WASHINGTON, October 14 (RIA Novosti) – Two-time Ukrainian Olympic gold medal boxing champion Vasyl Lomachenko is set for a featherweight world title fight in New York early next year, after winning his first professional fight a mere two days ago, according to US media reports.
Lomachenko, 25, will challenge newly crowned featherweight World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Orlando Salido of Mexico for the title on Jan. 25 after defeating Jose "Negro" Ramirez, also from Mexico, in the fourth round of the Ukrainian’s professional debut in Las Vegas Saturday, according to The Boxing Observer.
Lomachenko had originally wanted a world title shot in his first professional match, but under current regulations, that is not permitted, The Boxing Observer reported Sunday.
Boxing promoter Bob Arum of Las Vegas-based Top Rank Boxing had agreed with Lomachenko that if he was successful in his debut, he would organize a title fight for his second bout, which is scheduled to take place in New York’s Madison Square Garden:
“One of the great things about fighting in New York is there are many thousands of Ukrainians,” BoxingScene.com reported Arum as saying.
"I want to make boxing history, and to do that there's only one way – go fast and show everybody what I can do," Lomachenko told ESPN.com last week.
Lomachenko won gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008 and in London in 2012.
