Thursday, March 28, 2024  |

News

Aficianado

Jason Sosa talks Vasyl Lomachenko

Photo credit: Darryl Cobb Jr.
Fighters Network
02
Feb

There will be a rush to judgement from some about the forthcoming Vasyl Lomachenko scrap, in which the pugilistic wizard will show off his majestic skills most likely against New Jersey boxer Jason Sosa.

A few fights in to his pro career, “Loma” was already being touted by some as the best active boxer on the planet (not named Floyd Mayweather Jr.). And those who were on the fence, or even doubters, have, of late, come around. Most Fans and observers had to be mightily impressed by his effort against Nicholas Walters last November in Vegas. The Ukrainian, holding a 7-1 (with 5 knockouts) pro mark, made the Jamaican look C-grade, at times.

But I found someone who wasn’t as wowed as many of the masses were. This guy happens to be the man who will probably step to the line on April 8 against Lomachenko, who holds the WBO super featherweight crown. His name is Jason Sosa, and he says this with a certain swagger, a certain defiance that is helped along by his upbringing in New Jersey, a place used to hearing naysaying but which can always counter that it is the birthplace of Bruce Springsteen.

Sosa was born to fight, not run, and owns a 20-1-4 (with 15 KOs) mark and has a hold on the WBA super feather title. After drawing with Nicholas Walters, in a bout Walters would declare he won, Sosa went on to challenge Javier Fortuna, then the titlist. Sosa, the Jersey Boy, TKO’d Fortuna in round 11. He successfully defended his title against Brit Stephen Smith in November and now here we are, today, Sosa being dismissed by some as a beyond-likely loser against Loma, if and when all Ts are crossed on contracts. Oh, but Sosa differs in how he sees it – and he ain’t begging.



So, Mr. Sosa, how do you assess Loma? Is he a pound-for-pound ace among aces?

“He’s OK,” the 28-year-old pride of Camden, New Jersey, told me. “He’s doing what he’s supposed to do to fighters that don’t fight back!

As for how he looked against Walters and then how Loma handled Walters, what about that?

“Walters had one year off; it was dumb to fight Loma after that,” said Sosa with Jersey-ish forthrightness. “And it’s about nothing; he had the wrong game plan.”

Noted. I didn’t delve into what he’d plan to use, as strategy and tactics, against Loma. I can surmise as much as anything that his plan would include to what he referred earlier. FIGHTING, as Sosa did late against Smith, looking to be the stronger man, physically and in the willpower department, in the late innings. Whereas Loma always has his body and balanced composed, Sosa brings a bit of the street fighter into the squared circle. He’d look to rassle a bit, bully, see how things play out up close, not look to be the outside man pecking and moving. Fortuna can attest to this; late in the game, this sorta-psycho Jersey kid was more in Fortuna’s grill than he had any right to be. Sosa was on him like he owed him rent money. And yeah, Jersey-style, there was holding behind the neck and hitting. Affirmative. Jersey boys aren’t known for their refined and genteel manners. That sounds to me as good a plan as any for most against Loma. You aren’t going to be better than him in combining all the traits of the “Sweet Scientist”-style boxer.

A rumbler, and Sosa is one, could at least take Loma out of his comfort zone, and then maybe exploit that. It’s a tall order, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-tall. But this Sosa has surprised and delighted on his way to getting here. To summarily dismiss his chances against Loma would be imprudent. Would he be the favorite? By no means. But would Loma be in a for a fight April 8? Sosa’s history shows he over-delivers and out-performs expectations pretty much every time out. He was, remember, born to fight, not run.

 

 

 

Michael Woods wasn’t born to run or fight. Woodsy was born to write…or is it “right”? As in right social wrongs. Maybe I’m wrong…I’m so freaking confused.

 

 

 

Struggling to locate a copy of RING magazine? Try here or…

SUBSCRIBE

You can subscribe to the print and digital editions of RING magazine by clicking the banner or here. You can also order the current issue, which is on newsstands, or back issues from our subscribe page. On the cover this month: THE RING 2016 Fighter of the Year, Carl Frampton.

SIGN UP TO GET RING NEWS ALERTS