Lomachenko looking to reaffirm spot as number one pound-for-pound boxer

Vasyl Lomachenko returns to action in April when he defends his WBA and WBO lightweight titles against Anthony Crolla at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Ukrainian boxer is widely considered to be the number one pound-for-pound boxer on the planet, a position he will be looking to maintain with victory over his next opponent.

Lomachenko won his first professional world title in just his third contest when he defeated Gary Russell Jr for the WBO featherweight crown. Since then, the 31-year-old has held a world title at junior-lightweight and in the lightweight division, where he currently fights.

#BoxingNewsAtFive: Lomachenko calls Mayweather and Davis “businessmen not athletes”, Malignaggi wants bare-knuckle fight with McGregor: https://t.co/LjUZROANOo pic.twitter.com/GPTP53Ka7U

— Boxing News (@BoxingNewsED) March 8, 2019

On his latest appearance in the ring, the former Olympic champion retained his WBA title and gained the WBO version with a points victory over Jose Pedraza. The decision was unanimous from the judges as the man from Ukraine dominated the 12 rounds against a top-class opponent. Lomachenko is 1/100 favourite in the boxing betting to beat Crolla as the bookmakers feel he will be too strong for the British boxer. He is 1/8 to win inside the distance this time and 5/1 for a points victory.

Success against Crolla could lead to Lomachenko sealing a unification contest later this year. Mickey Garcia currently holds the WBC strap in the division but is moving up in weight to face Errol Spence Jr next, while Richard Commey is the IBF champion after claiming the vacant belt last month against Isa Chaniev.

Former WBA champion Crolla believes he can beat Lomachenko

Crolla earned the opportunity to face the number one pound-for-pound man Lomachenko when he beat David Yordan at the back end of last year to become the mandatory challenger for his WBA crown, a belt the Brit held between 2015 and 2016.

TERMS AGREED! @Ant_Crolla vs @VasylLomachenko in Los Angeles on April 12.

MORE HERE: https://t.co/D8LucDfgwA pic.twitter.com/tgbneWXcgB

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) February 20, 2019

Since losing to Jorge Linares twice three years ago, Crolla has had some solid results that have put him back up the rankings. He got the better of Ricky Burns in a domestic showdown in 2017, and then followed that up with success against Edson Ramirez on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua vs. Joseph Parker card in Cardiff, Wales.

At one point in Crolla’s career, his boxing future looked to be in serious doubt as he fractured his skull and broke an ankle when confronting burglars during a robbery at his neighbour’s house. After seven months of rehabilitation, he returned in July 2015 to draw with Darleys Perez in Manchester. The pair then met in a rematch that the Mancunian won to claim his first-ever world title to the delight of his home crowd.

Crolla has stated in his most recent press conference for the Lomachenko contest that he does not fear the Ukrainian and that he fancies his chances of winning. If he does upset the odds, it will be the biggest victory of his career to date.

The contest takes place on April 12 and also features a light-heavyweight contest between Gilberto Ramirez and Tommy Karpency, while the unbeaten Alexander Besputin meets Alfredo Rodolfo Blanco in the welterweight division.