On Saturday, fight fans witnessed the return of former three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, who looked terrific in dismantling Australian brawler George Kambosos Jr. in Perth, Australia.
Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) was in command throughout, punishing the former unified champ with rapid combinations before using his feet to escape the return fire. In the 11th round, Loma decked Kambosos with a left to the jaw and then sent him down again from a big left to the midsection. A sustained follow-up attack forced the home fighter’s corner to throw in the towel.
This victory saw Lomachenko capture the vacant IBF lightweight championship, which is the only belt the former pound-for-pound king hadn’t won at 135. The Ukrainian southpaw retains his position at No. 2 in the ratings, while Kambosos, who was previously rated No. 7, drops out of the top 12.
Another fighter to exit is Isaac Cruz, who recently moved up in weight to win the WBA super lightweight crown at the expense of Rolando Romero. The voids are filled by British lightweights Sam Noakes and Mark Chamberlain, who enter at No. 11 and 12, respectively. Several fighters move up through attrition.
Lightweight rankings: The Sporting News’ top 12
The best in the world at lightweight: Gervonta Davis
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a tank is a “fighting vehicle carrying guns and moving on a continuous articulated metal track.” It’s an apt ring moniker for Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who has state-of-the-art firepower and a single-minded approach to ring domination.
The Baltimore-born superstar has claimed a variety of title belts in three divisions, but he’s now regarded as the cream of the crop at lightweight. While his win over Ryan Garcia took place at a catchweight of 136 pounds, it was a signature victory for Davis, who is now firmly established as one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world today.
If Davis can lock horns with the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko in the future, then his fearsome reputation could reach even greater heights.
The Sporting News’ Boxing Ratings
Rules | Men’s P4P | Women’s P4P
Heavyweight | Cruiserweight | Light Heavyweight
| Super Middleweight | Super Lightweight | Lightweight | Super Featherweight
| Featherweight | Light Flyweight | Minimumweight
