Linares vs Lomachenko: The Tactical Overview

On May 12, WBA lightweight champion Jorge Linares defends his championship against boxing phenom Vasyl Lomachenko and while one can argue there are even better, even more tantalizing match-ups potentially available for the pugilist they call “Hi-Tech” (Lomachenko vs Mikey Garcia, anyone?) the fact remains that, on paper at least, Linares could well be Lomachenko’s biggest challenge to date, figuratively and literally.

“What?” you say. “Are you serious? A greater challenge than undefeated power-puncher Nicholas Walters? Than undefeated Cuban master Guillermo Rigondeaux? You must be joking.” And yet there’s no denying the fact that Linares is arguably more experienced at the professional level than either Walters or Rigondeaux, plus, he’s the naturally larger man.

In his last fight, Lomachenko enjoyed a more than significant size advantage over Rigondeaux; this certainly won’t be the case against Linares, who is riding a 13 fight win streak and has everything to gain in this, the biggest bout of his career. Moving up in weight always carries a certain degree of risk and this time it’s “Hi-Tech” who shoulders that burden.

In any case, it’s an intriguing match-up and one with very serious implications for both men’s careers. And thus it has caught the attention of our own Lee Wylie, who today turns his boxing acumen to this upcoming lightweight battle and offers his take on the strategic questions posed by Linares vs Lomachenko. As we all know, once the bell rings, anything can happen, and this fight has the potential to be a most competitive and revealing showdown between two of the very best lightweight pugilists in the world today. Check it out: