Vasiliy Lomachenko successfully returned to the ring by smashing Masayoshi Nakatani over 9 rounds for the TKO victory in a complete performance.
Vasiliy Lomachenko disappointed against Teofimo Lopez in 2020, but he bounced back in a big way on June 26 against Masayoshi Nakatani.
Lomachenko is a three-division world boxing champion, but he dropped his lightweight titles to Lopez in a decision loss where he struggled to let his hands go. He underwent shoulder surgery after that fight, but at 33 years old, many wondered if his abilities were on the decline. He shot that assumption down with a magnificent performance against Nakatani at The Theater at Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Nakatani (19-2, 13 KOs) came into the bout with a strong record. He knocked out Felix Verdejo in a come from behind victory in December, but there was no brilliant comeback against Lomachenko.
Lomacheko (15-2, 11 KOs) learned from his loss to Lopez and came out fast against Nakatani. His hands were quick, and his reaction time was stellar. Nakatani couldn’t catch Lomachenko but ate many of his punches.
Vasiliy Lomachenko looked renewed in victory over Masayoshi Nakatani
Lomachenko quickly broke Nakatani down and bloodied his nose by round 5. Things got worse for Nakatani as a combination to the head dropped him. Nakatani got to his feet and made it through the round.
The fight snowballed out of Nakatani’s grasp as the fight went on. He was hurt in round 6, and his right eye swelled shut by round 7.
By round 9, Nakatani had nothing left. Lomachenko knocked him down with a left hook, and the referee mercifully stopped the fight. Nakatani’s face was a mess, and he absorbed an abundance of punishment in a contest that Lomachenko owned from start to finish.
Lomachenko returned to the win column and proved that he has plenty left in the tank.