By Francisco Salazar

A fighter with a record of 3-1 would normally be called a prospect.

That would not be the case with Vasyl Lomachenko.

The Ukraine-born fighter would likely have beat most fighters in his weight class - as an amateur. In his their pro fight, Lomachenko won a world title belt.

So what is there left to prove? To fight the best fighters in his weight class.

Lomachenko will defend his WBO World featherweight title against Gamaliel Rodriguez on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nev. The bout will open the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

Lomachenko's career has been celebrated even before turning pro. As an amateur, he only lost once in 398 fights and won a gold medal in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

He signed with Top Rank after the London Olympic and he made his pro debut in Oct. of 2013, knocking out Jose Ramirez in the fourth round.

He faces an upstart in Rodriguez, who is unbeaten in his last 18 bouts. While Rodriguez could give Lomachenko some problems, the Ukraine fighter was more focused on what it would be like fighting on an enormous stage that is undercard of Mayweather-Pacquiao.

"This is an (opportunity) of a lifetime," Lomachenko told Boxingscene.com through manager and interpreter Egis Klimas. "Who else can get this chance to fight on this type of card? This is a big stage. This (opportunity) came to me and I'm very happy. I have an opportunity to show my boxing skills and to do that on a big stage in front of a lot of people and media from all over the world. This is a very big opportunity for me."

"(With regards to Rodriguez), I don't think I'm going to walk out of the ring as the winner. I know I will walk out of the ring with the victory. I've worked really hard (for this fight) and I'm very dedicated. My preparation has gone very well. I've seen fighters like Rodriguez in my past. I've been in the ring with fighters like Rodriguez. I don't see anything special in him. I know I'm going to come with the victory."

Lomachenko may talk like a veteran fighter, but then he is a veteran fighter. He is as sound a technical boxer, but has demonstrated power during his fights.

His only hiccup was a 12 round split decision loss to Orlando Salido on Mar 1 of last year. While there is no shame to losing to someone like Salido, the fight made Lomachenko a more well-rounded fighter mentally and physically.

I learned and gained experience (in the Salido fight)," said Lomachenko, who is promoted by Top Rank. "I learned to be more patient and to box against those type of fighters like Salido. I think if there was a rematch, it would be very interesting."

There had been discussions about Lomachenko fighting a rematch with Salido, but those did not materialize since the Mexican fighter now campaigns as a junior lightweight and Lomchenko is looking to fight the best at 126 pounds.

"It's not my goal right now to chase Salido and get him into the ring for a rematch. I'm not going to be chasing him. Right now, he's not a champion or holds a title. He's a good, old, tough fighter and just because of that, I'm not looking forward to (fighting) him. As far as the (featherweight) division, I would like to fight anyone who holds a title belt."

While Lomachenko trained for the fight in Oxnard and has focused on his preparation for the Rodriguez fight, it would not be out of the ordinary for him to be thinking about his homeland. The Ukraine has been the target of Russian forces, who have in recent months attempted to undermine the government and attack the country's eastern border.

As the fighting has intensified, Ukrainians that live in the United States and abroad have keeping an eye on what has been happening.

While it is cause for concern, Lomachenko has a job at hand and has the peace of mind knowing his family is nowhere near where most of the fighting is taking place between Ukrainian and Russian soldiers.

"It would've probably disturbed me more if my family and the people close to me were near where the fighting is taking place. Of course I'm curious and worried about what's going on with my fellow Ukrainian people. Nobody wants war. My family and those close to me live far away from the war zone. They are safe."

It would be interesting to see how Lomachenko's career plays out. Potential fights against Nicholas Walters, Evgeny Gradovich, and a handful of other top featherweights are a possibility in the near future.

While it may be very hard to find a flaw in Lomachenko's skill-set, he is eager to learn as much as possible.

 

"Of course there is a lot to learn and there's more to learn. There's a Russian saying, 'You live all your life and you learn all your life.'

Until the last day I'm involved with boxing, I will continue learning."

Francisco A. Salazar has written for Boxingscene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, RingTV, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing