Lomachenko Dominates in Clash of Olympic Gold Medalists

Seeks to Unify the Lightweight Division

August 31^st, 2019

Jan Perez

Two-time Olympic gold medalist, Vasiliy Lomachenko (15-1, 14 KOs) has climbed to the top of boxings pound-for-pound rankings with just 16 fights on his resume, and Saturday’s unanimous decision victory over Luke Campbell (20-3, 16 Kos), an Olympic gold medalist himself, proved why Lomachenko is so often referred to as the most talented fighter in all of boxing.

            The fight started out slow with both fighters measuring their distances and finding ways to implement their game plans in the first round, with Campbell landing the only significant shot, an overhand left hook to close out the round. Lomachenko quickly responded in the following round, and never looked back. “The Matrix” as Lomachenko is often referred to, began using his full arsenal, with devastating combination punching, mesmerizing footwork, and blistering hand speed.

            As the rounds went on, the fight kept slipping away from Campbell, and it became clear he didn’t have a solution to nullify Lomachenko’s attack. Lomachenko proceeded to knock down the much taller Campbell in the 11^th round with a vicious body shot and nearly stopped him, he won with wide scores of 119-108, 119-108, 118-109. Campbell was humble in defeat. When asked how good Lomachenko was, Campbell said “He just beat me. So, he’s very good. He’s a special fighter, and we all knew he was a special fighter. This is boxing, and we train to win. Obviously, I’m disappointed in myself for not getting the victory. Tonight was Lomachenko’s night, and my time will come.”

Lomachenko now claims the WBC, WBO, and WBA lightweight world titles. “Of course, I want to fight for the fourth belt. Of course, I want to fight with the Commey-Lopez winner. I want to fight with Teofimo Lopez, but I do not think he will win this fight against Commey.” Lomachenko said. With his sights set on unifying the 135lb division, he’ll have to wait until 2020 to get the chance to add the IBF belt and unify the lightweight division, as Commey and Lopez are fighting later this December.. If Lomachenko successfully unifies, he stated that he will be moving back down to his natural weight class of 130lbs at super featherweight, where he looks to take on the younger up and coming talent that’s taken that division by storm.

Whisper is a campaign that channels the power of a whisper into the force of a movement; by removing the stigmas of shame and fear, we can begin to understand ourselves, one another, and the world around us. Focusing on helping high school students fight against depression, anxiety and loneliness. With the belief that forming and maintaining healthy relationships with open communication, something that has been lost in today’s society, there is no obstacle that can stand in their way.

Jeffrey (Jeffro) Hollington has been painting since he was 4 years old. With the support of his family, he went on to pursue a career in art, and now resides in Atlanta. He currently goes throughout the state of Georgia to showcase his artworks, hold live paintings, and take part in local art festivals, such as the John’s Creek Art Festival. You can find Jeffro’s artwork here, as well as his future expositions and live paintings.

At 45 years old, Richard Vaughn is one of over 3,000 homeless in Atlanta and has been homeless for over 10 years now. Suffering from schizophrenia and memory loss, while also having been in an accident that required surgery to repair his cranium, he moves around several counties in Georgia hoping to find an organization that will put a roof over his head and offer him programs and opportunities that will help get his life on track. “It’s mostly, if I can find a roof over my head, that’s what is most important to me right now,” said Vaughn. He stated that his most recent stop at the Atlanta Mission: The Shepherd’s Inn, will provide a consistent place for him to sleep and eat, while offering him classes and opportunities to start getting back on his feet. “I had done like a program, some little state program, but the folks in the program didn’t help me. I kept going back and forth, leaving and coming back into the program, to the point where I’d rather just be on the streets. Folks were fighting, and it wasn’t a better environment than the one I’m currently in. I don’t like violence, that was a little too much for me,” Vaughn said.

            The Atlanta Mission is an organization that provides homeless shelters throughout the city of Atlanta, stating on their website that they “transform, through Christ, the lives of those facing homelessness.” They offer special classes where they bring in speakers who teach and inform those who attend, while offering help towards homeless people dealing with drug and alcohol problems. Vaughn has taken a few classes offered at the Shepherd’s Inn shelter, “I was in a class called resilience, and in the class they tried to teach us how to pull ourselves together and figure out our problems so we can work on them and fix ourselves back out into the real world,” Vaughn stated. He claims they had a bible studies class on Tuesdays that he really enjoyed, but they recently stopped offering it.

When asked about any family or people he could get in touch with that could help him, he simply stated “I don’t have a family. I had some close friends a while back, but one thing led to another, and things happened, and I was eventually scapegoated and blamed for things that I did not do. I’ve been homeless ever since.” Vaughn will continue to come to the Inn, hoping that this is the place that can finally help get his life back on track, “I’m not expecting much, but at least it’s a place where I can sleep with a roof on my head” he said. The Shepherd’s Inn shelter states they offer overnight shelter for 450 men, recovery programs, and vocational training. Atlanta Mission representatives refused to comment or be interviewed. You’ll be able to find Mr. Vaughn in the Shepherd’s Inn during the weekdays, located in downtown Atlanta, he is a very soft spoken and kind person, looking for a way out of his situation.

These local charities have been hosting events, with the goal of raising money to help their causes. Whether it’s children with disabilities or helping raise money towards the Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia, these local charities are doing what’s needed to provide help to those in need.

1. Local charity raised $22,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia.
2. Event and fundraiser being hosted in John’s Creek to raise money for charities.
3. Golf event raises over $100,000 towards local charities in Fulton County.
4. Atlanta Braves bring in over 100 kids to watch the game as part of their PLAY campaign.
5. “Giving Tuesday” helps raise money towards charities in North Fulton County.

Five local organizations all holding a large variety of events to help multiple charities fulfill the needs of those in need.