Vasiliy Lomachenko Beats Anthony Crolla Via 4th-Round Knockout to Retain Titles

In predictable fashion, Vasiliy Lomachenko (13-1, 10 KOs) defended his WBO and WBA world lightweight titles Friday night, defeating Anthony Crolla (34-7-3, 13 KOs) via fourth-round knockout at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. 

Lomachenko was a massive favorite heading into the bout. The question for most observers wasn't if he would win but how. Lomachenko ended up making it look all too easy, ending Crolla's night early with a right hook to the skull that planted the challenger facedown on the canvas.    

ESPN's Steve Kim and Saturday Night Boxing's Adam Abramowitz reacted to the win:

After the bout, Lomachenko called out Mikey Garcia, per the Los Angeles Times' Lance Pugmire:

It was showtime from the first minute for Lomachenko. Clad in purple and gold trunks with matching gloves, the Ukrainian superstar had the Los Angeles crowd oohing and aahing early on with some well-timed uppercuts that could be heard throughout the arena. Crolla, a solid fighter in his own right, was clearly overmatched.

Lomachenko had him tied to the end of a string. No matter where Crolla moved, Lomachenko was on top of him quickly. A couple of feints here and there, a probing jab and then a vicious hook or uppercut to finish the routine.

Without any power to deter the champion, there was little Crolla could do. A flurry on the ropes at the end of the third round forced referee Jack Reiss to issue a knockdown, even though Crolla didn't go down.

Sporting News' Andreas Hale felt Crolla needed a better arsenal, or some backup:

All it did was prolong the inevitable. A bloodied Crolla got stuck in the same corner as the last round and was overwhelmed. Lomachenko seemingly couldn't miss, one-two combinations pumping forward and back like pistons, battering Crolla. The bout eventually ended with Crolla face-planting at the end of a devastating barrage of power punches.

ITRBoxing.com's Lukie Ketelle felt Crolla shouldn't have been in the ring with Lomachenko:

That statement would be true for most fighters in the lightweight division. Lomachenko is smart to call out Garcia, who is one of the few who might be able to give him a decent challenge. Garcia's ill-fated foray into the welterweight division notwithstanding, he has a long track record of success at 135 pounds. Assuming the American wants to move back down to lightweight, this is likely the best fight for Lomachenko.

It's not easy to find good competition when you're arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, but fans will want Lomachenko back in the ring as soon as possible. Now it's up to the challengers to rise to the occasion.