Vasiliy Lomachenko will attend the undisputed blockbuster world championship in early 2023, says promoter Bob Arum | Boxing News
Vasiliy Lomachenko will of course challenge Devin Haney for the undisputed lightweight championship in early 2023 if both get through to the upcoming bouts, said Top Rank boss Bob Arum.
Haney is currently dominating the top of the league after George Kambosos Jr dropped out of boxing in June to claim the belt in Australia, and the pair will meet again in a rematch on October 16 at Rod Arena Laver in Melbourne.
The winner of that fight is likely in store for Lomachenko, with the Ukrainian set to return to the ring against Jamaine Ortiz in October.
“A contract is a contract and to secure that fight for Devin [Haney]we have to agree that if we win – which he did – there will be a rematch in Australia,” said Arum of the Haney-Kambosos rematch.
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Devin Haney is too smart and too fast for George Kambosos Jr, comfortably taking points to become the undisputed lightweight champion
“Thanks to the help of the Victorian Government, who spent a considerable amount of money, we were able to make the rematch.
“Devin has extra motivation because if he was successful again he would have heard that one of my favorite boxers, Vasiliy Lomachenko, has returned to the United States and his whole family has left Ukraine.”
Lomachenko last fought in December when he beat Richard Commey via unanimous decision to follow up with a ninth-round TKO win over Masayoshi Nakatani in June.
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Tyson Fury will ‘answer the bell’ to face rematch winners Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, his American promoter Bob Arum said
He’s still chasing the world titles he lost in a loss to Teofimo Lopez in October 2020, after which the Americans suffered a shock defeat to Kambosos Jr.
“Vasiliy will be in action a week or two after that, hopefully at Madison Square Garden in New York, where we’re going to have a celebration of the Ukrainian people. He’s going to be up against Jamaine Ortiz, a light guy. good , tough .
“If you [Lomachenko] succeeded in that, then at the beginning of this year we are going to have a big battle – Lomachenko trying to win all his titles back against Devin Haney. “
Top Rank president Todd duBoef added, “He wants those titles. He’s suffered the loss of Teofimo for too long. He thinks those titles should come back to the waistline. his.”
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Anthony Crolla was full of praise for his old rival Vasiliy Lomachenko, who took up arms to defend his homeland Ukraine.
Lomachenko shelved plans for a power struggle to return to Ukraine earlier this year when the Russian invasion began. Now, like his friend, compatriot and Olympic champion Oleksandr Usyk, Lomachenko wants to represent his country as an international athlete on the global stage.
“It’s a story about human interest. [thought] I had to put my own needs aside,” DuBoef said.
“What he does is amazing,” he continued. “We don’t see enough of that today. We see headlines with Premier League footballers complaining they want an exchange from their team and NBA and NFL players saying I don’t want to. play for my team anymore and i need more money and i handled it incorrectly.
“We just saw a real sign of altruism, a real sign of renunciation and sacrifice for others.”
Sulaiman: A lot to look forward to in lightweight
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman welcomed the opportunity for Lomachenko to win his title, hailing the 34-year-old as one of the most talented boxers in the world.
“That would only be fair,” said Sulaiman Sports sky. “He’s been through a lot, just like Usyk has been through.
“He has returned to Ukraine, he has been there supporting his country, now he is leaving for the train, he will fight in October.
“It will be very, very only for him to be able to fight for the championship like he did.
“He’s been out in the ring, but he’s always been a huge force. He’s one of the best boxers in the world.”
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Devin Haney says he stripped off George Kambosos Jr’s dangerous attributes as he clinched impressive points in Melbourne
While a climactic fight with Haney is likely to await, Sulaiman also warned “don’t give up on the Kambosos” as the Australian scrambled to avenge his all-out defeat on October 16.
“Haney is a great champion, I’m delighted for Devin Haney and the way he proved to the world his process was right in front of so many critics that he and the WBC have had to accept.” , Sulaiman added.
“But once you conquer and defeat, you feel proud of the way things have turned out. Haney is a great fighter, one of the best in the world without a doubt.
“Any fight, there’s a lot of talent in the lightweight division, Lomachenko, Kambosos, (Isaac) Cruz, (Gervonta) Davies, so many matches that can be made.
“We have a lot to look forward to in this weight class.”
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