IBF lightweight champion Vasily Lomachenko is dealing with a back injury and will resume his career if given the green light with tests on this issue.
Lomachenko’s Health
Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) turns 37 on February 17th and has been fighting only once a year since 2022. He’s not young, and he’s been campaigning in a division he’s too small for at 135, routinely facing with more size.
Gervonta Davis, 30, would like to fight Lomachenko if he continues his career. Six years ago, he wanted nothing to do with Lomachienko, but interest is high now that he’s gotten older and lost a few times.
That would be a good payday for the Ukrainian talent. Still, it would be risky, and the chances are high that Lomachenko could be on the receiving end of a controversial decision loss, just like 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. That’s the downside for him fighting the Baltimore native.
There is the risk of being robbed again or knocked out if he gets caught by one of Tank’s big shots. If Lomachenko doesn’t agree to fight the Baltimore native, Gervonta, boxing fans will believe he is a chicken and afraid to suffer a bad loss. It would make him seem weak in the eyes of fans.
Facing Critics
Lomachenko has already been criticized for not agreeing to fight the defensive artist Shakur Stevenson. Stevenson is seen as a poor man’s version of himself without offensive ability.
If Loma chooses to continue his career, it’s unlikely he’ll move back down to 130 at Super Featherweight because it wouldn’t make sense financially. Aside from Emanuel Navarrete, a boiled-down lightweight, 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 precise punching are still there, Lomachenko. He performed better than in years, but he wasn’t facing a giant lightweight like in his clash against Haney, nor was he fighting the huge puncher Gervonta.
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