Alright, so today I wanna talk about Lomachenko’s two losses. Not gonna lie, I’ve been digging into this for a while now, watching fights, reading articles, the whole shebang. I mean, the guy is a legend, right? So those L’s gotta have some story behind them.
First off, let’s rewind to the Orlando Salido fight back in 2014. This was Loma’s second professional fight! Second! Insane, right? He was basically thrown into the deep end against a seasoned vet. What I remember doing first was watching the fight, like, really watching it. I wasn’t just sitting back and enjoying, I took notes. Checked out the angles, how Salido was manhandling Loma. The weight disparity was glaring. Salido came in heavy, and Loma just couldn’t impose his will. That was a wake-up call.
My takeaway? You can’t always rely on pure skill. Size and experience matter, especially in the pros. So, I started digging deeper into the lead-up to the fight. Found out Salido didn’t make weight. That’s a HUGE disadvantage for Loma going in. And that’s where I realised, damn, sometimes the story isn’t just in the ring, it’s what happens outside too.
Then there’s the Teofimo Lopez fight in 2020. Man, that was a heartbreaker. I remember sitting there, thinking, “No way Loma loses this.” But he did. What I did right after that was rewatched the damn thing. I watched the first six rounds again and again. Loma was uncharacteristically hesitant, almost like he was studying Lopez instead of fighting him. Turns out, he had a shoulder injury. I didn’t even notice that at first, but when you know what to look for, you see it.
- Rounds 1-6: Lopez was aggressive, Loma was passive.
- Rounds 7-12: Loma started to come alive, but was it too late?
I had to really examine why he started so slow. It was like he gave Lopez a massive head start. I scoured interviews, press conferences, anything to get a sense of what was going on in Loma’s head. Some said he was being too cautious because of Lopez’s power. Others said the shoulder injury messed with his game plan. Personally, I think it was a combo of both. Plus, Lopez was just on fire that night, young, hungry, and fearless.
The Aftermath
So, after all this watching and reading, what’s the conclusion? Well, those two losses don’t diminish Lomachenko’s greatness. They just add layers to his story. They’re reminders that even the best can be beaten, and that boxing is as much about strategy and circumstances as it is about raw talent.
It’s all about digging deep and understanding the whole picture. That’s what I learned going through this process, and that’s why I’m sharing this with you guys. Hope it gave you some food for thought!
