The fight has been entertained following Davis’ win over Frank Martin. Tank stopped Martin in round eight to retain his WBA Lightweight Title. Lomachenko, meanwhile, is coming off a stoppage win against George Kambosos Jr. The victory made him the IBF Lightweight Champion after picking up the vacant belt. During Davis’ fight with Martin, Frank was having major success.
He was countering Davis with his left hand, building a small lead. But the tide changed in round four as Davis began to walk him down. Bradley, though, felt Loma would be a different proposition. Loma’s ability to get in and out of range to fire shots off gives Davis a problem. Tank cannot afford to lose early rounds against someone like Loma, who can then build up a lead. Given Loma would be Davis’ toughest test, Bradley expected a tough fight.
Davis vs. Loma
“It’s a great match-up. I wish that match-up could have happened four or five years ago when Lomachenko was Lomachenko. However, I still think the experienced Lomachenko has what it takes. He can defeat Tank. He still has to steer clear of not getting caught with that big shot. If he does that and keeps his back off the ropes, and he makes Tank pay when he’s being inconsistent and just tries to come behind that high guard,” Bradley said
Nevertheless, this is not the same Lomachenko that had been dominating five years ago. His recent losses against Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney show that he can be beaten. The loss to Haney was very controversial, with many believing he had outboxed Haney to win a unanimous decision. But the decision was given in reverse, allowing Haney to remain undisputed at 135. The rematch never happened, as Haney moved up to 140.
Loma has plenty of motivation. His countryman Oleksandr Usyk became the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion by beating Tyson Fury, showing the win’s widespread impact on his country. Beating Davis, who is considered the face of boxing, would achieve something similar. Loma’s biggest asset is taking away his opponent’s best weapon. He did this to Haney, removing his jab and allowing him to come on the inside. He landed numerous combinations on Haney upstairs. He must do the same to prevent Tank’s left hand from getting caught in the process.
Further Reaction
“I know Tank has got that special power and he’s going to have to land it against Loma. Will he land it? We’re going to see. If he lands it, great, fantastic, he won the fight. But he’s still got to go on there and prove he’s top-level, and I believe Tank is top-level. I do believe Tank is an A-class fighter, but this would be the first time. Maybe the second because I believe [Jose] Pedraza was on his way up, and I think he was very young when he fought him. 20-something years old,” Bradley added
There is also an argument that Shakur Stevenson is the real fight to make at 135. Shakur is at his peak, unlike Loma and has the WBC belt at 135. That fight also allows Davis to unify even if it makes less money than the Loma bout. Davis has said he wants to become undisputed at 135, meaning he must face Shakur. But beating Loma will likely lead to that Shakur fight.
