Vasyl Lomachenko’s first fight of 2019 is confirmed.
On Tuesday, Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times reported that Lomachenko (12-1, 9 KOs) will defend his WBO and WBA lightweight titles against former WBA champion and current mandatory challenger Anthony Crolla (34-6-3, 13 KOs). The fight will take place on Friday, April 12th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and broadcast live on ESPN+ as part of the one-year anniversary of the launch of the streaming service.
Originally, the plan was for Lomachenko to take on IBF champion Richard Commey (28-2, 25 KOs) in a unification bout on that date, but Commey suffered a hand injury in his win over Isa Chaniev in February, rendering him unable to compete that night.