Vasiliy Lomachenko's boxing future has taken an unexpected turn. The Ukrainian fighter won the IBF World Lightweight Title earlier this year, becoming the first to stop George Kambosos Jr. in the process.
After his impressive victory, talks started for a unification bout with WBA Champion Gervonta Davis. But negotiations fell through when Lomachenko decided to step back from boxing for the rest of the year.
The 36-year-old champion wanted to return home, spend time with his family, and help his country's efforts against the Russian invasion. This decision left many wondering about his future in the sport.
Initially, Bob Arum, Lomachenko's promoter, seemed confident about the boxer's return. In August, Arum told the Maestro A channel:
"I had lunch in LA with Vasiliy and his father before they headed back to Ukraine. He told me, 'Bob, I fought a lot. I'm an older fighter. I want to go back to Ukraine to spend time with my family' – cause there's a war going on in Ukraine. Sometime next year we'll be talking to do a major fight. So he's not retired, he's going to come back next year."
But Arum has now changed his tune. In a recent update to Boxing Scene, he sounded less sure about Lomachenko's plans:
"There's absolutely no way to know what he'll do and if you asked me right now what he's doing, I'd say, 'I don't know.' … He's done extremely well in keeping his money, taking care of his family and he has all of his faculties – he's accomplished all he wants from a professional career. I'm very happy with that. Of course if he wants to come back and fight, God love him, and we will help him with his next fight."
Lomachenko, known as one of the most successful amateur fighters, has yet to comment publicly on his future. Meanwhile, the IBF will soon need to decide what to do about his champion status.
Whether we'll see Lomachenko in the ring again remains uncertain. For now, it seems the Ukrainian fighter's focus is on matters outside the boxing world.
