisputed status. The 39-year-old Ukrainian holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts, but only the WBC championship is at stake. The WBA and IBF declined to sanction the fight because Verhoeven is unclassified. Nevertheless, the IBF granted Usyk an exception to compete in what it classified as an unsanctioned competition, with conditions attached: if Usyk lost, the IBF title would be considered vacant, while the WBA indicated that it would retain Usyk as champion regardless of the result. result.
Verhoeven enters the fight with a 1-0 professional boxing record, his lone fight ending in a second-round stoppage of winless Janos Finfera in 2014. The 36-year-old Dutchman held the GLORY heavyweight title for more than 11 years before vacating it in November, and his kickboxing record stands at 66-10 with 21 knockouts. He is 6-foot-10, weighs about 270 pounds and is trained for the fight under Peter Fury, who cornered Tyson Fury in his 2015 victory over Wladimir Klitschko. Verhoeven described his crossover as a stylistic problem that Usyk had not faced. “I will bring something different to the table that he hasn’t seen before,” he said. “He has analyzed the sport of boxing like no one else, but he doesn’t know about the kickboxer who will box.”
Usyk described the fight as a voluntary defense on his own terms after years of mandatory and unification commitments, telling reporters that “size doesn’t matter” while calling Verhoeven a “risky guy.” The consensus among observers definitely favors the champion. Usyk is a 30-1 favorite and the over/under in completed rounds is 5.5. On his podcast, Teddy Atlas acknowledged that Verhoeven has a kickboxing pedigree but dismissed his prospects in the boxing ring, noting that the Dutchman’s high guard and upright stance could leave him open to Usyk’s combinations. The full breakdown, including Atlas’ comments, appeared in Boxing Insider’s fight week coverage.
Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic for the vacant WBO super middleweight title
In this joint fight, Hamzah Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KO) and undefeated Alem Begic (29-0-1) will fight for the vacant WBO super middleweight title. Sheeraz, 26, fell miniature in his only previous attempt at a world title – a middleweight draw before he started moving up in weight. Begic, a 39-year-old German, faces world-class challenges for the first time. The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds.
Jack Catterall vs. Shakhram Giyasov for the vacant WBA welterweight title
Jack Catterall (32-2, 14 KO) and Shakhram Giyasov (17-0, 10 KO) will fight for the vacant WBA welterweight title. Catterall, 32, of Chorley, England, is ranked No. 1 by the WBO at the weight and is coming off an 11th-round knockout of Ekow Essuman in November. He chose the fight rather than wait to fight WBO champion Devin Haney. Giyasov, a 31-year-old Uzbek and former Olympic silver medalist, is a top contender for the WBA title and last fought in November, defeating Mark Urvanov in four rounds. The WBA organization approved the fight for the vacant title after elevating Rolando Romero to the title of super champion.
Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr., heavyweight
Frank Sanchez (25-1, 18 KO), a 33-year-old Cuban known as “The Cuban Flash”, will fight undefeated American Richard Torrez Jr. for 10 rounds. (14-0, 12 KOs). The fight postponed the IBF heavyweight qualifying match originally scheduled for March 28, but was postponed after Sanchez suffered a knee injury. Torrez, a Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, goes up against the more experienced Sanchez in his class in a contender-prospect matchup that has weight in the division’s title picture.
Mizuki Hiruta vs. Mai Soliman for the WBO junior bantamweight title
Mizuki Hiruta (10-0), named The Ring’s female fighter of the year, defends her WBO junior bantamweight title for the seventh time against Egyptian-born Australian Mai Soliman (10-1) over 10 rounds. Hiruta (29) won the belt in her fourth professional fight and remains undefeated. Soliman fights in front of his home crowd.
Subtab
In the preliminary part, the lithe heavyweight fight Daniel Lapin (13-0) will face Benjamin Mendes Tani (9-1) over 10 rounds, and the regional championship belts will be at stake. Basem Mamdouh (10-2) meets Jamar Talley (6-0) in the cruiserweight division, and the remaining fights combine domestic and international prospects: Mahmoud Mobark against Michael Kalyalya, Omar Hikal against Ali Sserunkuma and Sultan Almohammed against Dedy Imprax.
World Boxing News has live coverage from Egypt as Oleksandr Usyk takes on Rico Verhoeven in one of the most extraordinary heavyweight title fights in up-to-date boxing.
Unified heavyweight champion Aleksander Usyk tonight his WBA, WBC and IBF titles will be on the line against a kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven under the pyramids in Giza.
This crossover clash sparked huge debate throughout boxing as Verhoeven entered the contest with only one professional boxing fight under his belt, despite years of experience in elite combat sports.
A win for Usyk will keep the Ukrainian undefeated and maintain control of the heavyweight division ahead of expected future clashes with Agit Kabayel and other top contenders.
However, the fight has strange title implications.
While Verhoeven is eligible to win the WBC heavyweight title if he wins, the WBA and IBF titles will become vacant under sanctions due to the Dutchman’s ranking status.
WBN provides a round-by-round live scoreboard below, as well as live results throughout the night.
Usyk vs Verhoeven scorecard
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven fight
Fight for the WBA/WBC/IBF heavyweight title Giza, Egypt 12×3
Usyk enters the fight undefeated with a 24-0 record and is looking to further cement one of the best heavyweight resumes of the up-to-date era.
Opposite him is longtime GLORY kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven, who is currently taking on one of the boldest crossover challenges boxing has seen in years.
The fight has divided opinion across the sport, with some viewing it as a spectacle, others warning that Verhoeven’s size, athleticism and fighting experience could pose a real threat despite the huge gap in his boxing pedigree.
Usyk vs Verhoeven results will continue with live coverage available on World Boxing News.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
Heavyweight fighters only need one spotless counter to end the fight. Sanchez waited for his shot and didn’t miss.
Sanchez controlled the distance early with his jab, which forced Torrez to get to the offense instead of moving in behind balanced combinations. He moved forward, tried to quickly close the distance and tried to force an exchange of words. Sanchez never looked rushed. He stayed behind the jab, kept his feet under him and gave Torrez different looks as he boxed from distance.
The opening round moved at a steady pace. Torrez was the busier player coming forward to attack, but Sanchez looked at ease, taking petite steps back and setting up counters. He read the entries.
It ended up being the second one.
Torrez came back into action, looking to attack, and Sanchez fired a right hand straight into the hole. The shot landed on target and dropped Torrez tough to the canvas. He tried to rally and defeat the count, but his legs gave the answer before he could.
Torrez’s pressing style keeps him upright when he comes in aggressively, and Sanchez timed the opening perfectly.
The referee stepped in immediately.
Sanchez entered the fight needing a statement after a knockout loss to Agit Kabayel stalled his progress. He returned earlier this year against lower-level opponents, but the question remained where he stood among the better heavyweights.
The victory brings Sanchez closer to another title shot. Torrez suffers the first defeat of his professional career after facing a heavyweight who remained disciplined and fired before the fight could fully develop.
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