HOLLYWOOD, Calif – In 19 professional fights, Vasiliy Lomachenko officially has two losses on his resume, the first one coming to Orlando Salido via split decision in 2014, and the second against Teofimo Lopez Jr. in 2020.
If you ask oddsmakers, the two-time Olympics gold medalist and three-division champion Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) is trending toward the third loss of his career as a betting underdog when he takes on undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) on May 20 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on ESPN+ pay per view.
If you ask Lomachenko, however, he doesn’t even think that he has a blemish on his professional record.
“In my mind, I didn’t lose a fight in professional boxing. That’s why I sleep very well. In my mind, I’m undefeated. If you understand boxing,” Lomachenko said in an interview with BoxingScene.com and other reporters.
Perhaps Lomachenko’s bravado stems from his days as an amateur when he racked up 396 wins and 1 loss, with that loss avenged twice.
The 35-year-old Lomachenko has not looked like the world-beater he once was when he was steamrolling through opposition and forcing the likes of Nicholas Walters, Jason Sosa, Miguel Marriaga, and Guillermo Rigondeaux to all quit in their corners in four consecutive fights.
Those wins came at 130 pounds.
Since moving up to 135 pounds, Lomachenko has predominantly been the smaller fighter, and he’s been vocal in communicating that 135 pounds is not his desired weight class to compete in.
In his last fight, Jamaine Ortiz gave Lomachenko everything he could handle as the Ukrainian sneaked by with a close unanimous decision win.
It was Lomachenko’s first fight since Russia waged a war on Ukraine.
Lomachenko put his career on pause at the time and joined a defense battalion in 2022.
“You can’t think about your future when there’s a war coming to your house,” said Lomachenko. “You just think about life and about your family and about the people around you. You think about how you can live another day. You can’t think about your job. You can’t think about a professional sport.
“I’m excited for May 20. This is my second chance, and I will try my best. Thank you to Team Haney for the opportunity. We are all prepared for this.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.