Vasiliy Lomachenko has called time on his illustrious boxing career, announcing his retirement at age 37. The Ukrainian fighter walks away with world championships in three weight classes and two Olympic gold medals (2008 and 2012) to his name.
"I'm grateful for every victory and defeat inside the ring and outside the ring," – Lomachenko shared in his Instagram video announcement. "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."
His final professional bout took place in May 2024, where he stopped George Kambosos Jr. in the 11th round. This victory capped off a professional record of 18-3, with his only defeats coming against Orlando Salido, Teofimo Lopez, and Devin Haney.
Lomachenko's rise in professional boxing was nothing short of remarkable. He claimed the WBO world featherweight title in just his third pro fight, beating Gary Russell Jr. via majority decision in June 2014. By 2016, he'd added the WBO junior lightweight belt by defeating Roman Martinez, and in 2018, he stopped Jorge Linares to secure The Ring and WBA lightweight titles.
Interestingly, Lomachenko's journey began at age four under his father Anatoly's guidance. The elder Lomachenko, whose face adorns his son's torso as a tattoo, made a curious decision when Vasiliy was nine – switching him from boxing to traditional Ukrainian dancing for four years. This period likely contributed to the exceptional footwork that later earned him nicknames like "The Matrix" and "Hi-Tech."
Perhaps most impressive was his run between November 2016 and December 2017, when he made four consecutive opponents quit – Nicholas Walters, Jason Sosa, Miguel Marriaga, and Guillermo Rigondeaux all surrendered, either personally or via their corners throwing in the towel. Quite the achievement in a sport where quitting carries significant stigma.
Before turning professional, Lomachenko amassed an almost unbelievable 396-1 amateur record. His preparation methods were equally extraordinary – holding his breath underwater (personal best: 4 minutes 20 seconds) and solving complex mental arithmetic during training sessions.
His combination of lightning-quick hands, defensive mastery, and that signature footwork created a style few could handle and even fewer could replicate. Will boxing see another talent quite like Lomachenko anytime soon?
