IBF lightweight champion Vasily Lomachenko is dealing with a back injury and will resume his career if he gives the green light with tests on this issue.
Cheers to Lomachenko
Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) turns 37 on February 17 and has only fought once a year since 2022. He is not young, and he has lived in a division that is too small for 135, facing regularly with more size.
Gervonta Davis, 30, wanted to fight Lomachenko if he continued his career. Six years ago, I wanted nothing to do with Lomachienko, but the interest is high now that he has aged and lost many times.
That would be good pay for the Ukrainian talent. However, it would be risky, and chances are high that Lomachenko could be on the receiving end of a controversial decision loss, as in his defeat against Devin Haney on May 20, 2023.
Tank would be the A-side, the superstar money fighter, and Lomachenko might need to do something extraordinary to get a decision. This is the downside for him to fight the native of Baltimore.
There is a risk of being robbed again or knocked out if caught by one of Tank’s big shots. If Lomachenko does not agree to fight the native of Baltimore, Gervonta, boxing fans will believe that he is a chicken and afraid of suffering a bad loss. It would make him look weak in the eyes of the fans.
Face the critics
Lomachenko has already been criticized for not agreeing to fight the defensive artist Shakur Stevenson. Stevenson is seen as a version of poor of itself without offensive ability.
If Loma chooses to continue his career, it is unlikely that he will return to 130 at Super Featherweight because it would not make sense financially. Apart from Emanuel Navarrete, a slightly boiled-down, that weight class has no stars.
Lomachenko looked excellent in his last fight, knocking out former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr. in the 11th round to capture the vacant IBF 135-lb belt on May 12 in Perth, Australia.
The movement, skills and accurate punching are still there, Lomachenko. He did better than in years, but he wasn’t facing a giant lightweight like in his fight against Haney, nor fighting the huge puncher Gervonta.
