IBF
The two-time Olympic champion (2008 and 2012), winner of Val Barker Cup (2008), two-time world champion and European champion in amateurs, as well as a professional boxer, who became the world champion in three different weight categories (57, 59 and 61 Kilo) for record-breaking minimum number of fights - 12. Vasyl also set the record for the number of fights for which he became the world champion in two weight categories - 7, and also repeated the record for the minimum number of fights for which he became the world champion - 3.
Vasiliy Lomachenko was born February 17, 1988, in Belgorod-Dnistrovskoe, Odessa Region, in the family of coaches Anatoly and Tatyana. He mastered all the basics of the "sweet science" under Joseph Katz, the late coach, then his father began to train the athlete.
The first international success for Lomachenko came in 2004, when he won European Cadet Championship (under 16) and became the best boxer of the event. In 2006 Vasiliy repeated his achievement, winning the junior world championship.
At his first ever adult World Championships in 2007, Lomachenko reached the finals, where he lost on points to Russian Albert Selimov. That defeat was the only one in Lomachenko's amateur career, but Vasyl was able to take revenge for it twice - at the Olympics in Beijing and within the WSB semi-professional tournament.
At the 2008 Olympics, Lomachenko won his first Olympic gold medal and won the Val Barker Trophy as the best boxer of the tournament. After the Olympics, Lomachenko took part in the European Championship where he also won gold. After Beijing, Vasiliy receives offers to go to the professionals, but on his father's advice he stays in the amateurs for one more cycle. At this point, Lomachenko is 20 years old.
In 2009, Vasiliy made up for the lack of gold medal on the World Championships, when he became the champion in Milan.
The 2011 World Championship takes place in Baku. Here Lomachenko becomes a two-time world champion. At the 1/8 finals stage, the judges judge rates Lomachenko's fight in favor of Brazilian Robson Conceição, but after the protest of the Ukrainian side they change the decision of the fight for the victory of Lomachenko unprecedented.
In London, Lomachenko gets his second Olympic gold medal and agrees to participate in the third season of the semi-professional league, the World Series of Boxing, where he reaches the finals with the team "Ukrainian Atamans". As a result, "atamans" become silver medalists, losing to the Kazakh team "Astana Arlans".
In the summer of 2013, Lomachenko signs a professional contract with Top Rank and in October he makes his debut fight, which is scheduled for 10 rounds and at stake of which is one of the secondary titles.
In his second fight in the pro ring, Lomachenko attempts to win his first featherweight title and faces Orlando Salido, but loses by split decision.
Lomachenko next fights for the vacant title against Gary Russell and becomes champion in his third fight, winning on points.
In his seventh fight, Lomachenko moves up to featherweight, where he scores an early victory over Rocky Martinez and becomes the world champion in the second weight class.
In his twelfth fight, Lomachenko moves up to the lightweight division, where he faces reigning champion Jorge Linares. In the sixth round, Vasily is knocked out for the first time in his professional career, but in the eleventh round he wins an early victory and becomes the world champion in his third weight class.
Currently, Lomachenko is among the best boxers in the world regardless of weight classes. For his lightweight unification bout against Jose Pedraza, according to the local Sports Commission, Lomachenko's fee was $1 million. Unofficially, the Ukrainian had to earn twice as much.
Vasily Lomachenko is married, raising a son Anatoly and daughter Victoria. Between fights Lomachenko continues to live in his native Belgorod-Dnistrovskiy and goes to the training camp in the United States only for the final stage of preparation to the fights.
Lomachenko's father, Anatoly Nikolaevich, continues to be the head coach of Lomachenko, and Russ Anber is the catman. Lomachenko's team also includes a psychologist, Andrei Kolosov.
Vasiliy is a koumate of another Olympic champion and current undisputed professional world champion Alexander Usik.
Vasiliy Lomachenko'sofficial website, twitter, instagram.