Vasyl Lomachenko and Hughie Fury take centre stage on either side of the Atlantic with everything on the line
New York and Bolton see two clashes with everything at stake for the four participants
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Your support makes all the difference.Two massive - in different ways - boxing matches take place tonight on both sides of the Atlantic, with plenty at stake for all four participants. In Bolton, Hughie Fury challenges Sam Sexton for the British heavyweight title, while the slightly more glamorous setting of New York will host Vasyl Lomachenko moving up to super lightweight to face WBA champion Jorge Linares.
For many domestic fighters, a British title is the most realistic dream they can visualise over the course of their career. It’s still an excellent accomplishment of course, with many of the biggest names in British boxing history having held the Lord Lonsdale belt at some point. Current heavyweight champion Sam Sexton is one of those boxers who would never realistically have expected to achieve much more success in the sport, but his opponent tonight is coming fresh off a world title attempt.
It’s hard to believe that Hughie Fury is still just 23-years-old, but the 20-1 Mancunian has already been a professional since 2013. Fury’s last fight was his most high profile, as he faced former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker for the WBO title. In truth, it was perhaps the most boring fight of the year, with Fury’s defensive acumen making for a dull night of entertainment. Parker wasn’t much better, and actually performed better against Anthony Joshua, though he eventually took the victory by a Majority Decision.
Fury and his team were furious after the announcement, but the reality is, he had not done enough to be perceived as the winner. Yes he showed plenty of skill defensively, but offensively he had offered nothing, with power punches as rare as a serene day in British politics. Avoiding punches is a key weapon in boxing, however Fury’s negative tactics eventually cost him total glory. Only one or two rounds of more aggression, and Fury wouldn’t be fighting in Bolton tonight, as he already would have had a world title unification with Anthony Joshua.
Still though, Bolton has its charms. Jay-Jay Okocha. Loads of Greggs, and a pretty good sports store just down the road from where the big fight is tonight. And it is a big fight. Heavyweight bouts always elicit excitement, even when it involves Hughie Fury. Sexton is an acceptable opponent for Fury at this stage, but he should be handled easily. Sexton has only fought one fighter who wasn’t a journeyman since 2012, and he eked past Gary Cornish to win the British title last October.
A win for Fury opens up plenty of future options, but he needs to win in style. This is a new era of British heavyweight boxing, with the likes of Joshua, Dillian Whyte, Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois all picking up fans through destructive performances. While that will never be a natural fit for Hughie Fury, as his cousin Tyson emerges back into boxing, he needs to remind people that is the future of heavyweight boxing.
Vasyl Lomachenko has no such issues at being regarded as one of the finest talents in the sport. The Ukrainian enjoyed an outrageously successful amateur record which yielded hundreds of victories and just one defeat. Two Olympic gold medals and two world championship titles reflect his amateur dominance, while his professional career has seen further success.
Lomachenko’s professional journey began in October 2013 where he outclassed Jose Ramirez, before he attempted to win a world title in just his second fight. That mission failed after Orlando Salido used every dirty trick in the book to eke out a split decision win, but unperturbed, Lomachenko has dominated all who have followed since.
The likes of Gary Russell Jr, Nicholas Walters, Roman Martinez, Jason Sosa and Guillermo Rigondeaux have all been gunned down and outclassed, with Lomachenko’s speed and skill unparalleled against genuinely quality rivals. Once criticised for too many feints and not enough spite, Lomachenko has stopped his last seven opponents, while his speed and guile continue to improve.
It’s not just that Lomachenko is stopping fighters, it’s the manner of the stoppages. Lomachenko’s last four opponents have all retired from the fights, a rare thing to happen once in a career, let alone four times in a row. It’s unlikely that he’ll be experiencing a similar finish tonight however, as Jorge Linares is a supremely mentally tough fighter.
The Venezuelan star has beaten three English fighters over the past couple of years, including two wins over Anthony Crolla. Kevin Mitchell, and most recently Luke Campbell were also outclassed by Linares, who will be the heavier man by close to a stone when the bell rings.
Weight may be the biggest issue in the fight. Of course Lomachenko has the technical ability, confidence and style to make any fighter who weighs under 147 pounds to look foolish, but weight classes exist in boxing for a reason. If Linares can connect with a heavy hook, and grind down his world class rival, the fight could take a completely different turn.
Hughie Fury vs Sam Sexton can be seen live on Channel 5 with coverage beginning at 9pm
Vasyl Lomachenko takes on Jorge Linares at Madison Square Garden with coverage underway on Boxnation from midnight
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