Lomachenko Inches Closer to Sport Pinnacle with Beatdown of Sosa

The Ukrainian boxing prodigy did what the multitude had expected him to do Saturday at the newly-opened MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Vasyl Lomachenko (8-1-0, 6 KOs) in his customary ways astonished a crowd of 2,828 with his superlative boxing skills. After the ninth round the corner of Jason Sosa (20-2-4, 15 KOs), challenger to Lomachenko's 130-lb World Boxing Organization championship belt, threw in the towel in order to save the American from further and unnecessary punishment.

Employing the same weapons of precise high-velocity power punches - left and right hands -  all the while evading retaliatory blows with scientifically-guided movements of the feet, Lomachenko,29, defended his belt relatively unchallenged. The game Sosa, 29, who gave up his WBA (Regular) super featherweight title just to accept the invitation of the camp of Lomachenko, was left hitting air most of the time. His two eyes were visibly swollen at the stoppage of the one-sided match.

Through a translator, the all-time amateur boxing great, said "I think I really did my job well." Jason Sosa, who was just third choice after the first two turned down the offer to face Lomachenko in that inaugural boxing event at the newly-built venue, had nothing but humility and compliment for his vastly-talented opponent. "I couldn't really execute anything." Sosa told ESPN. "He's just a great fighter."

Already afforded him even before dominating Sosa   - by many and Bob Arum himself, chief of Top Rank Promotions - is the top spot of the prestigious list of pound-for-pound fighters in boxing.  In the official list by the Ring Magazine has Lomachenko at No. 6. While the two-time Olympic gold medalist himself does not concur with the evaluation of his fans and his promoter, he is arguably inching closer to the pinnacle of his sport. Saturday's consummate beatdown of Sosa is a milestone in Lomachenko's rapid march to stardom - and probably to all-time greatness.