Can former lightweight king Vasyl Lomachenko rule again at 135 pounds? The man at the top of the pile right now is the unbeaten George Kambosos Jr, who beat Loma’s conqueror, Teofimo Lopez. 33 year old Loma has bounced back with two impressive stoppage wins since dropping that close decision to Teo over a year ago – stopping Masayoshi Nakatini in June and Richard Commey earlier this month – and he looks to have regained most of his great form.
Now, as Top Rank president Todd DuBoef explained in speaking with Sky Sports, Lomachenko wants a fight with Kambosos Jr next, “in the first half of next year.”
“Lomachenko has made it very evident to us, and to his team, that it’s the fight he would like,” DuBoef said. “We are amicably trying to have discussions with them for a fight in the first half of next year. Lomachenko is a poster boy for many things in the sport. He was aggressively matched – he came right out of the amateurs and fought for a world title [in his second pro fight]. He doesn’t look at a setback as his value going down. He looks at it like a re-set to go forwards. He wants his titles back. Watch his footwork – he doesn’t miss a beat. Watch his hands – they are in sync. He is as fluid as anything. He’ll be around for some time yet.”
Lomachenko is driven, that’s for sure, and injuries aside, perhaps nothing but age can stop him from becoming world champion again. How good is Kambosos Jr? Would the Loma we saw dismantle the likes of Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla be too much for the 20-0(10) Kambosos Jr? Is Loma still THAT fighter? Again, Loma looked great in his last two fights, the brutal win over Commey in particular. Kambosos Jr has said he wants his first defence to be in Australia, while Loma has said he would be happy to travel for the fight.
Of all the options new champ Kambosos Jr has at his disposal for his maiden title defence, the Lomachenko fight is for many fans the most interesting. Let’s see it get done in the first half of 2022, if not sooner.