Vasiliy Lomachenko drops emotional video message as he walks away from boxing

Ukrainian boxing legend Vasiliy Lomachenko recently announced his retirement in an emotional video. With a professional record of 18-3, 'The Matrix' walks away from the sport as he thanks his fans.

Lomachenko is widely regarded as one of the best boxers in terms of skill level and his defensive game. The Ukrainian boasts an impressive amateur record of 396-1 and is also a double Olympic champion.

With his most recent fight against George Kambosos Jr. in May 2024, his professional career, which began in 2013, has now spanned over ten years. On Instagram, Lomachenko officially announced his exit from the sport, stating:

"I'm grateful for every victory and every defeat, both in the ring and in life. I'm thankful that, as my career comes to an end, I've gained clarity about the direction a person must take in order to achieve true victory, not just in the ring, but in overcoming the old self. Only then, can one receive their true reward."

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Check out Vasiliy Lomachenko's comments below:

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When Joe Rogan named Vasiliy Lomachenko the best boxer ever

On episode #952 of the Joe Rogan Experience, the UFC commentator hosted author Thaddeus Russell, where he touched on boxing's greats. Despite citing legendary fighters like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Rogan believes the former Ukrainian world champion is the finest.

He said:

"People who don't know, please go online right now and Google Vasiliy Lomachenko, he might be the best boxer that's ever lived. I just can't come up with a comparable, I mean, there's been some amazing boxers way back to Sugar Ray Robinson and Willie Pep and all those guys paved the way. But I feel like everything evolves."

He added:

"Every combat sport, even art, music, evolves to the current state it's at now, which you get the best of the best right now and you go, 'Wow, they've learned from [Muhammad] Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins.' And [Vasiliy] Lomachenko is, in my eyes, the best."

Check out Joe Rogan's comments below (28:20):

About the author

Sunil holds a Bachelor of Science degree in visual communication. He started his professional career in 2023 and has previously worked with FirstSportz and Levitate Studios, among other organizations.

Sunil was drawn to MMA by Conor McGregor, especially the Irishman’s crossover boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. His favorite fighter is Jorge Masvidal for his wild and unorthodox approach.

Surprisingly, ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Gamebred’ do not find a place in his Mt. Rushmore, which includes Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Alex Pereira, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He feels ONE Championship’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon has the ability to succeed in the UFC due to his power.

Sunil is of the opinion that the UFC is not doing enough to prevent eye pokes and does not mind soccer kicks in MMA.

In his free time, he likes to watch anime and films in general. He’s also a boxing historian, having gotten into the sport watching videos of fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.

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Edited by Sunil Krishnan