The numbers do not lie, but sometimes they do not tell the whole truth.

Vasiliy Lomachenko announced a boxing pension on Thursday at the age of 37. He leaves this sport as a world champion with three divisions with a professional 18-3 (12 KO) record. Over the years, a modern wave of boxing fans will appear, who will not witness how Ukrainian impression will apply his craft in the ring. Instead, they will look at his album and ask how a warrior with three losses in just 21 fights can be considered great. Especially in the era, in which the size is often defined by protecting the undefeated record, something that Floyd Mayweather became eminent, withdrawing with the 50-0 record.

But Lomachenko was a different type of athlete whose journey through a professional ranks after an extraordinary amateur career, in which he won two golden Olympic medals and collected an unusual record of 396-1, was opposite most boxing careers. Instead of spending the early part of his professional career, facing unspecified opponents, Lomachenko for the main challenges and was defined by overcoming the opportunities.

In his second professional fight, less than five months after his debut, Lomachenko was adapted to the strict featherweight master WBO Orlando Salido in March 2014. Lomachenko chased history, trying to break the record, becoming world champion only in his second fight. However, Salido had other plans. He missed the weight of 2 pounds and used his advantage of greatness, along with filthy tactics, to submit a Lomachenko with a divided decision.

Untilized, Lomachenko would acclimatize in the Prof style and did well after his second attempt to become the world champion, beating the previously unspecified Gary Russell Jr. In June 2014, in order to gain a free weight title in the WBO featherweight, joining Saensak Muangsurin as the only warriors who became the champion in their third pro -fight.

But his best has just come.

Lomachenko successfully defended the title three times before he moved to Junior Lightweight, where he detained the champion of WBO Roman Martinez in five rounds in June 2016 to become the fastest boxer who won the world titles in two different weight classes (seven fights). Then we got acquainted with “No Mas-Chenko”.

In their four four fights-Nicholas Walters (26-0-1), Jason Sosa (20-1-4), Miguel Marriaga (25-2) and Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-0)-Lomachenko forced each of his opponents to throw a stool between rounds. Thanks to his excellent work of the legs, precise accuracy and extraordinary athleticism, Lomachenko was practically inviolable during this extraordinary run, which strengthened him as the basis in pounds for pounds. Against probably the second amateur boxer of this generation, a colleague from the two -time gold medalist of the Olympic Rigondeaux, Lomachenko easily considered him, enabling Rigondeaux to land only 8% of his total strikes in the TKO victory in the sixth round.

A full career would take the average warrior to achieve what Lomachenko did in just 11 professional fights.

And he still doesn’t finish.

Although he was widely considered a compact delicate junior, Lomachenko set off on a slight journey to his next undertaking, challenging Master WBA, Jorge Linares in May 2018. Although he was dropped in the sixth round, Lomachenko stopped Linars in the 10th round in the 10th round of the liver to become the fastest field to win world world titles. Fighting led by Jeff Fenech.

Thanks to his status, a pound for a pound, Lomachenko United titles with victories over Jose Pedraz and Luke Campbell, but he was unable to become the undisputed champion when he was not the champion of IBF Teofiimo Lopez. After winning his next three fights, Lomachenko appeared again briefly, trying to unite all four main delicate belts when he lost the highly controversial decision of Devin Haney. Both losses – against Haney and Lopez – were against naturally larger opponents with youth on their side.

Before he drove away to the sunset, Lomachenko put a waste of the former unquestioned master, George Cambosos Jr. In May 2024 with TKO from the 11th round in the Perth yard in Perth, Australia. At the age of 36, Lomachenko was not sure of his next move. Between his progress and the desire to be home on a war -torn Ukraine, Lomachenko finally decided that his boxing career was over.

Although Lomachenko did not retire with an excellent record, his appetite for history and taking on the biggest challenges from the moment he transformed professionals, is the reason why he will start the waltz into the International Gallery of Fame in three years. For most boxers, 21 fights are still part of the building phase.

With the same number of fights, Canelo Alvarez was a virtual unknown, which was still fighting only in Mexico. Terenka Crawford has not yet won the main title of the world after its first 21 fights. Even Mayweather, who is rightly recognized as the largest boxer of this generation, did not achieve what Lomachenko did in 21 fights. Lomachenko is a great example of real -time need, to fully understand it and not rely only on numbers and records to tell the story.