Vasiliy Lomachenko Retires from Boxing
Ukrainian legend, Vasiliy Lomachenko, has announced his retirement from boxing at the age of 37, marking the end of an era in the world of pugilism. “Hi-Tech”, as he was known, leaves behind a career full of successes and a legacy that consolidates him as one of the best boxers of all time, both in the amateur and professional fields.
“I am grateful for every victory and every defeat, both in the ring and in life,” Lomachenko expressed in a video posted on social media.
Vasiliy Lomachenko
This decision comes a little over a year after his last fight, where he defeated George Kambosos Jr. by technical knockout in the eleventh round. There were preliminary talks for a match with Gervonta “Tank” Davis, but the fight did not materialize. According to his manager, Egis Klimas, Lomachenko “lacked the motivation” and took the rest of 2024 to reflect on his future. Finally, that future led him to step away from the sport.
Lomachenko closes his professional career with a record of 18 wins and 3 losses, with 12 knockouts.
Video of Lomachenko announcing his retirement
In his amateur stage, Lomachenko forged an impressive record of 396-1, conquering Olympic gold medals for Ukraine in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games. He decided to turn professional and signed with Top Rank Promotions, debuting on October 12, 2013, with a knockout victory in the fourth round over José Ramírez. Although he was initially challenged for the world title in his second fight, losing a close decision to Orlando Salido, he redeemed himself by obtaining the vacant WBO championship against Gary Russell Jr. in his third professional fight.
In 2016, Lomachenko conquered the WBO super lightweight title by defeating Roman Martínez, solidifying his dominance in the division with successful defenses against rivals like Nicholas Walters, Jason Sosa, and Miguel Marriaga. In a highly anticipated match in 2017, he faced Guillermo Rigondeaux, also an Olympic gold medalist, forcing him to retire in the corner.
Ascending to a new weight class, Lomachenko challenged Jorge Linares for the WBA lightweight title in 2018, winning by knockout in the tenth round. He unified the titles with victories over Jose Pedraza, Anthony Crolla, and Luke Campbell, but suffered his second professional defeat against Teofimo Lopez in 2020. After recovering with three consecutive wins, he lost a controversial decision to the undisputed lightweight champion, Devin Haney, in 2023.
Lomachenko expressed his gratitude to his family and boxing fans around the world, highlighting the unconditional support he received throughout his career.
