Vasiliy Lomachenko was presented with quite a test from British challenger Luke Campbell. But after 12 rounds, it was the Pound-for-Pound Picasso who prevailed, scoring a unanimous decision (119-108 2X and 118-109) over Campbell to retain his WBA/WBO lightweight titles and pick up the vacant WBC title in front of a sold-out crowd at the O2 Arena.

Lomachenko is one belt shy of becoming the undisputed lightweight champion. Richard Commey is expected to defend his IBF strap against Teofimo Lopez, and Lomachenko wants the winner.

Campbell fought Lomachenko on even terms — or close to it — for the first four rounds. At the end of round five, Lomachenko nearly doubled Campbell over with a series of body shots, but Campbell survived the stanza.

In the seventh, Campbell stunned Lomachenko with a right hand, but Lomachenko responded to dominate the latter stages of the round.

Lomachenko finally broke through in the 11th, knocking down Campbell with body-head shot combination. Campbell made it to the final bell and marked up Lomachenko in the process, establishing himself as perhaps the world’s second-best lightweight.

After a hard-fought battle, this is what Lomachenko, Campbell and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum had to say.

Lomachenko

“Of course I’m happy. I want to say thank you to {everyone} who came to support us. I want to thank everyone who organized this fight. And, of course, I’m happy. Next… {I want to fight for the} IBF {title}. That is my title.”

“In the UK, the fans are the best fans in the world. Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Of course, I want to fight {for the IBF title}, but it depends on Bob Arum.”

Arum

“Obviously, we’re looking to win the fourth belt to unify the title. But Loma and {manager} Egis {Klimas} have told me they can’t wait to come back to the UK to fight here again.The English fight fans are the best fans in the world.”

“Luke Campbell didn’t disgrace himself. He fought a hell of a fight. He’s a hell of a fighter. Big, big heart, and Luke will be back.”

“Loma is up there with Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao. He belongs with those fighters.”

“Listen, it doesn’t matter. He will fight anyone at featherweight, super featherweight or lightweight. Only the best. He’s a special, special fighter.”

Luke Campbell

“He just beat me, so he’s very good. He’s a special fighter and we all knew he was a special fighter. This is boxing and we train to win. Obviously, I’m disappointed in myself for not getting the victory.”

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Lomachenko-Luke Campbell to stream Saturday LIVE on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

LONDON (Aug. 29, 2019) – The press conference dais told the story. Four title bouts were laid out, symbols of Vasiliy Lomachenko’s current and long-standing status as one of boxing’s elites.

Unified WBO Lightweight Champion Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs) will defend his titles against fellow 2012 Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell (20-2, 16 KOs) Saturday evening at The O2 (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The vacant WBC lightweight world title will also be at stake, leaving the victor one belt shy of becoming the division’s undisputed champion.

Two days before a sold-out crowd of more than 18,000 packs The O2, this is what the fighters and their promoters had to say.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

“I’m excited. I can’t wait to come to the ring and show my boxing skills for British fans and fans around the world.”

“Maybe it will be a harder fight, but I can’t answer that until after the fight. Luke Campbell is not an easy fighter. He’s a top fighter. He’s a smart fighter. He’s a technical fighter, so it will be an interesting and technical fight.”

“Of course I’m ready. That’s why I came to the UK.”

Bob Arum

“Now, {Lomachenko} comes over to the UK, which really is the country that is most passionate and knowledgable about the sport of boxing, to exhibit his talents before the UK audience. On behalf of Vasiliy Lomachenko and {Lomachenko’s manager} Egis Klimas, we are grateful for the opportunity to be over here, to be fighting in this championship match, particularly against a world-class fighter like Luke Campbell.”

Luke Campbell

“I’ve been through a lot having the experience of the London Olympics, the crowds, the pressure of going out there, getting a medal and winning. And, obviously, my professional career, coming to America to fight {Jorge} Linares for a world title. I’ve learned from my experiences, and boy, do I love a challenge. I’ve said for years being in boxing, to be the best, you have to beat the best. And this is certainly one of those challenges.”

“There are no better fans than the UK fans. They just give the best atmosphere. I’m excited to bring this fight, be part of this fight here in the UK. I want to perform and entertain and give the fans a great night.”

Eddie Hearn

“This is a huge opportunity for British boxing and a huge opportunity to Luke Campbell to produce a performance that will stun the world and become the unified lightweight world champion.”

ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Luke Campbell, 12 rounds, Lomachenko’s WBO/WBA and vacant WBC lightweight world titles

Photo via Top Rank

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Lomachenko-Campbell to stream Saturday LIVE on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

Entire Undercard to stream on ESPN+ starting at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

Vasiliy Lomachenko made his return to London’s historic York Hall, roughly six years since he fought there as part of the World Series of Boxing. Shortly thereafter, he turned pro and has been making history ever since.

Lomachenko, the Unified WBO lightweight world champion, will make his long-awaited United Kingdom return Saturday evening against Luke Campbell at The O2 (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+).

York Hall was packed Wednesday evening, this time to watch Lomachenko and Campbell as they participated in a media workout. Three days before the biggest night on the British boxing calendar, this is what they had to say.

Vasiliy Lomachenko

On the challenges Campbell presents

“Luke Campbell is a tall southpaw with a strong boxing IQ. I know I can’t look past a fighter with his skills. He won an Olympic gold medal and has had a lot of success as a pro.”

On making his UK debut as a pro

“I have wanted to fight in London ever since I turned pro. The fans appreciate my boxing style, and every time I’ve come here, they make me feel appreciated. Campbell is from the UK, but I feel very comfortable.”

On potentially unifying three of the lightweight world titles

“This brings me one step closer to my main goal of having all the belts. I want to ‘unificate’ all of the titles. That is my next goal in boxing. I have won titles in three weight categories, but I never won all four belts in a division. So, for me, Campbell is a very important name as I write my boxing history.”

“I want to make history. That’s the most important thing for me. When I turned pro, I wanted to win a world title right away, and I tied a record by winning a world title in my third fight. Now, I want to make a different {type of} history. Very few fighters have won all four titles. It would mean a lot for me to accomplish this.”

On training at home in Ukraine for this fight

“I trained at the Olympic Sports Centre in Kiev, and it was nice to train at home. We did not change much with my preparation, but I feel very good physically. The weather was good, and I am 100 percent ready for whatever Luke Campbell brings.”

Luke Campbell

“I’m feeling great at the minute. It’s a fantastic opportunity for me. I’ve got the best team around me and we’re all confident.”

“It doesn’t matter how I do it {as long as} I get the win.”

ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT

Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Luke Campbell, 12 rounds, Lomachenko’s WBO/WBA and vacant WBC lightweight world titles

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Having witnessed first-hand the electric atmosphere for longtime friend Oleksandr Usyk’s knockout of Tony Bellew last November in Manchester, England, Vasiliy Lomachenko instantly decided that his 2019 campaign must feature a big event in the United Kingdom.

His next fight officially became just that.

The Aug. 31 three-belt title unification clash between Lomachenko and England’s Luke Campbell will officially play to a sold-out crowd at London’s O2 Arena. The event was a hot ticket from the moment it was formally announced earlier this summer.

It is now one where any remaining tickets are only available on the secondary market.

“Now officially SOLD OUT for Loma-Campbell,” Eddie Hearn, Campbell’s promoter declared through social media on Monday. “[G]oing to be a big night at The O2 Arena [on] August 31.”

The site—which seats 20,000 at full capacity (though not necessarily the amount of tickets made available)—is a fitting location, as it features a pair of boxers whom captured Olympic Gold in the 2012 London Olympics.

Monday’s announcement is even more relevant to that link, as it comes seven years to the day when Lomachenko (13-1, 10KOs) won the latter of back-to-back Olympic Gold medals after having earned gold and the Val Barker Trophy four years prior as the Most Outstanding Boxer of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

England’s Campbell (20-2, 13KOs) earned his 2012 Olympic Gold medal one day prior, the second of three eventual gold medal hauls for the hosting Great Britain boxing team.

To date, Lomachenko has enjoyed the far greater pro career of the two, entering as a three-division and reigning unified lightweight titlist. An off-the-canvas knockout win over Jorge Linares last May earned the Ukrainian southpaw the distinction of earning titles in three weight divisions in fewer fights than any other male boxer in history.

The feat has since been matched by Japan’s Kosei Tanaka—just four months later—though Lomachenko remains far more celebrated. He enters the Aug. 31 clash ranked high among the very best boxers in the world on most pound-for-pound lists.

Meanwhile, Campbell remains in search of his first major title. The Hull-bred southpaw came up just short in a competitive 12-round loss to Linares in Sept. 2017. He’s since won three straight, including a landslide decision over Yvan Mendy last September in a rematch where he avenged his first career defeat from nearly two years prior at this very venue.

Article by Jake Donovan / BoxingScene.com

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WBO Unified Champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, the pound-for-pound Picasso and two-time Olympic gold medalist, will defend his belts Saturday, Aug. 31, against fellow Olympic gold medalist “Cool Hand” Luke Campbell, the pride of Hull, England, at The O2 in London.

Lomachenko-Campbell will headline a special afternoon edition of Top Rank on ESPN on ESPN+ — the industry-leading sports streaming service — beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. The entire undercard will stream on ESPN+ starting at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

This will mark Lomachenko’s first ring appearance in London since the 2013 World Series of Boxing when he shut out Sam Maxwell over five rounds.

“Vasiliy Lomachenko is a unique talent who is going to take the United Kingdom by storm,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Luke Campbell is an excellent fighter, but Lomachenko is in a class of his own. The fans on that side of the pond have wanted Lomachenko to return ever since he turned pro. It’s going to be a crazy, sold-out crowd at the O2 Arena, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Lomachenko has the crowd’s support.”

“This is a fight for history because my goal is to unify all of the belts in the lightweight division,” Lomachenko said. “Luke Campbell is the next challenge for me on that journey. He is an excellent fighter who I remember well from the 2012 Olympics. He has a difficult style, and I cannot afford to overlook him.

“It is very special for me to fight in London. I visited last year, and the response from the people was overwhelming. They respect my fighting style and are passionate about boxing. I can’t wait to put on a great show for everyone.”

“I am thrilled to see Vasiliy Lomachenko head to the UK to meet British star Luke Campbell,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “Loma is simply one of the finest boxers to ever lace them up, the best fighter on the planet today and I’m honored to be promoting his first ever pro fight in the UK. But Luke is an elite world fighter, too, and with his range, ability and heart, the Hull ace can shock the world and rip Loma’s titles from him on another epic night of boxing in the capital.”

“The best fighting the best, this is going to make one hell of a fight,” Campbell said. “I am in this sport to be the best and I am this sport to become a world champion. This is what I train and work so hard for, to become a world champion and fulfill my potential.

“He is ranked number one pound-for-pound on the planet so for me to fight a guy like that only encourages me more to be the best that I can be and it is exactly the level that I want to be at. I’m well aware of how good he is and what he is capable of doing but I’m also well aware of what I can do and what I’m going to do.

“I think that I can knock out anyone that I hit right, I believe that I am one of the biggest punchers in the lightweight division. This is going to be the toughest fight of my life and I’m preparing for it, physically and mentally. This is Luke Campbell’s year, it’s my time.”

Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs), who went 396-1 as an amateur, has won world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight in the paid ranks. He fought for a world title in his second pro bout and won the WBO featherweight world title in his third outing, dominating Gary Russell Jr. over 12 rounds. He made his lightweight debut last May, tearing the labrum in his right shoulder in the second round and rising from a sixth-round knockdown to knock out WBA champion Jorge Linares in the 10th.

Lomachenko added the WBO lightweight title to his collection in December, scoring a pair of knockdowns in the 11th round and ultimately winning a unanimous decision over two-weight world champion Jose Pedraza. He last fought in April at Staples Center in Los Angeles, disposing of mandatory challenger Anthony Crolla in four rounds.

Campbell (20-2, 16 KOs), the WBC No. 1 lightweight contender, captured Olympic gold as a bantamweight at the 2012 London Olympics, one of only two male boxers (along with Anthony Joshua) to win gold in front of the home fans. Lomachenko won gold as a lightweight in London, and a little more than seven years later, their paths will cross once again.

Campbell lost to Yvan Mendy via split decision in his 13th pro bout in December 2015, a defeat that was avenged nearly three years later in convincing fashion. Campbell challenged Jorge Linares for the WBA lightweight title in September 2017 in Los Angeles, dropping a highly contested split decision. He has won three in a row since that disappointment — including the Mendy rematch — most recently knocking out Adrian Yung in five rounds in Philadelphia.

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing, tickets for Lomachenko vs. Campbell are priced at £40, £60, £100, £150, £200, £300 and £600 (Inner Ring VIP).

Tickets are available to purchase NOW for O2 Priority customers via www.theo2.co.uk and go on sale to Fight Pass members on Sunday July 21 at midday via

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