PARSIPPANY, N.J. – Featherweight WBO champion Vasyl Lomachenko (4-1-0, 2 KO) won by ninth-round KO against Gamaliaer Rodriguez (25-3-3-, 17 KO) of Puerto Rico on May 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Held as an undercard to the hyped Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, the bout was scheduled for 12 rounds and had more excitement than the headliner. Lomachenko dominated the fight, with Rodriguez taking a knee in the seventh round after a body shot from Lomachenko and again in the ninth round after a right hook for the 10-count. Referee Robert Byrd stopped the fight with 2:10 left in the ninth round when Rodriguez did not respond after the 10-count.
Lomachenko, 27, a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012), turned on the action in the third round and was in control by the fourth round, after probing and getting a feel for his challenger in the first two rounds.
By the numbers, Rodriguez had the longer reach at 69 inches versus Lomacheno’s 65-inch reach. But it was the number of punches thrown and landed that made the difference. CompuBox numbers via HBO showed that Lomachenko landed 227 out of 586 punches thrown, and Rodriguez landed 55 out of 285. Rodriguez had a point deducted in the fifth round for a low blow, following a cut delivered by Lomachenko over the Puerto Rican’s right eye.
Jim Lampley, HBO commentator, said, “Lomachenko was clearly just warming up and rehearsing in the first couple of rounds.”
The buzz created by Lomachenko’s versatility and speed from this latest fight will be something to watch during the Ukrainian’s boxing career, with many experts clamoring for more Lomachenko fights within the next 12 months. This was only Lomachenko’s fifth professional fight since turning professional in 2013 (with an amateur record of 396-1), and Ukrainian boxing fans rejoice that there is a new Ukrainian champ who is exciting to watch that will be able to headline in Las Vegas and New York.