On Friday, April 12, Vasyl Lomachenko returns to action to defend his unified lightweight championship against Anthony Crolla at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The two men will be headlining an action-packed night of fights live on the digital streaming service ESPN+.
The 31-year-old Ukranian is considered the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet and that is reflected in the betting odds for his upcoming fight.
Ahead of Friday’s event, Oddshark lists Lomachenko as an overwhelming favorite.
Here is how the oddsmakers view each boxer’s chances at coming away with a win in the upcoming fight:
Vasyl Lomachenko -10000
Anthony Crolla +1600
Yes, you read that correctly. Lomachenko is a minus-TEN THOUSAND favorite. That simply means you would have to wager $10,000 just to win $100. Crolla, meanwhile, could net you $1,600 on a $100 bet if he does the unthinkable and pulls off a miraculous upset.
Calling the night’s action will be Joe Tessitore on play-by-play, former two-division world titleholder Tim Bradley serving as an analyst, and former two-division titleholder and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, who will also be serving as an analyst.
Vasyl Lomachenko is widely regarded as one of the top three pound-for-pounder boxers in the world. Lomachenko was one of the most successful amateur boxers of all times, racking up a record of 396-1, before winning two gold medals in the Olympics, and claiming the WBO featherweight and super featherweight titles as a pro. Lomachenko is the unified lightweight champion.
Lomachenko was born February 17, 1988, in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. Before ever suiting up as a boxer, Lomachenko’s father Anatoly did not allow him to train until he attended ballet classes and gymnastics. Anatoly was a boxing coach, which influenced Lomachenko’s decision to pursue the sport. Had his father not been a boxing coach, Lomachenko says he would have pursued a professional ice hockey career.