In what should turn out to be one of the most interesting boxing matches of 2016 this weekend, WBO junior lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko (6-1, 4 KOs) will defend his title against the immensely talented challenger Nicholas Walters (26-0-1, 21 KOs). The bout takes place at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be televised on HBO, which will also be airing the replay of the competitive clash this past weekend between pound-for-pound elites Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward.
Lomachenko is a former two-time gold medalist at the Olympics, and in his most recent bout he became the quickest fighter to ever win major world titles in multiple weight classes when he stopped Roman Martinez back in June to capture the WBO title belt in just his 7th fight as a professional. Walters is coming off a controversial draw last December against Jason Sosa, in a bout most boxing observers felt Walters did more than enough to deserve the victory. Prior to that Walters has scored some impressive knockout victories, including wins over both Vic Darchinyan and Nonito Donaire.
On paper these two pugilists appear to be fairly evenly matched. They are both extremely skilled and talented fighters, both of whom also have incredibly high ring IQ’s. They both have a nice punching variety, they both have pretty stellar defense, and they have both exhibited a good measure of versatility and adaptability in their fighting styles, which while being quite different in terms to their respective rhythms and approach, involves both fighters looking to do a lot of the same type of things. To add to the intrigue, both fighters are very good at what they do, and they are both able to do a great many things inside the squared circle.
Who will win this fascinating showdown that provides boxing fans with one of the most coveted fights that can presently be made in boxing? Will Vasyl Lomachenko’s impeccable skills win the day? Or will the devastating power and craftiness of Nicholas Walters lead him to victory. This edition of Rummy’s Corner attempts to answer that question and more while providing a brief fight preview as well as Rummy’s utterly worthless official fight prediction. Please watch and enjoy the video.