Vasiliy Lomachenko has called time on his illustrious boxing career at age 37, announcing his retirement through an emotional Instagram video on Thursday. The Ukrainian fighter walks away from the sport as a three-weight world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
"I'm grateful for every victory and defeat inside the ring and outside the ring. I'm thankful that as my career comes to an end, I've gained clarity about the direction a person must take in order to achieve true victory, not just in the ring," Lomachenko stated in his farewell message.
The boxing virtuoso compiled an extraordinary professional record of 18-3, with his final bout taking place in May 2024 when he stopped Australia's George Kambosos Jr in the 11th round. Throughout his career, only three fighters managed to defeat him - Orlando Salido, Teofimo Lopez, and Devin Haney.
Before turning professional, Lomachenko built what many consider the greatest amateur record in boxing history at 396-1. His transition to the paid ranks was nothing short of spectacular - capturing the WBO world featherweight title in just his third professional fight by defeating Gary Russell Jr via majority decision in June 2014.
His championship collection grew impressively. In 2016, he claimed the WBO junior lightweight title by beating Roman Martinez. Two years later, he stopped the tough Venezuelan Jorge Linares at Madison Square Garden to secure The Ring and WBA lightweight belts.
What made Lomachenko truly special? His footwork was extraordinary - combining with lightning-quick hands to create angles that bewildered opponents. Between November 2016 and December 2017, he accomplished the rare feat of making four consecutive opponents quit - Nicholas Walters, Jason Sosa, Miguel Marriaga, and Guillermo Rigondeaux all threw in the towel.
Interestingly, much of Lomachenko's unique fighting style can be traced back to his childhood. His father Anatoly (whose face Lomachenko has tattooed on his torso) had his son swap boxing boots for dancing shoes at age nine. For four years, young Vasiliy perfected traditional Ukrainian dancing, developing the exceptional balance and fast feet that became his trademark.
His training methods were equally unconventional. Under his father's guidance, Lomachenko developed remarkable mental strength through exercises like holding his breath underwater (his record stands at four minutes and 20 seconds) and solving complex arithmetic problems during training.
These mental and physical attributes elevated him to a level few fighters have reached. Will boxing see another talent quite like "The Matrix" or "Hi-Tech" as he was nicknamed? Perhaps not in our lifetime.
