Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Jason Sosa: Fight odds, predictions, undercard, start time

The WBO's 130-pound champion is set to make his second title defense

Some talent prompts comparison across generations.

Vasyl Lomachenko was so dominant in his most recent HBO appearance that his prowess sent veteran broadcaster Harold Lederman back to his youth to come up with a parallel.

“He is really special,” Lederman said. “The movement. The hand speed. If there were more old guys like me around, you’d compare him to Willie Pep.”

Pep, for those unaware, won 226 fights in a career that touched three decades and was part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s inaugural induction class -- alongside more recognizable surnames like Ali, Robinson and Marciano -- in 1990.

He last fought in 1966, two months after Lederman, now 77, turned 26.

“Willie Pep was special,” Lederman said. “The only difference is that he was right-handed.”

Given that this weekend’s HBO match (Saturday, 10 p.m. ET) with Jason Sosa is just the ninth of Lomachenko’s pro career, it’ll be a long while before he reaches the 25 bouts that Pep had after his 35th birthday, let alone the 216 that preceded it. But he’s already good enough to create a buzz.

In fact, he’s already making the second defense of his second weight class title -- the WBO’s championship at 130 pounds -- is ranked first in the division by the Independent World Boxing Rankings and takes sixth in pound-for-pound rankings as assembled by Ring Magazine.

And, with no disrespect to Sosa, it’s the sort of prowess that brings bigger names than his into the mix.

Promotional stablemate and 140-pound champion Terence Crawford -- ranked fifth on Ring’s P4P list -- mentioned Lomachenko’s name as one of the few on his level of competition, and another Top Rank teammate, Manny Pacquiao, was suggested as a possible opponent by no less than Bob Arum himself.

But while Crawford has already leaped from 135 pounds to 140 and seems destined to evolve again to welterweight, those around the aging Filipino star have long suggested he’d be more comfortable -- and perhaps more devastating -- with a move down to 140, a division he invaded with a two-round erasure of Ricky Hatton in 2009 before chasing bigger names and purses at 147 and beyond.

Lomachenko stands a half-inch taller and concedes the same narrow difference in reach, and a successful match with a certified pay-per-view stalwart would go a lot further toward putting the Ukrainian over with fans -- and tilling the ground for even bigger shows -- than unification at 130 with fighters few outside their families would recognize.

It’s the “eventually, he’ll get Pacquiao” path Arum suggested for Brandon Rios long before age, weight and brawls took their toll on “Bam Bam” and made the eventual duel more sparring than scintillating.

Lomachenko seems in no danger of losing his lofty perch anytime soon.

“There’s no doubt who’s going to rise to be the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” HBO’s Max Kellerman said. “And it leaves us scratching our heads about who could fight him on this level.”

The Lomachenko-Sosa bout will headline a three-bout HBO card.

The show will open with a cruiserweight encounter matching WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk -- a 2012 Olympic gold medalist making his second pro title defense -- and former U.S. Olympian Mike Hunter.

The 30-year-old Usyk has 10 KOs in 11 career victories and is slotted first at 200 pounds by the Independent World Boxing Rankings. Hunter, who’s 12-0 with eight stoppage wins, is slotted well below at No. 26 and has never faced a top-30 opponent.

“I want to have all four cruiserweight titles in the future,” Usyk said. “Any of the other titles holders I’m willing to face.”

The second bout, at light heavyweight, pits Ukrainian export Oleksandr Gvozdyk against Cuban-born Miami resident Yuniesky Gonzalez.

Gvozdyk is 12-0 as a pro and has won six straight by KO, while Gonzalez started his career with 14 straight wins and has now won two in a row -- both by first-round KOs -- since a two-fight losing skid.

“(Gonzalez) is strong, experienced, puts pressure on you, tries to drive you into the ropes,” said Gvozdyk, who’s ranked ninth by the IWBR compared to his foe at No. 48. “He’s a tough guy and I have to deal with him. I work hard every single day trying to be the best in my division.”

Lomachenko is an overwhelming main event favorite according to the numbers guys at the Bovada online sportsbook, where it’ll take a $2,500 wager to return a $100 profit on him, while a $100 outlay on Sosa would return a $1,000 windfall for an upset.

The WBO lists Sosa as the No. 2 contender to Lomachenko’s title.

“Jason Sosa is very strong, is motivated, wants to win and he can fight all of the 12 rounds,” Lomachenko said. “It will be a hard fight. That I know.”

How does Lomachenko win?

Watching the 29-year-old perform, and regardless of his amateur pedigree, it’s nearly impossible to fathom that he’s only fought eight times as a professional. He’s skilled with both hands, has virtuoso footwork and possesses the defensive guile of a fighter who’s been toiling for scores more fights. Given that level of talent, he’s a challenge for the highest-caliber opponent and nightmare for those lower on the quality scale. Sosa is a credible opponent, but doesn’t have the skill set to adequately compete.

How does Sosa win?

The Camden, New Jersey native has made a name as a guy who does the unexpected. He was a first-round KO loser in his fifth pro fight back in 2010, but is unbeaten in 20 subsequent fights -- including a surprising draw against Nicholas Walters, a come-from-behind KO of Javier Fortuna and a trip to Monaco to topple Englishman Stephen Smith. He suggests he’ll trouble Lomachenko simply by being man enough to fight back, and if he’s able to land a telling blow or two, he could make it interesting.

Prediction: Lomachenko by sixth-round TKO

Sosa has come a long way since his days in a Philadelphia-area pizza restaurant. But when it comes to comparing gloved wares with those of Lomachenko -- a top pound-for-pound commodity on nearly all respected lists -- he might be better off amid the pepperoni, sausage and cheese. The champion is faster, plays better defense and typically lands shots in a volume that withers sturdy opponents. Unless Sosa is able to rough him up and make him uncomfortable early, it seems unlikely he’ll be around late.