Will Vasiliy Lomachenko Be A Boxing Hall Of Famer?

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 11: Vasiliy Lomachenko (black trunks) trades punches with Richard Commey (blue trunks) during their WBO Intercontinental Lightweight Title fight at Madison Square Garden on December 11, 2021 in New York, New York. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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For a span of three years, from 2016-2019, Vasiliy Lomachenko was the most intriguing (and perhaps most exciting) boxer in the entire sport. He made four opponents in a row quit during the middle of their matches. His footwork and technical talent were extraordinary. He started his professional career at the age of 25, but it only took him three fights to win a world title. Less than a dozen fights into his career, it appeared Lomachenko was well on his way to an eventual Boxing Hall of Fame induction.

Lomachenko was a phenomenon.

But ultimately, his pro career didn’t last as long as the boxing community might have liked. After 21 pro bouts and world titles in three weight classes, Lomachenko earlier this summer announced he was retiring from the sport. “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,” Lomachenko said in his announcement.

As a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2016, I’ve been honored to have voted for the Hall of Fame for the past eight years. If Lomachenko is done fighting for good, he’d have to wait three years before the HOF could put him on the ballot. When he makes the ballot, he would need to be among the top-three vote-getters from that year (or be selected on more than 80% of the ballots).

Today, let’s talk about Lomachenko’s chances of earning entry into the HOF.

Vasiliy Lomachenko’s Best Victories

At first glance, Lomachenko’s 18-3 (12 KOs) seems pedestrian for somebody under HOF consideration. But when you study Lomachenko’s wins, it becomes a different story. He beat Gary Russell Jr. in his third pro fight to win his first world title, and over the next four years, he knocked off the undefeated Nicholas Walters, the undefeated Guillermo Rigondeaux, Jorge Linares and Jose Pedraza. None of those fighters are HOF material, but the way Lomachenko sliced them up (getting Walters, Rigondeaux, Miguel Marriaga and Jason Sosa to quit in back-to-back-to-back-to-back fights) was so impressive. “I guess I should change my name now to NoMaschenko,” Lomachenko said after beating Rigondeaux. In his final bout, Lomachenko became the first person to stop former unified titlist George Kambosos.

Vasiliy Lomachenko’s Worst Losses

In Lomachenko’s second pro fight, he took on 126-pound titlist Orlando Salido, but Salido came in two pounds overweight and constantly fouled Lomachenko while squeaking out a split decision victory. Six years later, Lomachenko lost his unified 135-pound titles to Teofimo Lopez by giving away too many early rounds, and after that, Devin Haney managed to win a close decision vs. Lomachenko, a loss many observers feel was undeserved. None of Lomachenko’s losses are bad; all were to world-class fighters and all were close.

Vasiliy Lomachenko’s Intangibles

With a record of 396-1 and two Olympic gold medals, Lomachenko is largely considered the best amateur boxer in history. He also had a lengthy run as the No. 1 pound for pound pro fighter. Lomachenko didn’t start his pro career until he was in mid-20s, so his prime was much earlier as a pro than most other fighters. But watching Lomachenko fight was different than watching 99.9% of other boxers. The way Lomachenko used his footwork was otherworldly, and if you put up his technique against just about any boxer that’s ever lived, Lomachenko would compare favorably.

After Russia invaded his home country of Ukraine in 2022, Lomachenko was much more interested in fighting for his country than fighting for money in the ring. In all, Lomachenko was at or near the top of the sport for just a handful of years.

Vasiliy Lomachenko’s Career Earnings

The amount of money you make doesn’t make or break you as a Hall of Famer. But let’s talk about it anyway, because Lomachenko did quite well for himself. Against Devin Haney, Lomachenko’s base purse was reportedly $3 million. In his next fight vs. Kambosos, Lomachenko reportedly earned $3.5 million. When he fought Lopez and Luke Campbell, Lomachenko supposedly made somewhere in that same $3 million neighborhood. Plus, Lomachenko had a handful of other seven-figure paydays.

If we’re making an educated guess, we can say that Lomachenko likely earned somewhere in the $18 million-$20 million range during his career.

Is Vasiliy Lomachenko a Hall of Famer?

As I’ve written many times in the past, one voter’s criteria can be much different from another’s. Here’s what I value as a voter: Dominance in a division and inclusion on the mythical pound-for-pound list; a sustained reign as one of the top fighters in their weight division; and victories against the top-notch boxers of his era. Some voters don’t believe a fighter’s popularity or money-making abilities should factor into the equation. I disagree (I’ll always believe Arturo Gatti and Ricky Hatton deserve their places in the HOF because of the sheer excitement they brought to the sport).

The Lomachenko decision will not be a difficult one for me. Without even thinking about it, he’s an absolute yes. Thanks to his amateur career and what he accomplished as a pro (and the unique way he accomplished it), it’s not outlandish to say Lomachenko is one of the all-time greats. Sure, his pro record doesn’t reflect that, but Lomachenko certainly holds a unique place during this era of the sport.

Is Lomachenko a Hall of Famer? The answer is a resounding yes.

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