Lomachenko vs. Crolla Preview – Tale of the Tape and Prediction

Boxing
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Posted: Apr 13, 2019 | Updated: 3 years ago

Vasyl Lomachenko will defend his WBA (super) and WBO lightweight titles against Anthony Crolla on Friday April 12th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The fight can be viewed by ESPN+ subscribers in the USA and on Sky Sports Box Office (PPV) in the UK. Lomachenko sits at #2 on World in Sport’s latest P4P rankings.

Tale of the Tape – Lomachenko vs. Crolla

Vasyl Lomachenko Anthony Crolla
Record 12-1-0 (9 KOs) 34-6-3 (13 KOs)
Nickname “Hi-Tech” “Million Dollar”
Age 31 32
Country Ukraine United Kingdom
Stance Southpaw Orthodox
Height 5’7″ 5’8 1/2″
Reach 65 1/2″ 67″
Debut 2013 2006

Fight Breakdown – Lomachenko vs. Crolla

Vasyl (also spelled Vasiliy) Lomachenko is seen by many as the best fighter in the world. Since turning pro in 2013, “Hi-Tech” has won world titles in three weight divisions, defeating the likes of Gary Russell Jr., Nicholas Walters, Guillermo Rigondeaux, and Jorge Linares among others. The two-time Olympic gold medalist last fought in December of last year, when he defeated Jose Pedraza to pick up the WBO lightweight strap.

Lomachenko is an athletic southpaw with lightning fast hands and superb technical skill. He is not an extremely explosive puncher, but his speed, timing, and accuracy allow him to systematically beat up and break down larger opponents. Defensively, Lomachenko rarely gets hit clean and his footwork usually does a good job of keeping his opponents off-balance and confused.

After a few setbacks early in his career, veteran Anthony Crolla was able to win the WBA lightweight belt by defeating Colombia’s Darleys Perez back in 2015. After successfully defending his title, Crolla lost twice to Jorge Linares (in 2016 and 2017). Since then, Crolla has bounced back with three straight unanimous decision wins, his most recent against Daud Yordan last November.

Stylistically, Crolla is a pretty straightforward boxer. He keeps his hands up, picks his shots well, and has decent defense. Unfortunately, his lack of elite power and speed has kept him from reaching the top tier of the division. On the positive end, Crolla is a tough and durable fighter. He has been down before and was stopped once in 2012, but in general he stands up well to most opponents.

Crolla should use his height/reach advantages to try and keep Lomachenko on the outside while looking to hit him on the way in. For Lomachenko, he needs to work his way inside using his jab and trademark footwork and look to hit Crolla to the head and body when he opens up.

Prediction – Lomachenko vs. Crolla

I predict a mid-round TKO victory for Vasyl Lomachenko. As I said before, Anthony Crolla is a tough fighter, but he is simply outgunned in this fight. In my opinion, it is going to take an athletic, powerful fighter to give Lomachenko problems, and Crolla is neither.

If Crolla goes into survival mode, we may see this fight go the distance, but I believe once Crolla begins to fall behind, he will eventually take some risks. Lomachenko will definitely be looking to make a statement here, so look for the Ukrainian to go for the knockout after he settles in and feels out his opponent.

Will Lomachenko blow Crolla out of the water, or will Crolla show up and surprise everyone? Who is next for Lomachenko if he wins? Comment below with your opinion.

 

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