Vasyl Lomachenko has left many fans and observers marvelling at his ethereal boxing ability.
The three-weight world champion sits in the top two of most current pound-for-pound lists, with some believing he is simply unbeatable at present.
Before entering the pro game, Loma made his mark as one of the greatest amateur boxers in the history of the sport.
The Ukrainian won 396 of his 397 contests and avenged his solitary defeat – to Albert Selimov – twice.
Lomachenko won Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012.
As he prepared for the second triumph, he sparred with Ireland’s John Joe Nevin, who told of the unique experience.
Nevin told Pro Boxing Fans: “It was like you were doing a bit of shadow boxing, he’s that hard to hit.
“He’ll only let you hit him if he’s trying to set you up for something.
“So, if you’re having a bit of success here, he’s probably two steps ahead of you planning a nasty shot for you.
“He’d go around with these big 20oz gloves, whilst everyone else was wearing, 14oz or 16oz at the time.
“He’s going around with these massive paddings, wearing these ankle weights and he was still quick as quick, quicker than any other lad he sparred.
“He’s just tremendous, the stuff he comes up with.”
Despite admitting he could not keep up with Loma, Nevin was no slouch himself and claimed Olympic silver – in a separate weight class – at London 2012.
When asked how he tried to nullify Lomachenko, Nevin concluded: “Obviously trying to hit him.
“Trying to land some punches on him and again if he was trying to punch back.
“If you made him miss with his hand speed, you’re doing something right.
“It was good, it was nice to share a ring with such talent like him and you’re only going to get better sparring the likes of him.”
