That’s why Arum scheduled the undefeated No. 2 world-rated lightweight contender to fight on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade.
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Lomachenko bested the mark of Japan’s Naoya Inoue, a current junior bantamweight titlist, who needed eight fights to win titles in a second division in 2014.
Lomachenko’s timing, movement and speed was bewildering for Martinez, but a joy to watch to fans of the sweet science at it’s purest and best.
After the fight was over, Lomachenko said he needs more fights to get better.
Martinez pressed the action in the fifth round but Lomachenko made him pay dearly with a hard right hook that sent him to the mat and knocked him out. Once Lomachenko assured himself Martinez was no threat to him, he moved in, first landing a left hook off a right jab feint, then blasting Martinez with a left upper cut and gorgeous right hook. He unleashed a flurry of punches on Martinez, who did not throw any punches back, and forced the referee to jump in and stop it. Moving to 130 pounds may give me more opportunity to fight the best fighters in the division and most likely the champions in the division.
Vasyl Lomachenko, of Ukraine, does a back flip as he celebrates after knocking out Roman Martinez, of Puerto Rico, during the fifth round of a WBO junior lightweight title boxing match Saturday, June 11, 2016, in NY. We have different styles so we are different fighters so I can’t tell you who is the best between us. He defeated a top fighter in Gary Russell Jr.to win a 126-pound title in just his third fight.
The Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City has always been a venue to showcase upcoming boxers that are on the cusp of stardom.
“Hey Salido, I’m ready to fight you at any time”, Lomachenko said. A lot of bad things happened to me in that fight (like numerous low blows), but I never said a word. I think this will be the fight that really helps me to go to another level.
“He was tailor made for me, he stood in front of me, right there”. He’s a great fighter and we worked very hard all training camp and once again it’s great to have a fighter like him to help me so I will have no excuses on Saturday evening. “Plus I am not going to be the one stepping in the ring”. The officiual time of the stoppage was at 2:40 of the round.
Verdejo, 23, will face Juan Jose Martinez in the co-main event.
Martinez, 33, fell to 29-3-2.
“I lost focus [in recent fights] with distractions that every man has”, Verdejo said. Considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters today, Lomachenko has the soundest amateur base in the sport.
IBF No. 5 ranked flyweight Zou Shiming won a lopsided ten round unanimous decision against Jozsef Ajtai of Hungary with Shiming chasing Ajtai throughout the fight to win by a 100-89 shutout on the scorecards of all three judges and successfully defended his WBO International flyweight title.
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At the same time, Martinez was unable to handle the physically imposing Salido despite what the decisions read in either fights and he was beaten up and stopped by Mikey Garcia a few years ago.
