Los Angeles: Vasiliy Lomachenko acted bored by the assignment of his mandatory challenger Anthony Crolla, so he responded by thrilling his fans in an all-action showcase of his power punching prowess.
The three-division champion from Ukraine overwhelmed Crolla with blistering blows on Friday night at the Staples Center, battering him with damage that culminated with a chopping right hand to the head that brought a fourth-round knockout.
“I want to say thank you to my doctor (Neal ElAttrache), now I have come back 100 per cent,” Lomachenko said in reference to the 2018 right shoulder surgery that allowed him to complement his left-handed power punches with formidable jabs and the closing punch against Crolla.
Lomachenko (13-1, 10 knockouts) retains his WBA and WBO belts, and his furious work in the ring was punctuated by a bold message for WBC lightweight champion Mikey Garcia.
“I want Mikey Garcia,” Lomachenko said after he too drew more than 10,000 fans to Staples Center. “I want to unify titles. That’s my goal. I want historic fights.”
