Vasyl Lomachenko-Romulo Koasicha on Nov. 7
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Vasyl Lomachenko (R) vs. Gamalier Rodriguez in May 2015. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images.
There has been talk in recent weeks of Vasyl Lomachenko fighting the likes of former WBA junior featherweight titlist Nicholas Walters or RING champion Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Lomachenko’s next fight has been finalized but it will not be against either fighter.
Instead, Lomachenko will defend his WBO featherweight title against Romulo Koasicha on Nov. 7 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev., manager Egis Klimas told RingTV.
The 12-round bout will precede the Timothy Bradley-Brandon Rios bout. Both bouts will air live on HBO.
Lomachenko (4-1, 2 KOs) has successfully defended the WBO title twice since winning the belt in June of last year against Gary Russell Jr.
In his last bout on May 2, Lomachenko, a decorated amateur from Ukraine who won two Olympic gold medals, knocked Gamalier Rodriguez out in the ninth round.
Lomachenko is ranked No. 2 in THE RING magazine ratings behind Walters. There had been talks earlier this year of Lomachenko meeting Walters but those talks fizzled when a weight was not agreed upon. Lomachenko’s side had stated a fight between the two (for now) could only happen at 126 pounds.
Koasicha (25-4, 15 KOs), who hails from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, is ranked No. 7 by the WBO, as well as No. 9 by the WBC.
The 24-year-old Koasicha has won his last four bouts in a row and his most notable fight was a 12-round unanimous decision loss to current IBF titlist Lee Selby in May of last year.
In his last bout on July 24, Koasicha stopped Guillermo Avila in the seventh round in Mexico City.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV since Oct. of 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, Boxingscene.com, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing
