Top Rank fighters talk of 2018 goals

12/29/201712/28/2017 Top Rank

Boxing enjoyed an outstanding 2017 and before the crystal ball drops in Times Square to begin an even better year, Top Rank asked some of its fighters for their New Year’s resolutions. Here are their responses:

TERENCE CRAWFORD (32-0, 23 KOs) / Two-division world champion / 2017 BWAA Fighter of the Year nominee / 2014 BWAA Fighter of the Year

“My 2018 resolutions are to win a world title at my new welterweight division, making me a three-division champion, and to open the fully renovated B&B Boxing Academy here in Omaha for all the kids in my community to enjoy.”

Jorge Linares says he’d stay at 135 for a Lomachenko showdown; feels it’s not a difficult fight for him

12/28/2017 James Slater

While there is a growing sense that many top fighters are, if not exactly running away from Vasyl Lomachenko, not too enthusiastic at the idea of climbing into the ring with the Ukrainian southpaw, this is not the case with Jorge Linares. The reigning WBA and Ring Magazine lightweight king, in training for his January 27 defence against Mercito Gesta, has put it out on social media that after this fight is done and dusted, he and Lomachenko can fight:

Vasyl Lomachenko likes the idea of fighting in a WBSS tourney: It would make it possible to win all of the belts in one big swoop

12/27/2017 James Slater

As he waits for his next fight, a big one he hopes, pound-for-pound NO.1 Vasyl Lomachenko is open to quite a few possibilities. While the southpaw sensation has posted a fan poll on his official twitter page, asking who he should fight next in fan opinion, “Hi-Tech” is also thinking about other options.

Vasyl Lomachenko asks his fans to vote on who he should fight next – then the P-4-P king goes duck hunting!

12/26/2017 James Slater

Vasyl Lomachenko is eager to fight again soon and he is asking his fans to tell him just who his next opponent (challenger is perhaps too strong a word, as in can anyone at 130 to 140 actually “challenge” Lomachenko?) should be. The reigning WBO 130 pound champ who is widely expected to move up to 135 soon, put out an online poll via his twitter page, asking fans to vote on who he should fight next.

Who would you vote for as Fighter of The Year: Lomachenko, Ward, Joshua, Crawford or Sor Rungvisai?

12/24/2017 James Slater

So who was 2017’s Fighter of The Year?

It’s that time again and fans are voting, not just on the website of ‘The Bible of Boxing,’ Ring Magazine, but it seems this particular poll is the yearly one most fans get into (and of course, you don’t argue with the Bible!)

Boxing in 2017 – Oh What a Year! The Future Looks Bright, Despite the End of an Era

12/22/201712/22/2017 Paul Jones

By Justin Jones: First, let me start off by giving the fighters, promoters, advisers, trainers, TV networks & executives, media members, and of course, the fans, a big round of applause (claps in circular motion)!

After a rather dull 2016, boxing fans were treated to a number of competitive and compelling matchups, seemingly every weekend this year. We witnessed history – Terrance Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs) fully unifying the 140-pound division and two 2-time Olympic gold medalists get it on (Vasyl Lomachenko [10-1, 10 KOs] vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux [17-1, 11 KOs]). We were also treated to a number of pound-for-pound fighters willing to test their mettle against one another – Andrew Ward (32-0, 16 KOs) vs Sergey Kovalev (31-2-1, 27 KOs), Gennady Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) vs Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (49-1-2), and Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux.

Floyd Mayweather challenges Lomachenko to fight Mikey Garcia

12/20/2017 Andy Brooks

Super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (10-1, 8 KOs) sent a Tweet on Tuesday to promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr., telling him to stop hiding former IBF 130 lb. champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (19-0, 18 KOs). Lomachenko wants to fight Davis if possible in 2018.

Vasyl Lomachenko vs. The Super Featherweight’s Golden Era – Because Why Not?

12/18/201712/17/2017 Jason Peck

I might be a little slow on this one, but it’s taken me two weeks of Youtube and instant replays to fully grasp the totality of Vasyl Lomachenko victory over a man formerly considered a pound-for-pound entrant.

Sure, Guillermo Rigondeaux came in with a size disadvantage. That became painfully obvious at the weigh-in. And sure, Rigondeaux was old for his profession and suffered long period of inactivity to boot – the late 30s are perilous for fighters other than Bernard Hopkins or a Klitschko brother.

Vasyl Lomachenko not pound-for-pound best says Terence Crawford’s trainer

12/16/201712/15/2017 James Slater

Is Vasyl Lomachenko the current best in the sport, pound-for-pound? This seems to be the general consensus, and not only that, but many fans, and experts, are wondering if the two-weight king will ever be beaten (yes, Lomachenko did lose, in his second pro outing, against an over-the-weight Orlando Salido, who emerged with a razor-close, debatable decision seemingly a millions years ago now).

Lomachenko, Rigondeaux ratings results

12/16/201712/15/2017 ESPN Boxing

Saturday’s Top Rank on ESPN telecast, featuring Vasiliy Lomachenko successfully defending his WBO World Junior Lightweight title against Guillermo Rigondeaux (17-1-0, 11 KO), delivered big on ratings and viewership, making it Saturday’s most-viewed telecast on cable television among men 18-34 and men 18-49, according to final viewership data from Nielsen Media Research.