Amid the rubble of war, Vasiliy Lomachenko's dream survives

CAMARILLO, Calif. -- Fights are often compared to wars, though it's nary longer a metaphor Vasiliy Lomachenko cares to indulge. Not anymore. Not aft seeing the existent thing.

With respect to war, Ukraine's two-time golden medalist, considered for respective consecutive years to beryllium the top combatant successful the world, has thing successful communal with the mean American. "Before, I saw warfare lone connected TV," helium said, done a translator. "I had nary idea: Buildings get destroyed, cities get wiped disconnected the map, radical get killed. I didn't instrumentality it personally earlier due to the fact that it didn't hap to me. It happened determination other to idiosyncratic else."

For immoderate reason, it's a rocket onslaught that stays with him. It deed a fashionable abrogation spot connected the Black Sea coast, possibly fractional a mile distant from wherever helium was staying, possibly less, but near much than respective buildings successful rubble. "I'll retrieve that infinitesimal everlastingly due to the fact that my full household was there," Lomachenko said. "I don't mean lone my parents and my children, but my entire family."

One tin lone ideate the adrenalized emotions a onslaught similar that mightiness stir, adjacent successful 1 arsenic single-minded, driven and preternaturally composed arsenic Lomachenko: fright, rage, panic, confusion. But then, possibly astir perversely mirthful of all, luck! The arc of Lomachenko's vocation is dissimilar immoderate successful the past of a precise aged sport: 396 wins against a azygous decision (avenged, of course) successful the amateurs, the aforementioned golden medals, a rubric successful conscionable his 3rd pro combat and belts successful 3 divisions. None of it -- nary -- was near to chance.

Yes, with a 35th day looming successful February, the warfare outgo him a changeable astatine the past happening helium truly wanted from boxing -- "my dream," helium calls it -- an undisputed lightweight title, each 4 large belts.

But ... truthful what? The full household wasn't wiped retired successful a rocket strike. Besides, he's inactive successful the hunt. He's warring Jamaine Ortiz, the WBC's eighth-ranked lightweight astatine the Hulu Theater astatine Madison Square Garden connected Saturday (10 p.m. ET connected ESPN+). Turns out, he's inactive successful play for undisputed, not considered a apt result backmost successful February.

When Vladimir Putin's service invaded Ukraine, Lomachenko was successful an Orthodox monastery successful Greece. His Lithuanian manager, Egis Klimas -- bound lone to support his fighter's involvement -- advised Loma to get his household and proceed straight to Camarillo, wherever helium maintains a location and a grooming facility. After all, it was thought that the warfare would beryllium brutal and short, a fait accompli. Loma was a combatant -- with an all-but-done woody to combat George Kambosos Jr. for each the lightweight belts -- not a warfare hero.

"How could I ever bash that?" Lomachenko said this week. "I wouldn't beryllium capable to slumber astatine night. I wouldn't beryllium capable to get connected with my beingness if I did that, if I fled. ... The force has invaded our country. Civilians are being killed. Women and children are dying. Any antheral successful my position, immoderate existent man, would enactment to support his home."

The past representation astir radical saw of Loma dated to past February erstwhile he enlisted successful his section defence battalion. He is seen successful combat fatigues, a firearm slung implicit his back.

You ne'er cognize what a combatant is truly feeling, but this wasn't a fight. So helium came clean: "Fear and confusion," helium said, unaccustomed emotions for the large Lomachenko. "I was trying to recognize what was happening and what was going to happen."

What was your day-to-day like? I wonder.

"I wasn't successful the frontline oregon connected the battlefield," he's speedy to say. "I haven't been successful combat."

Again, fortunate guy.

"The archetypal days went by rapidly due to the fact that things would alteration truly fast," helium said. "Our radical was tasked with patrolling the municipality aft curfew. Curfew began astatine 10 p.m. That was the clip we would commencement policing the streets. To spot a idiosyncratic who is not expected to beryllium outside, oregon a car that is not expected to beryllium connected the road. You person to beryllium arsenic alert arsenic during a fight."

So the large Lomachenko got the nighttime shift. Wonder however helium slept.

"I slept well," helium said. "I was exhausted."

Especially aft they fto him commencement training. "Four times a week," helium said. "I had a peculiar docket successful a subject [facility]. They gave maine clip to bid due to the fact that they understood my dream."

For each the speech of his dream, however, helium ne'er questioned his determination not to combat Kambosos for each the belts. Instead, the changeable went to the greatly talented young star, Devin Haney.

"No regrets," helium said. "None. Nyet."

Still, you wonderment what was going done Lomachenko's caput watching it?

"I didn't spot it," helium said. "I was asleep."

Lomachenko volition let that the first combat backmost successful June wasn't what helium anticipated: "I thought it would beryllium fought astatine adjacent scope with Kambosos winning." As for the rematch, he's cagey successful his appraisal of Haney: "He was good. He was smart. He showed wherefore helium was amended than George Kambosos."

You weren't impressed?

"I don't get impressed easily."

Haney's 23. The kid traveled 8,000 miles, fought successful beforehand of a hostile stadium crowd, came backmost months aboriginal and did it again, pitching different shutout, oregon damn adjacent to it.

"I wouldn't notation to it arsenic a heroic feat," Lomachenko said. "It's thing we each do. ... He made a travel to different country; helium won the combat and went back. It's communal practice."

There's an extremity crippled here. Just arsenic Ukraine has survived, truthful has this Ukrainian's dream. One mode oregon another, to marque bully connected it he's got to get done Haney.

Would you springiness him the aforesaid concessions during negotiations helium gave Kambosos? I ask.

"You cognize my answer," helium said. "Of course. It's my goal. It's my dream. If I tin get 1 much chance, I volition instrumentality it. I'm consenting to bash immoderate it takes."

And if Haney wants to combat successful his hometown, Oakland? Or his adopted hometown, Las Vegas?

"I don't attraction astir the place," Lomachenko said. "I don't care. I volition spell determination arsenic agelong arsenic the belts are astatine stake."

What if helium says, 'I privation a rematch clause'?

"Absolutely. I volition beryllium acceptable for immoderate of his conditions."

A batch of fighters accidental this stuff. Most of them, actually. And astir of them are lying, other the athletics wouldn't beryllium successful the constipated authorities it's in. I don't judge Lomachenko is lying, though. Never astir this.

None of the arrows are trending for him. He's coming disconnected a agelong layoff wherever training has been acold from typical. He's 11 years older than Haney. He's tiny for the division, portion Haney's busting astatine the seams. What's more, Lomachenko mislaid his aura of invincibility much than 2 years agone erstwhile Teofimo Lopez bushed him. But present is the genuinely singular admission, astatine slightest for a fighter:

"Let maine explain," Lomachenko said. "He's an undisputed champion. He is the A side. I request this infinitesimal much than helium does. Now that he's undisputed, helium tin accidental 'Hey, I don't request Loma. I tin combat with [Gervonta] Davis oregon [Ryan] Garcia oregon Shakur [Stevenson]."

We can't truly reason with that. In the meantime, however, there's Jamaine Ortiz, who -- portion nary Haney -- is, similar astir prospective of Lomachenko's opponents, bigger and younger and longer.

So wherefore Ortiz?

"Because helium is young and undefeated, and a technically skilled boxer. I sparred with him before" -- for Lomachenko's ninth-round TKO of Masayoshi Nakatani -- "and it was not easy."

Lomachenko wasn't among those, similar myself, who recovered themselves amazed that Ortiz bushed Jamel Herring.

"I recognize what Ortiz tin do: bully combinations, precise fast. He felt the region and worked connected his feet precise good. He understands boxing."

That's Lomachenko's highest compliment, that a combatant knows the game. It means comprehending cardinal elements of distance, timing, intelligence fortitude. It means knowing combat arsenic a sport, not a war.