Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko claimed the World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight title by beating Venezuelan Jorge Linares, after the referee stopped the fight in the tenth round.
The 30-year-old Lomachenko entered boxing history by being crowned in a third category of different weight, following his World Organization (WBO) titles in feathers (2014-16) and super featherweight, since 2016.
The European only needed 12 professional fights to obtain his third title, improving the record of Oscar de la Hoya, promoter of Linares.
WOWWW INCREDIBLE
Congratulations Champions @VasylLomachenko 👏👏👏#LinaresLoma #Lomachenko
https://t.co/crbZXChLnm– liam (@liamjosue_) May 13, 2018
De La Hoya was crowned in a different third category in his 22nd fight.
Lomachenko scored the eleventh victory of his career, the ninth before the limit, and maintains only one loss on his record.
Much faster, the two-time Olympic champion (2008 and 2012) took the lead from the third round.
The 32-year-old Linares hit the face hard in the fifth round and on the brink of halftime he surprised the Ukrainian with a right hand, whom he sent to the canvas for the first time since his defeat in the final of the 2007 World Amateur Championship.
However, Lomachenko quickly regained command of the fight and, in the tenth inning, put the Venezuelan in bad shape with a left hook.
Linares, who had 13 consecutive victories, conceded his fourth loss, all before the limit, to accompany his 44 victories. AFP