Bitter disappointment for all boxing fans who were hoping that the London Olympic champions and world champions Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko and Alexander Usik go into professional boxing, because today in Monaco, they signed contracts with the WSB (World Series of Boxing)-semi-professional league under the control of the International amateur Boxing Association (AIBA). As the official site WSB, Lomachenko and Usik will be performing for the newly formed Ukrainian team "Ukrainian Ataman".In the WSB boxers fight without helmets,but these fights are not recorded in the database of professional boxing matches BoxRec.Boxers acting as WSB,are entitled to participate in all competitions under the instance of AIBA-World and European Championships and Olympic Games.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he would make more money with WSB than in the USA. Look at Rigondeaux, he draws maybe 4 Cubans to his fights.
I really wanted to see them fight as professionals but it is their lives and factors that went into their decision may never be made public.
These guys likely are the best in the world, but now we won't know for sure. Any real boxing fan should be extremely disappointed by this news. Hopefully the contract isn't for too long and they turn pro before it's too late. The reason given for this decision is that Lomachenko wanted to continue his journey with his Ukrainian team mates.
Very dissapointing :-( Are the rest of the Ukrainian Olympic team also going to hide in the ams for another 4 years?
Rigondeaux is a poor example; his style isn't as exciting as that of his Cuban counterpart, Gamboa. Gamboa showed that as long as you keep knocking your opponents out and do it in spectacular fashion, you'll get paid. Too bad he's going through promoter issues at this moment. If you have an exciting style (as Lomachenko does) and continually beat the best, then you'll make your money. I mean, even in the United States, it isn't too difficult to market a 2 time Olympic Gold medalist who fights an ultra aggressive style with power in both hands.
Extremely disappointing i read an interview with Oleksandr Usyk about two weeks ago and it sounded like he wanted to go pro but Anatoliy Lomachenko trains him too and Vasyl is his best friend. Ukraine has a new WSB franchise and having two World Champions and Olympic Gold Medallists who are the most well known and popular boxers will obviously help with gaining interest for the team which is probably the aim. If its for one season so they can help build a fanbase and adjust fighting under pro rules for 5 and 7 round fights it wouldnt be so bad. Most interesting is that Oleksandr Usyk won World Championship and Olympic Gold at 201lbs (CW) but WSB only has 185lbs LHW which Gvozdyk fights at and Usyk couldn't make so he'll fight at 200+ HW. WSB has top HW's like Hrgovic, Dychko, Medzhidov, Zuyev so he'll be thrown in against elite HW's much faster than he would be at pro level.